Prompt: You find an animal that looks like no other on Earth. What do you do with it?
Warnings: Small amounts of blood.
Word count: 900 approx
Prompt from: https://writingexercises.co.uk/
The vet looked at the creature and then back to me, bewildered. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to give voice to thoughts he likely could not comprehend. All the while, the creature stared up at both of us, eyeing us separately with bulging yellow eyes.
I’d found the thing while out walking my dog, Bruiser. His attention had been drawn to one of the bushes on our walk and despite my best encouragement to keep moving, my little Pomeranian refused to budge. In the end, I looked under the leaves and found it. I thought perhaps it was some sort of lizard, due to its scales. Upon closer inspection though, I found it to be something entirely different. I picked it up, mostly to prevent Bruiser from attacking the poor thing, and gave it a closer look. It was much heavier than I was expecting, almost too heavy for an animal that was barely bigger than my dog. In fact, there were lots of little things that felt wrong. The scales on its skin were too rough, too shiny, and seemed to change colour depending in the light. Although it had climbed willingly into my arms, the creature clamped its fingers around my forearm as though it was terrified that I would drop it. The strangest thing about this animal though was the fur. Still under the impression that it was some type of reptile, I hadn’t expected its beak to feel fuzzy when it nuzzled into the crook of my elbow. Nor had I expected the feather-like hair that grew around the crest on its head. Baffled, my only thought was to take it to my local vet hoping they might be able to tell me exactly what I had found.
The vet hadn’t managed to tell me anything since I plopped the creature onto his examination table. My arms still ached from carrying it, and I noticed that deep purple bruises were blossoming from where it had held on. Silence would have filled the room, if not for Bruiser’s frantic barking. I tried to pick him up and comfort him. He snapped at my hands, a clear sign not to touch him. I gave up on my attempt. Obviously, my little Pom was just as freaked out as me. Something felt off about the animal – if you could really call it that – sitting perfectly still in front of me. Anything else would have reacted to Bruiser’s commotion, but not this thing. One of its eyes remained fixed on me. The other followed the poor vet as he sat down at his desk and began to hammer away at his keyboard. I could see the muscles moving under the creature’s skin as it turned its head. The movement caused the scales on its back to catch the light, shifting their colour from a deep blue to a sea green.
It blinked. When it opened its eyes, empty blackness took the place of the golden yellow. I thought it was a trick of the light but when I moved to get a better look, the darkness remained. The vet couldn’t see, his back was turned as he pored over an animal control webpage. A heavy feeling of dread filled my stomach. Something gnawed at the back of my mind, trying to warn me. I let my intrigue get the better of me. I needed to know what this thing was.
In a single, too fluid movement the creature sat up on its haunches, tilting its head backwards, until the strangely furry beak pointed toward the ceiling. The mouth opened. Wider and wider, unhinging its jaw until it looked ready to split in two. The gaping maw revealed hundreds of tiny, vicious-looking teeth set in rows and extending deep into the abominations throat. Under its skin, muscles pulsated. Each undulation causing the colours of its scales to change. Faster, until the skin itself became a creature in its own right.
As I stared, a noise began to emanate from deep within the beast. Low pitched at first, pulsing in time with the muscles and rapidly increasing in frequency. An awful mechanical screech, not a noise that any organic creature could possibly make. Louder still, and higher, until it was almost to high to hear. I could see Bruiser whimper, the door shaking its frame and the vet screaming but could hear nothing beyond that awful noise.
The window shattered. My head hurt. An intense pressure started to build behind my eyes, pressing against my skull, desperate for release. It hurt to breathe, each breath short and sharp as I struggled to take in air. My hands clamped over my ears. I could still hear it. Louder. Higher. The vet collapsed; blood trickled from his ears. An explosion of pain erupted in my left ear. Blood flowed freely from my nose, into my mouth. The tangy metallic taste overwhelming my senses.
The noise itself penetrated deep into my being, resonating within me. My legs gave way. Falling to the floor, fighting the urge to vomit. Bruiser lay silent, still. I stared at the horror in front of me. The vision in my right eye became blurry and red tinged. Something hot and wet gushed down my cheek. Another burst of sudden, white hot pain in my left ear.
Silence.
The creature fixed me with a soulless stare. Those cold dead eyes the last thing I saw before my vision faded.
Completed character work ups: 1/6 (approx 1300 words)
That's right I'm swapping to weekly accountability posts so I don't bore everyone to death saying the same thing over and over again every day. Rest assured though, I'm still logging my daily sessions.
I'm making good progress, I'm now more than half way through act one, yay!
Apparently all it takes is three days of proper lock down for my brain to switch into 'get stuff done' mode as I was very productive today. I managed to get a mood board created for one of my supporting characters, finish a full character work up for my female lead and finish a scene I was struggling with. Overall a very positive day.
I just wanted to say that I think it's great that you are working so hard on your WIP! I finished my first draft last August so I always feel so excited for others working hard on their stories. Keep up the good work and know you have a fellow writer backing you up!
Ah thank you so much 😊😊 and congrats on finishing your first draft! I hope your editing/revisions are going well
10000 words! Yay! There’s a celebratory excerpt under the read more!
Unfortunately not as much progress as I'd hoped from today but progress nonetheless. I also didn't get to work on my moodboards as a killer migraine had me out of action for most of the day.
In other news I remembered that Camp NaNoWriMo starts in April so I've been hard at work setting my page up to participate. I even started a writers group over there!
excerpt (500 words) ~
Outside the sun hung low in the sky. Not quite ready to go home Chloe instead made her way to the nearby market. The sun bounced of the colourful, striped roofs of the stalls as people wove in and out of the thin aisles between them, searching for the items they were looking for. Above the market loomed Norwich City Hall. An imposing, rectangular building with six columns above the front steps and a clock tower that added some much-needed height to the city’s skyline. In front of the building was a small seating area looking over the bustling marketplace. The perfect spot for Chloe to people-watch before heading home.
Approaching the area, Chloe noticed a photographer with a tripod pointed down at the market. She wasn’t surprised, after all the different colours of the stalls contrasted with the grey-brown castle that could be seen in the background was beautiful. Chloe found a bench near the artist at work. A person completely engrossed in what they were doing was the perfect subject for daydreaming up a story about. At the very least he would be too busy to notice Chloe if she accidentally stared for too long.
Tucking into the buttery pain-au-chocolat, Chloe observed her subject. The first thing she noticed was how confident he seemed with his camera, decisively lining up his shots before checking them over on the camera screen. He also seemed to know what he was doing. In the time Chloe had been watching he had deftly changed the lens on the front of the camera, attached a small piece of equipment Chloe didn’t know the name of to it and spent a good five minutes fussing over various settings. She decided he was a professional photographer, not a hobbyist.
Next she took note of how he was dressed. Chloe would have described it as comfortable yet practical. He wore a pair of dark blue denim jeans, that while not skin-tight were not too baggy. A grey hood poked out of the collar of a well-worn leather jacket. At his feet sat a big black bag Chloe assumed held even more camera equipment, and a sturdy looking rucksack that was starting to fray around the straps that held it closed. On his head he wore a simple woollen beanie, pulled far enough down to cover his ears. A man that valued comfort over style in Chloe’s eyes.
Chloe sipped her tea, enjoying its warmth in the cool breeze. The photographer began to pack away his equipment and Chloe considered that perhaps the chilly weather was affecting him too. As he reached for his bag, Chloe discreetly tried to sneak a look at the face of the man who had provided her entertainment for the past fifteen minutes. Her hope was met when he turned towards her while pulling the strap of his camera bag onto his shoulder. A round face with soft features hidden behind a tuft of thick, wavy hair that peeked out from under his hat. His dark eyes met hers. Her face grew hot as she realised that she had been noticed.
(Please be nice, this is a totally unedited first draft)
I'm hoping to get another good chunk of progress done and have an extended session. I need to finish the scene I'm currently working on and I've got an idea of what the next five will be. Ideally I'd like to get them all written tomorrow, but I think that's optimistic.
I'll also be making some more moodboards for side characters tomorrow as well. I find a visual aid for each character seems to help me understand them better.
I actually didn't want to write today because (a) I'm overwhelmingly tired and (b) I caved and started playing Animal Crossing. But I sat down and made myself write something anyway. Surprisingly I ended up writing more than I thought I would and I only stopped because I needed to go to bed.
Just goes to show that if I stick to my guns I can get stuff done.
Another short session today but for a different reason. I ended up doing a WIP intro post for my blog that took longer than expected so I didn’t have much time to write.
Overall very pleased with the progress I’m making as I made it to the end of a scene I was struggling with. It also looks like I’ve gotten past the issues I was struggling with yesterday ✌🏻
themes ~ slow-burn, strangers to friends to lovers, healing, moving on from the past
synopsis ~
Mark Li, a photographer, spends most of his time focusing on his career. He doesn’t date, doesn’t party and most days doesn’t even get dressed. Working from home provides him that freedom. In fact, the prospect of dating hadn’t crossed his mind in nearly six years until his best mate Dev asked for a favour - to look after Dev’s younger sister.
Failed fashion designer Chloe Dunbar finds herself running away from her terrible decisions. Broke, jobless and soon to be friendless she returns to Norwich - the city she grew up in. Desperate to avoid her past and find some sense of solace, she calls on her brother Dev for help.
Brought together by circumstance, Mark and Chloe find themselves drawn to each other. As their friendship blossoms against the backdrop of the historic city, they each find themselves searching for something they didn’t know they wanted - something they may well find in each other.
excerpt ~
Pushing his thoughts aside Mark rolled out of bed. Determined to enjoy his rare day off he made his way into the living room, shirtless but still in the jersey shorts he had slept in. For once the flat was tidy. Since Chloe had moved in both he and Ben felt they should make more of an effort to keep the place presentable. That meant no more leaving half-drunk mugs of coffee laying around and doing the dishes rather than leaving them to soak in the sink to be forgotten about for days. Mark found he quite enjoyed the newfound neatness. The lack of clutter covering every feasible surface made the room feel more spacious.
Even the air in the flat felt lighter, although he suspected that had something to do with the ever-growing collection of potted plants Chloe seemed to be cultivating. Green leafy ones covered the kitchen windowsill. Short, stubby spiky ones lined the one in the living room. On top of the shelving unit sat a plant that looked like vines, its tendrils hanging over the edge and stretching towards the floor. She’d even snuck a particularly large shrub-like plant in a terracotta pot onto their balcony without him noticing. Every time he left his room Mark noticed a new addition to the indoor jungle Chloe had created.
~(please be nice, this is a totally unedited first draft)~
What’s the point of a first draft if it’s not self indulgent? Why do all that work if you’re not having the most fun with it possible?
Whenever I get stuck on a first draft, I realize it’s because I stopped thinking about what the most fun thing to write would be, I was thinking of the most fun thing to read. That’s a great thing to think about during revision.
First drafts aren’t for readers. They’re for you. Write a book that you love, not that you want other people to love, and no matter how much editing comes later, that joy will come through. Trust your instincts. Have fun.
This was a doozy of a session. For whatever reason I was really struggling with trying to edit my sentences before I had even written them down. It got so bad I had to take a break after less than 200 words to clear my head. Then I completely freaked over the correct way to format dialogue (something I know how to do). I ended up going back over every conversation and making sure it was right. What I have to remember is that this just a first draft, so doesn't have to be perfect.
On the plus side, I did make some progress and we are quickly approaching the midpoint of the first act. I also managed to get everything formatted the way I like and have started to split everything into chapters.
This session went so quickly! I swear I only started five minutes ago and now it's two o'clock in the morning. A bit of a monster session today as well, nearly 1500 words 😮 I suppose that makes up for some of my recent, smaller ones.
Two things I have learnt about myself so far from this project:
1) As someone who was mainly interested in sci-fi and fantasy growing up, I'm shocked that the story I have so much passion for is a contemporary romance.
2) I am writing from two points of view, one for each of my main characters. I'm actually having more fun writing the male character than my female one. Maybe it's because it's more fun to explore a head space that is so different to my own.
Reblog this so your followers can spam your ask box. Have fun! ♥
01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded?
02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness?
03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves?
04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical)
05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type?
06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying?
07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)?
08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it?
09. Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday?
10. Is your character more feminine or masculine?
11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?
12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up?
13. What are your character’s sleeping habits? Heavy or light sleeper? Blanket stealer? One that always rolls onto the floor? Pushes their lover onto the floor? Sleep talker or walker?
14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates?
15. Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person’s name makes them tremble with anger or fear.
16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like?
17. Does your character have dreams of getting married and/or having children?
18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode?
19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily?
20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures?
21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear?
22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have?
23. What is your character like when it comes to school? What subjects are they good/bad at? Do they get in trouble a lot or are well behaved?
24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like?
25. Is there something traumatic from your character’s past that greatly affects them even to this day?
26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc?
27. If your character was going to get arrested, what would be the most likely reason for it?
28. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for?
29. What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one?
30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like?
31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what?
32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do?
33. If your character wanted to be alone, where would they go?
34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc)
35. Is your character afraid of death? If they got to choose how to die, how would they want to go?
36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life?
37. What are some of your character’s pet peeves? What are some things that annoy them or disgust them?
38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc?
39. When people look at your character, is there some assumption they might make about them just by appearance? Is that assumption correct?
40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others?
41. Does your character’s family affect your character in any way?
42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change?
43. Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self?
44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character?
45. Is your character the kind to hide their true emotions or do they wear their heart on their sleeve?
46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover?
47. Is your character outgoing? Would they be the leader of the friend group, or the quiet one that gets dragged along?
48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious?
49. What is something that your character has nightmares about? Are these frequent? Do they heavily affect your character’s mood?
50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say?
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