#1st draft

[withtheoldstars]

Solemnly Swearing: The Marauder’s Oath of Silence

by Rita Skeeter

December 1, 2000

Well, well, well, dear readers! Today marks two decades since The Marauders decided to pack up their musical mischief. Can you believe it? The once-most popular band of the ‘70s mysteriously called it quits, and oh, the rumours that still linger even after all these years.

Now, you’ve heard the hushed whispers, haven’t you? Theories abound about backstage feuds, alleged affairs, and the like. Word is James Potter, the charismatic guitarist, may have had more than just musical chemistry with Regulus Black, the lead singer’s enigmatic brother. Oh, it’s all too scandalous, isn’t it?

And let’s not forget the revelation of the real, genuine feud between Sirius Black, the strumming heartthrob lead singer, and Remus Lupin, the brooding bassist. A little more bite than bark, it seems.

Since that fateful gig in London, on December 1, 1981, where they left fans hanging, the band members have not been seen together.

The Marauders once owned the stage, riding high on the success of their award-winning album “Mischief Managed,” but for ten long years, their lips have been sealed. No interviews, no exposés. The band members and their inner circle have refused to give interviews on the record about what happened.

Until today, that is.

[writer-imagination]

Here is another sneak peak of the short film script:

[introvertedescapist]

Unsure if I should rewrite this.. it's pretty old.

[author-a-holmes]

Trick or treat! 👻

🍬 Treat!

How about some OC Trivia for Cara Evelyn?

As Booker's love interesting in Changeling, we find out that she had a fairly tragic past with both her parents becoming Kavians when Cara was quite young...

While Cara isn't physically with Lizzy and Booker in book two, we still learn more about her and her past through her parents involvement with Connorbar Moore.

In fact, Cara's family home is one of the first places that Andric, Lizzy and Booker go after leaving Speculo.

It's a three floor manor house, and I did a rough sketch of the layout when I was away on holiday. It's since been digitized, but here's a picture the first draft of the ground floor...

(Event Post)

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Two chapters left to edit

[slf-tnd]

Not all Hope is Lost (Sneak Peek)

Next Sorry, but Tumblr is being difficult with the rest of this. Think of it as a sneak peek for the full chapter! You will get the full chapter on Ao3.

And that was the prologue!! Now, what will happen in the future for Donnie?

I will post it on Ao3 in a few days after editing it.

___________________

“Mikey,” Donnie announced his presence and walked into the infirmary, in his hands a bowl of Applesauce with Apple slices (just to be safe). Mikey’s head shot up and looked at him, confused. “Got your food for lunch.” He held the bowl out in front of him, still feeling a little hesitant about uncuffing his brother. Not that the fact that he had cuffed him in the first place was any better. “I even made this portion bigger than last time.” Mikey gave the bowl a sniff before diving in, not hesitating anymore after the last two times. Things between them seem more relaxed now; Donnie at least was not as scared about possibly being bit, as he was yesterday. And Mikey appears to be doing better too, looking at how much more lively he is than before. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and glancing over, Donnie almost lost it. A wagging turtle tail. Ooooh, he used all of his willpower to not laugh, what he wouldn’t give to record this! While each of them had a tail, only Raph had it out most of the time because it was so big. It would be uncomfortable to retract and even then, it would not go in completely. The others, like Donnie, kept theirs mostly retracted in their shell, for different reasons. Donnie, for safety reasons, did it in his lab and that eventually became a habit. Leo started hiding his because, for how dismissive or dramatic he acted, his tail would always reveal his true feelings. And everyone knew that Mikey started hiding his because of how embarrassed he was of it- of how small and stubby it was, and it having a small spot on its tip too! Looking at his tail now, Mikey will not have to worry about that anymore, Donnie mused bittersweetly. “Mikey…” The bowl fell on the floor with a plab!, spilling its content all over the floor. But Donnie did not care- he hardly noticed. “What did you-” All that mattered now was his brother and what he said. Donnie swallowed hard. “Can you repeat that?” Mikey, who had looked forlornly at the spilt mess, tilted his head up. One might be deceived into thinking that he was not looking at anything (having no visible pupils and all), but Donnie felt his gaze resting on him. He looked down and then back at Donnie, before opening his strong beak filled with sharp teeth. “Food?” He croaked, with a questioning tilt at the end. “Oh-,” it felt difficult to breathe. “Oh Mikey, this is great!” But air never tasted more beautiful. “You can talk! You can understand me!” Half-formed thoughts and ideas raced through his mind. “Is this a sign that whatever it was that turned you into this is wearing off? Or- or was it exposure? Socialising? Did I accidentally teach you that? Or-” Theories and more theories streamed out of his mouth, pacing the room while rambling, not noticing how he walked through the spill on the floor. (Watching the purple turtle pace, a stream of words falling from his mouth, “Mikey” thought how odd that turtle was. But being here taught “Mikey” many things- many interesting things. It made being stuck here bearable. And he did not find it in himself to want to leave either.)

[jewelopolis]

[sireels]

Started editing my 42,000 word rough draft this week. If I keep up this pace, my first complete draft should be finished by mid-Feb. Feeling pretty good about my progress. Inching away from just-another-writer to become an author.

Took advice from some editors online and am also re-outlining the story and marking up new character sheets at this point. Just to make sure things are in balance and properly reflected in the writing. It has already has led to some major edits and additions to the first three chapters. I found I wasn't stitching in enough expression of character or the story world and was too focused on plot.

I have written 2 screenplays and many short stories, but this is my first real attempt at writing a novel (not counting half-assed outlines and drunken benders of yesteryear).

✌🏻

[desertpyre]

Col. Sato 1st draft

[danniswrites]

Good advice! Too many #nanowrimo friends missed their goal because of editing while writing. If your Inner Editor is overstepping their authority, you will not write. Don't worry about 'shoulds', it's a 1st draft!

Tell yourself the story

Don’t worry too much about over-describing in your first draft. Your first draft is all about the discovery, and you never know what elements will be relevant later.

Tell yourself the story, and worry about trimming the fat later, when you start your first edit.

[writer-imagination]

NOVEL WC UPDATES:

Final Goal: 60,000

Week 1: 2,000 words

[bookishnewt]

Just skimming through old writing and find an odd typo.

Blocks away from Jane’s home were the short fight was

“were the short fight was”

“were” !?!?!?

How did I miss this while typing the story?

AND WHY DID I JUST READ MY OWN POST IN PM SEYMOUR’S VOICE

[author-a-holmes]

🎃Trick or treat? 👻

--@oh-no-another-idea

🍬 Treat!

I was talking about the Evelyn Manor House earlier in another treat. How about a snippet of the first time they enter the building?

This scene is also a first, because it's in Booker's POV, which we don't get to see at all in Changeling.

The floor was dark stained wood, but his footsteps were muffled by a thick carpet covering the centre of the hall, leading you deeper into the large house. The walls had a horizontal beam of carved wood around waist height with some kind of decorated paper below and plain cream walls above that brought the white-washed cottages of Arbaon to Booker's mind. "Lizzy?" Booker called, his voice softer than intended but he didn't need her to answer him. He could feel that she was close. The familiarity of her mind called out to him, and he stepped through a large living room with deep, soft looking seats and an actual candelier hanging from the tall ceiling before opening a set of double doors that revealed a large, muli-floored library beyond. "Rot and termites," Booker cursed under his breath as he stared up and winced. When Cara had said the Evelyn Journals were in her family's library, none of them had realised what she'd meant. The room was large enough for a formal dinner at the Court of Arbaon, and the walls of books rose at lease a floor above them. It rivalled the library at Speculo School and Booker could already feel a headache building at the back of his neck.

(Event Post)

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Draft 1: Complete.

Began writing Book 5 on December 21st 2021

Finished first draft May 7th 2023

Finished editing first draft December 10th, 2023

Book 5 of the Recovery series (my 8th book written since 2004) was, again, a book I didn't fully intend to write when I set off into this series back in 2013. I'd originally planned this series to be three books based off a short story I wrote in my Creative Writing course in college. But here we are, 5 books in of 8 now planned.

With the chopping of original ending and slicing and dicing Book 1 (Embassy, 2013) by a full 50%, it grew into a very different story, one not full of aliens and interstellar wars, but the wonders and pangs of humanity's expansion to new planets two thousand years after the desolation of Earth.

Book 2 (Resonance, 2014) was originally meant to take place 18 years after Book 1, but ended up being a continuation of the new story, all leading up to those pages I'd chopped off and held onto for two years.

Book 3 (Perihelid, 2017) was originally what Book 4 ended up becoming in some ways. A loose version of the story, at least. The Book 3 I ended up with was a direct continuation picking up mere seconds after the end of Book 2, and coming full circle for the main character's arc.

Book 4 (Belvun, 2021) was born from the scraps of original Book 3. With a fully fleshed out plot spiralling toward ultimate disruption of balance among humanity's inhabited worlds, Book 4 ended up with a vastly different tone from the first three books, written from fresh new perspectives covering both political and civilian spheres.

And now, Book 5 (due for release October 2024 or April 2025) continues and concludes the story of Book 4, setting fire to the balance humanity has maintained. This destruction will set the stage for the concluding three installments, Books 6-8, which I will write between 2024 (?) and 2040.

Come January 2024, I'll input these edits, and then it all starts again (this time, only on the computer! Every first draft I write is on paper, though).

The next step from here is a break.

To all our endeavors.

[kaiforrest]

Silver Tongue Tales - Gray Chronicles Book I - Take Off Running: Chapter 4

Written and Voiced by Kai Forrest (That’s me!)

Art by @lottiewyn

[frogonamelon]

So... um... I've got ideas again.

I wonder why April's mutated-