#ms: wip intro

[sentfromwolves]

✧—CARVE THE STARS ⌈ a wip re-intro & march challenge intro ⌋

✧ GENRE: sci-fi fantasy ◈ STATUS: redrafting from scratch ♫ PLAYLIST: here!

Two hundred years ago, humanity expanded to the stars only to find a cosmos filled with graves. But then their children began displaying the strange ability to commune with the alien ruins scattered across the planets, waking ancient, extrasolar mecha from their sleep, and turned the struggling colonies of first generation space explorers into the fledgling galactic nation of Sol Galatea. 

Now, anyone with Resonance—the ability to interface with the alien mecha known as Relics—is conscripted by the government to pilot the near-impervious alien tech, and if the psionic overload doesn’t kill them first, the burgeoning rebellions at the edge of Sol Galatea’s controlled space will. Wren Akane knows this well—he’s been on the run from conscription ever since he was old enough to walk. 

His luck runs out when he accidentally awakens an ancient Relic in the desert of his planet, only to be embedded with the memories of its last pilot and the revelation that the war that littered the cosmos with graves is far from over. But no one believes Wren when he tells them that continuing to wake the Relics will bring the hostile alien empire that destroyed them back to Sol Galatea’s doorstep. Not his estranged father, who forces him into conscription to avoid the government executing him instead, nor Wren’s ex-childhood friends, who both have Relics of their own.

Only Wren’s rival pilot, Marek Khalid, seems to listen to a word Wren has to say. But Marek isn’t interested in saving Sol Galatea. He has big plans for what to do when the aliens arrive, a rebellion to lead, and if Wren isn’t on his side, he’s in his way. With time running out, Wren must soon decide how far he’s willing to go to save the people that never tried to save him—or if Marek is right, and he should let the stars burn instead.

🌃 SETTING ―

Two hundred years ago, the star system now known as Sol Galatea was a graveyard filled with alien ruins, ancient, crumbling structures, and millenia-old secrets abandoned to the dust.

Now, Sol Galatea thrives. Humanity has moved in, and after the first generation of children born to the star system began showing signs of Resonance—the mysterious ability to commune with and control the ancient alien relics littered across the star system—technological advancement surged, turning the scattered colonies of first generation space explorers into a powerful, isolated nation among the stars.

A number of planets, thriving stellar stations, and moon colonies compose Sol Galatea's controlled space. Territories are composed of rings that spread outward from the heart and capital of Sol Galatea, Tower Meridian. The Hecate Fracture, which encompasses the fringe planets of the system and the furthest reaching colonies, are desolate and often neglected by the interior, despite being mined aggressively for resources, as well as Relic-tech. Tensions have been rising recently between the Tower and the Fracture, and rumors of rebellion are stirring.

But with the Relic pilots on the side of the Tower, the only chance of success for a rebellion would have to come with help from within the capital. Or beyond the stars that humanity now calls home.

💥 THE CAST ―

⌈ WREN AKANE ⌋ ◈ — relic pilot & desert cryptid . trans he/they . twenty-two

Brazen, hungry for adventure, and allergic to commitment, Wren Akane is the son of explorers and a child of the desert. Born and raised in the Hecate Fringe on the backwater planet of Terra-9, Wren's Resonance scores are off the charts—and if they had ever been discovered by the Tower, Wren would have been under their control since the day he learned how to walk. After waking an ancient Relic in the desert with intimate links to Sol Galatea's forgotten past, Wren must contend with whether or not he's willing to save a galaxy that never tried to save him, or let the stars burn.

⌈ MAREK KHALID ⌋ ◈ — relic pilot & rebellion leader . cis he/him . twenty-four

Charismatic, power-hungry, and disgusted by the system that brutalized him from childhood, Marek Khalid wants nothing more than to set Sol Galatea on fire and watch the whole galaxy burn. His Relic is ancient and powerful, and while it has granted him secrets of the past, Marek has kept them close to his chest. The arrival of a wildcard Relic pilot threatens to throw his plans into disarray, particularly when Marek discovers that their Relic might have deeper connections to his than anyone had thought possible. But Wren is devilish, addictive, and a bad fucking idea...unless Marek can convince him that burning Sol Galatea back to ash is better than letting it continue to crush them both beneath the heel of its boot.

⌈ YEONGBI SEO ⌋ ◈ — relic pilot & botanist . cis he/him . twenty-five

Originally an aspiring botanist from the dusty planet of Terra-9, Yeongbi Seo was taken into custody by the Tower shortly after his sixteenth birthday when his Resonance abilities began manifesting after an accident out in the desert. Though he still works in the hydroponics labs on-base at Heartforge as a botanist, more often he is relegated to work as a Relic pilot after unearthing a behemoth mecha from the jungles of Ceridian-12. His on-again-off-again relationship with the infamous pilot, Marek Khalid, is thrown catastrophically into mayhem when his childhood ex-friend arrives at the base in chains with a Relic in tow. After all, Yeongbi might care for Marek, but he has always loved Wren more deeply than anything or anyone else in all the universe, and despite all the bad blood between them, that has not, and will never change.

⌈ KB KAVINSKY ⌋ ◈ — relic pilot & engineer . trans she/her . twenty-two

An explosive, fiery Relic pilot that hits like a battering ram and pulls no punches, KB Kavinsky is one of the most well-liked Relic pilots in active rotation. Infamously known as one of the only people able to take Marek on in close combat and have a chance at winning, KB is loyal to a fault and when she's not training on the mats, she's working in the mech shops with other engineers. After an accident on Terra-9 led to both her and her childhood friend, Yeongbi Seo, being conscripted by the Tower, KB never expects to see the one person that got away that night walk back into her life. But Wren is just as addictive and dangerous as KB remembers. And despite all the anger she still has toward him, she'd still set the world on fire just to protect him from harm.

⌈ MARSDEN NAVARRO-ORTEGA ⌋ ◈ — relic pilot & hacker . cis she/her . nineteen

One of the two Navarro-Ortega siblings, and often the bigger menace between the two, Marsden is one of the youngest Relic pilots in active rotation, and not because she wants to be. Angry at the system and angrier that she's trapped at the Heartforge while her brother is missing somewhere beyond the fringe spaces of the Hecate Fracture, Marsden wants out, and will crush anyone in her way to get it. Too bad she hates Marek Khalid, one of the only other pilots that seems to want to break the system as badly as she does. But the two despise each other after a fraught childhood spent together, and while Marsden is all for dismantling the system, she's not a homicidal maniac like her brother's ex-boyfriend. Wren Akane might just be the help she's been looking for all along to put her plans into action...but a wildcard is never trustworthy, even if Marsden needs Wren's help to finish the job.

☄️AUTHOR'S NOTE / WORDS INTO POTIONS PROMO —

Hey all! Some of you might recognize CARVE THE STARS from a long time ago. It's finally getting a rebrand from how I'd initially envisioned it when I'd first started working on the draft back in 2017. Though the core cast is the same, much of the world is shifting to hold the vision I have for this heart project, and I'm excited to work on a revitalized first draft for this remake. I have no set deadline right now for D1, but I'm aiming for summer 2024! For the month of March, I'll be participating in @moon-and-seraph's Words Into Potions event! Thanks so much for creating such a fun writing event to help motivate everyone set goals and work together to complete them this March, friend! My march goal will be 25K on D1 for CTS, while also revising HIS BODY A BROKEN LAW for first round beta ideally in the April-May time frame. If you're interested in beta reading HBABL, feel free to DM me here or on discord. I'll also be making a beta call post for it soon! I'm remaking CTS's taglist from scratch, so if you're interested in being on it, let me know. Excited to fill this writeblr with the WIP that really started it all and got me into this cool community. And if you're also participating in the march challenge, or just wanna yell, feel free to come talk to me about your wips! >:33 let's GOOO!

[moon-and-seraph]

Words into Potions: Introduce Your WIPs!

We want to know what you'll be working on during our March writing challenge!

Introduce the WIP(s) you'll be working on during March using the template below!

Make sure you add the tag 'MS: WIP Intro', so we can browse through all your projects and reblog them to Moon + Seraph!

Please include a link to our Words into Potion introduction somewhere in your post, so anyone can easily learn about and join our writing challenge.

WIP Introduction Template:

— Title — Genre — Summary — Optionally, any WIP-related links — Optionally, your WIP hashtag — Optionally, one WIP graphic/art — Optionally, a short snippet

Looking to make friends during our writing challenge? Take a look through the WIP intro tag here and find writeblrs to follow and support!

[ayzrules-art]

a lil intro for moon-and-seraph's words into potions event this march! definitely check it out if you can; they've put so much work into making such a cute, motivating challenge for us!

WILT AND BLOOM .

GENRE・Fantasy (specifically, second world urban fantasy) WARNINGS・Body horror and plant-related body horror, mild gore, physical/emotional abuse, implied/fade-to-black sexual abuse, violence, torture, nonconsensual experimentation, abductions/kidnapping.

SUMMARY・Sworn to serve the Blooming Court and its fickle blossom-queen, Alejandro has resigned himself to an eternity ensnared in the treachery of fae lords and their patronage contracts—binding agreements drawn in blood, and in the flowers that sprout from his bones each spring. But everything changes when he rescues a girl cursed to die as a star.

First, Alejandro must accept the help of a traitor. Then, the manhunt to bring in a heart-eating Oathbreaker wreaks havoc on the centennial Ascendancy, uprooting all his attempts to save Genevieve. To make matters worse, the embers of an ancient war are flaring back to life: the Blooming Queen and her Withering half-sister have been battling for centuries, the magic of the land sickens with the pollutants of the modern age, and investigating the curse reveals a deadly truth that leads to more questions than answers.

As Genevieve grows weaker, it all comes down to Alejandro to put an end to a battle between the forces of life and death and wilt and bloom—a battle that may just be the end of the world as he knows it.

[aesthetics + court info under the cut]

COLOR PALETTE .

The Blooming Queen’s hair as it is when the story starts: a rotting, brown-sweetened gold, like a bruised persimmon, pale orange undertones mottled with the hues of overripe peach flesh.

All the reds of an autumn forest, but especially the deep, bloody reds that certain trees produce—crimson with a cool tinge to it, a violet-indigo like shadows blooming at twilight.

The dry, wilted brown of fallen leaves; the papery chestnut of dying grass; the goldenrod that adorns fields in sways and swirls until first frost.

Dusk-light that pours like honey, a sighed warmth that pools into all the places where you have gone hollow.

The depthless dark of the Withering Queen’s eyes, like earth black with everything once-bloomed and dying; the burnished gleam of the wilt-prince’s eyes, dark like his mother’s until the light hits right. Then, they’re veined in the softness of mercy.

The orange ember-brilliance of Tselvya’s flames, of Genevieve’s hair, of chrysanthemums and marigolds throwing flamboyant blooms into the slow subside of midsummer sunshine.

THE BLOOMING COURT .

Butterflies and moths and beetles have domain over this land, where the flowers are bright and the berries overripe, sweet and heady and repugnant. The Blooming Queen dotes upon them, and they grow larger than they have any right to be.

The fae sworn to the blossom-queen adorn themselves in red, red jewels and red flowers and red life, carnage bloodied down the tips of sharp teeth and talon-pointed nails. They pluck the eyeballs out of freshly slaughtered game and feast on fruit bruised to the point of bursting, and all the flowers they touch bloom big and bright and radiant, incandescent—almost frighteningly alive.

Death will always be much too slow to come, here where life rots to the very core.

THE WITHERING THRONE .

The wilt-queen rules from a throne of bones and moonflowers, and her flesh is so brittle that she appears to be no more than a dead body propped up in a borrowed imitation of life. A single touch of her finger leaves spiderwebs of pale mold behind, dozens of white moths fluttering about her shoulders and settling atop the crown of fresh roses adorning her hair. As the moon rises and falls and rises again, the moths drop all around her, and the roses lose their bright sweetness, rotting into a slow, violet-brown mass, until the Withering Queen is draped in nothing but corpses.

The wilt-queen offers her white-clad followers all manner of delicacies over the course of their midnight banquets, and she eagerly partakes in the festivities herself, her dainty corpse-mouth red with the hearts of small, dead creatures. She caresses bony fingers—spindly like the stems of wilted flowers—down the edges of dewy blossoms and trapped prey animals before she drains all the life out of them, her face going from dead-eyed translucence to pink and flushed in the space between one exhale and the next. 

Birds and insects and rodents die at the hands of the Withering Throne, laid to rest in the soil, and the Withering Queen feasts. She feasts.

[interroblog]

id: a drawing of two people walking down a warmly lit city street at night. The left, Tab, has their arm around the right, Saint.

Here’s the introduction for my Words into Potions project!

Title ☾ TBD, working title is the moon book

Genres ☾ Supernatural with scifi and horror elements

Summary ☾

After his best friend Tab develops an obsession with ghost hunting, Saint reluctantly tags along to one of their hunts. It turns out to be their most active hunts by far with the “ghosts” all focused on Saint. When he goes home, they come him. They seem to want something from him. He’s not sure he believes all of that- he’s got a pretty active imagination, after all.

(He’s right. Ghosts aren’t real, of course. It’s actually aliens.)

(Takes place in a version of our world that’s just close enough if you squint and ignore all the cults, aliens, and other strange happenings)

I’ll be using the project tag #WIP: moon. This is the story I daydreamed about all day back when I was in school, so it’s really exciting to finally be making it real! The goal is to have a full scene list by the end of the month :)

[simonnebethel]

~ M+S Words into Potions Event ~

Totally not a banner I just made

I am doing Moon + Seraph's Words into Potions challenge in March! Decided it was a good excuse as any to complete the first draft of my romantasy project(and to also give it a name 😅).

Title: To Hear a Lovebird(may or may not be a placeholder 👀)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Summary: Prunhilt Helisende, an elven farmer living quietly in a dark forest, is forced to travel with a mercenary after they were both seen together by a group of foreign bounty hunters. Just interacting with the charismatic but mysterious Stigbyrr has put a price over her head, and now she has to travel with him until he can find some way to get her back home safely without the elusive bounty hunters noticing. Along the way, the pair find out more about each other that may effect the already blossoming romance between them, or pull them even closer.

I just started writing this and I have not talked about it much, so I have no links besides a small snippet to share.

Also, have this excerpt.

He brought the mug to his lips again, but stilled at the sight of two figures approaching him. Dietrich the tavern keeper, and the pretty lady who played the waldzither only a few moments ago. “Stigbyrr, this is Prunhilt Helisende. Prune, this is Stigbyrr, the mercenary I told you about,” Dietrich turned to Stig after introducing him. “She has a potential job for you.” Prune stared at him for a few moments before turning away, looking down at the table instead. She explained her problem, but Stig was only half-focused on her strange accent. He instead looked at her dark umber hair that was braided to the side, shorter strands framing her sun-tanned skin. Like most of her kind, she had black eyes. Even the sclera was the same inky shade of black, but in the dim lamplight he could see the faintest shade of red. I’m staring, he thought, and quickly shut his gaping mouth and focused on the lady before him. What was she saying? A beast, in the woods? “What kind of beast?” He asked. Her eyes widened just before she averted her gaze again. “I—I don’t know. It only kills at night, and has sharp claws that fester the wound. Worms come to collect their due faster than I’ve ever seen,” She replied. Most creatures of these woods are relatively harmless, as long as whoever is traveling through them respect the Forest Folk who inhabit them. He traced the rim of his cup as he thought. I couldn’t imagine why a farmer who was born and raised here was suddenly having trouble. “Interesting. I’m not knowledgeable in the beast of these lands, but if it’s a nocturnal creature, then it has to have a den somewhere that it sleeps in during the day. Have many caves in this forest?” She shrugged, appearing unsure. “I suppose we do, but I don’t go wandering unless I have a destination in mind. Exploring is a good way to become a sprite’s plaything.” “Oh,” he nodded, “I know all too well. The Forest Folk where I come from are as cold and unforgiving as the weather.” He tilted his head. “And…are you sure this isn’t just some fairy you accidentally ticked off?” She laughed and shook her head, and Stig swore he never heard a sound so pretty. “No. I dare say we have different experiences when it comes to the Forest folk. Any farmer who resides in this forest has to respect the creatures who have lived here long before them if they wish to dwell in it. I swear I have done nothing to anger a forest spirit.” He sighed and sat back in his chair. A job that will require me to get my hands bloody, but a job nonetheless.“Well, I suppose I won’t know what it is until I kill it, yes? I think it would be safer to look for it in the morning, so you’ll just have to risk another night with it lurking around. I must also ask about my payment.”

[sunset-a-story]

-Words Into Potions- March Challenge WIP intro post

I'm going to be doing Moon + Seraph's March Writing Challenge to hopefully get a bunch of good writing done for Arc/Vol 3 of Sunset next month! They've asked we do an intro post for the project we'll be working on ^.^

Title: Sunset, Vol 3

Genre: slow-burn science-fantasy serial

Summary: I'm not sure how to effectively give a summary of Vol 3 without major spoilers when the bi-weekly releasing is still on Vol 1. How about:

It could have been perfect, Alex thought. Or, no, not perfect--nothing ever could be perfect again--but it could have been perfect enough if only everything had stayed on course. But now here he was. A door closes, slammed shut. Three windows are open. He finally and truly knows which one he wants but he's going to have to skin his knees to climb through.

Links: Our linktree can point you to our Patreon, Wattpad, AO3, and my co-writer's tumblr. My co-writer, @touloserlautrec, also does all the artwork for Sunset including this awesome mock horror movie poster they did for last Halloween. (Cropped for gore.)

My March Goal:

Write 100 new pages for Vol 3. It'll definitely be a stretch considering everything else going on in my life this coming month lol, but I want to see how far I can get.

[mysticstarlightduck]

My Words Into Potions Intro!

The Event (@moon-and-seraph)

I'll be working on two WIPs this March - my goal will be to attempt to finish Enchanted Illusion's first draft and give Of Starlight and Beasts a good headstart!

Title: OF STARLIGHT AND BEASTS

Genre - High Fantasy (medieval) Adventure/Dark Fairy Tale (with a tad of romance, that's a subplot)

Summary - In an ancient enchanted kingdom, Corah, the daughter of their land's most renowned adventurer, seeks to become the best knight that has ever lived. However, after meeting a young man with strange magic and no memories lost in the woods, Corah finds herself thrust into an unexpected quest when the once-thought-dead Queen returns to enact her revenge on their peaceful kingdom - and now it falls to Corah and her mysterious new friend to prevent destruction from reaching their land, if she wants to achieve her dream to be knighted. But are things quite what they seem?

POV - Dual POV (for now?), with some occasional POVs from important side characters.

Lenght - Novel/Book

Tags/Hashtag - #wip: of starlight and beasts, #wip of starlight and beasts

WIP Soundtrack - Of Starlight and Beasts Playlist

Snippet/Excerpt -

[...] Corah climbed the sandy stone wall, expertly weaving her way up towards the broken ramparts despite the weight of her armor straining her arms. Her hands reached the ledge, and she was able to fling her leg onto the walkway, pulling the rest of her body upwards.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she wiped the dust off of her hands onto her trousers, waiting for her friends to reach her. Arammys' sunny locks were the first to peek through the ramparts, though, in his struggle to get a grip on the stone, his hands nearly slipped - she lunged, grabbing hold of his wrist just in time, and helping him heave himself the rest of the way up.

Behind him, Eidan followed suit, pulling himself over the wall nearly effortlessly. Arammys stared at him, impressed and annoyed at the same time.

Turning around as the duo started to bicker, Corah rolled her eyes, looking down to the city below, the sprawling sea just barely visible through the white stone buildings was filled with trading ships from near and far, the sky seemingly filled with colorful flags and banners. But she knew better than to trust the city's apparent normalcy - the Crimson Queen's soldiers were already here, just waiting to catch them on the streets down below.

"We'll need to figure out another plan, it seems" She winced, sighting a suspiciously familiar hooded figure just out of the rampart's gate ahead. Her hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword.

Just as she was about to back away, Arammys popped up beside her, not noticing the enemy just below. Corah pulled Arammys behind a pillar just in time before the person looked up, nearly spotting him. She whispered through gritted teeth, exasperated. "Do you seriously have a death wish?"

"I didn't notice that the guy was there!" Arammys replied, an indignant remark spoken through a whisper as he pulled the hood of his cloak meticulously over his head, obscuring his hair and face. He peered over the pillar, this time more carefully, onto the street below, noticing more and more of the Queen's men. "Gods, the city is really crawling with them. How are we supposed to reach the docks? They'll kill us!"

"No, they won't." Eidan broke his silence, motioning with his metallic arm for the duo to follow him, "I know a way in. But you're really not gonna like it." [...]

Title: ENCHANTED ILLUSIONS

Genre - Victorian-inspired Dark Fantasy/Mystery

Summary - The brutal war between humans and mythical creatures came to an end 100 years ago, with a peace treaty being achieved and the rival nations finally coexisting peacefully in the capital city of Ansburke. Now, however, a crooked secret organization - dubbed the Hemlock Society - seeks to plunge the city into civil war, preying on the prejudices left over from the previous centuries of warfare to feed the uneasiness between humans and Myths once more. Now, as tensions reach a boiling point, a group of misfits and outcasts must work together to thwart the Hemlock Society's dreadful plans before civil war erupts, in a race against time to save both the people of Ansburke and their own lives, as they dive deep into the world of intrigues and secrets that lay just beneath the city's perfect surface.

POV - 5 Main POVS, with occasional POVs from important side characters.

Lenght - Novel/Book Series

Tags/Hashtag - #wip: enchanted illusions, #wip enchanted illusions

WIP Soundtrack - Enchanted Illusions Playlist

Snippet/Excerpt -

Augustus and Harriet walked down the cramped alleyway, following their unexpected guide. Whilst the necromancer maintained his usual unphased composure - hands behind his back, chin held up high, relaxed smile - Harriet could not help but look over her shoulder once every few seconds. Every shadow seemed to be someone ready to jump at them, to drag them to the deepest bowels of this town and never return.

She pushed the intrusive thoughts down, scoffing at the outlandish notion. Still, the sky was unnaturally covered by smog - smoke continuously billowing from the foundries' skyscraping chimneys, mixing with the cloudy mist - and the lamplit streets were a cramped maze of shops, tents and intricate buildings, metal being the most prevalent sight. Nothing like Ansburke, she thought.

The quicker they find what they're looking for, the sooner they'll return home. And hopefully, stop this madness from unfolding. There was an unwelcome, fiery chill in the air and people bustled through the street around them. She inched closer to Augustus, their shoulders brushing - and tried to convince herself it was simply so she wouldn't get lost in this industrial maze, not to sate the pit of uneasiness that had taken hold of her chest since they reached the gates of the city. Ahead, the eccentric young man leading them whirled around.

"Alright, if ya guys wanna blend in and find out more about that scumbag of a Mayor, you'll need to get some local clothes - not that there's nothing wrong with," He gestured to their dapper attires, now slightly torn and dusty after their ordeal at the train ride, which stood out like a sore thumb when compared to the crowds around them "that, but you two scream 'Ansburke' just by existing." [...]

[maddstermind]

Words Into Potions Intro! Introducing...

~ Auberon Academy: Dark Things ~

Title: Auberon Academy (Book Three) - Dark Things Genre: Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Summary: Ashton and Sutton's quest to find the missing king is coming to a close, but not in the way they expected; Rosamund works with her loved ones to craft a way to finally get a step ahead of their enemies; Addison sets sail for Rasduk in hopes of finding a cure for petrification; and Christie returns from winter break to a terrible betrayal.

The strings of fate binding the four together are drawing closer and closer, as the mastermind is finally revealed and a specter is finally unmasked. The end is drawing near, and it's time to prepare for war.

Here is the tag I use for all Aubie-related things!

Below the cut I have a snippet for you! (From book two, as book three is not yet written!)

     Darkness.       It was oppressive and all-encompassing, making it hard to breathe or think, let alone move. Trapped with a dozen other small bodies, unprepared for the destruction that came with magic. A manifestation that came several years too early, spelling doom for them all.      Behind the fear, there was still a lingering feeling. It was almost indescribable, and had simply been labeled "dark." It was a different darkness than that which surrounded the group, but persistent nonetheless. It had been persistent for some time now, hunting somewhere in the forest at the base of the mountain.      Just as hope was fading and the darkness was on the verge of becoming permanent, there it was — light, bright and welcoming like an old friend. Then came desperate hands and arms, pulling the small, fragile bodies out of the rubble. One by one they tumbled out and went running to their parents, scared that their short lives were nearly ended in an accident.      And then there was the culprit. He was pulled from the rubble by a hand that shone with the light of the suns, yet was cold to the touch. Their body was similarly bright but cold, and a sword hung off their side, the sharp blade hidden in its sheath, away from the curious fingers of children. Despite their cold exterior, they looked at the child with the fondness of a father, of a friend. A handsome, unmarred face, friendly eyes, and dark hair with pale streaks running through it.      They looked like a hero. Something out of a fairytale. Someone who had helped already — and could maybe help more.      He grabbed the cold, shining hand and kept the hero in place. "Please," his voice came out as little more than a whisper, after all the yelling and heavy breathing he'd done in the last however long. "Please, I need your help."      They kneeled, holding his hand gently. "Let's find your parents, yes? You'll be safe with them."      He shook his head. "There's something in the forest."      "Something in the forest?"      "I can feel it. I've been feeling it. It's… I don't know what it is. It's something dark. In the forest, by the mountain."      "Something dark," they repeated, solemn. "Well, let me tell you this, child." They put their free hand on his shoulder, and gave a bright smile, full of teeth. "Not all dark things are bad."      Their words calmed him, despite everything. He was still afraid, but less than he'd been before. He still trembled, but less so.      The hero stood, dusting themself off. "How about this. I'll go check it out now. Just to make sure it's nothing dangerous. Alright?"      He nodded. "I can take you there," he offered. "I can feel it, I can follow it."      They shook their head, looking to the treeline. "No, you need to go home and rest up. You've had a tough day, but you've done a good job and have been very brave. I'll stop by once I've found out what it was. Alright?"      Looking up at them, he believed they could do anything in the world.      "Alright."

This is the prologue of book two, but it's where the phrase "dark things" starts in the series, so I thought it'd be a good excerpt!

[littleladymab]

♥ ERADICATE : Book 3 of Meliora [[a wip intro for @moon-and-seraph's WORDS INTO POTIONS March event]]

♠ Genre: Collapsing Post-Utopian, Mystery ♣ Series Summary: A mysterious benefactor invites citizens of Eminence, built on the remains of London, to participate in a game. The reward? Information on the darkness of the city and a chance to escape. All they have to do is prove they are worthy. ♦ Etc: writing tag || playlist

My goal this month is to actually finish the outline for this and NOT abandon it to simply start replanning the entire series from book 1 again. And somewhere between this and SW, hopefully write 4 chapters/about 10k.

Main Cast

♥ Ayn Starling: 19, lit student + ballerina, playlist ♥ Catoir Altair: 20, librarian, goes by the name "Fletcher Oswin", playlist ♥ Jonas Quinn: 20, hairdresser + gang leader, playlist

Snippet

Sender: The Program Manager Subject: Invitation to a Game

Message: My fellow citizens:

The illustrious city of Eminence stands as a beacon of success and security. Top class schools, an expanding array of businesses, and a world renowned medical team. Many find themselves drawn to it for these reasons.

I, like you, like many before, have dropped all that I was to make a fresh start in this New World ‘Eden’. And I, like you, like many before, find myself content to continue to make a living.

We do not dream of leaving.

What I am here to tell you is that it is not a problem of desire: You cannot leave.

As a fellow citizen of Eminence, it is my duty to entrust this secret to the curious few. Thus, I offer up Meliora, a game in which the willing participate, but only the fortunate will make it through.

I will not say much on the nature of this game -- not all of you will believe me. Meliora is a chance for you to obtain information on what those hungry for the truth will want more than anything: An answer to the riddle of Eminence.

Should you choose to accept my first invitation, I ask that you join the others at the little doors six days before the approaching ides. Expect to arrive in time for high tea.

There will be no consequences if you reject this offer. You will soon forget this message and continue on in blissful ignorance.

Choosing to participate proves to me that you are worthy of a way out.

I hope you will make the right decision.

Respectfully, The Program Manager

[moondust-bard]

Luna’s Words into Potions Project Introductions!

This March I plan to work on the two projects detailed below while participating in the Words into Potions writing event.

Learn more about this writing challenge, hosted by Moon+Seraph.

Hunting Ground — a Noble Dragons novel

Genres: fantasy, romance

Summary: This year’s Mating Season has begun, and Elinor Evergreen is making her grand debut into noble Dragonshifter Society— to her dismay.

Link to the wip intro!

WIP hashtag: wip: hg

Creatures of Fate Series: Book One

Genres: romance, urban fantasy

Summary: What would the world be like if a large portion of the population could shapeshift into animals? Oh, and also finding one or more romantic soulmate is a very real possibility. Drama ensues.

WIP hashtag: wip: CoF

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

✨Words Into Potions✨

Project intro for Moon and Seraph's March writing event!

Title: Apophenia

Genre(s): Urban fantasy, paranormal fantasy

Summary:

Mermaids don't exist. Every agent of the Coven, the organization that researches and governs the supernatural community, knows that. Accepting a classified assignment to investigate sightings along the Broken Coast is just an easy paycheck as far as Isaac Soto is concerned (not to mention another way to avoid dealing with his trauma and relationship issues).

A chance meeting with a charming stranger in a roadside diner changes not only the course of Isaac's assignment but the trajectory of his life. A life now in danger of being cut short unless he figures out how to escape the bloodborn who takes him hostage, a necromancer out to kill both of them, and the corruption at the heart of the organization he thought he believed in.

WIP intro and first chapter here

WIP tag: #dysthanasia

Goal(s): One outline "chapter" a week, one faction post a week, one character intro a week

Snippet under the cut

“What brings you out to the western wilds, Isaac?”

“Well…something similar actually. I study big predators. Wolves and cougars mostly. Alligators once in a blue moon. I keep track of their movements and population sizes, births, deaths, habits, that sort of thing.” It was true in a general sense, even if the predators in question spent most of their days on two legs and paying the bills just like him.

“Que coincidência. Do you enjoy your job?”

“Mostly, yeah.” Nevermind that if not for the Coven—and Elfy, for that matter—he didn’t know how he would’ve made it through the past ten years. “I get to travel a lot, see tons of interesting places, expand my horizons and all that.” Rather than huddle on his sofa until he degenerated into a mat of depressed lichen.

[heymacareyna]

Holly's Words into Potions WIP Intros

This March I plan to work on two projects! Count 'em, two!

Title: Sword's End — Genre: fantasy FF romance — Summary: In the kingdom of Avicia, elf princess Ravenna and human knight Elspeth pretend to be engaged to get Ravenna out of a bad political marriage and to get Elspeth out of her knighthood so she can become a poetic bard. — Length: ~25k novella — Current Status: barely-there outline — March Plans: write the synopsis, and maybe start drafting?? — WIP Hashtag: WIP: Sword's End — Fun Fact: this piece started life as a short story, and then I couldn't help myself. I needed to make a longer version.

Title: The Plus-One Contract — Genre: contemporary FF romance — Summary: Maryland woman hires a professional companion to be her date to a cousin's destination wedding where her ex is the maid of honor — Length: ~60k novel — Current Status: finishing the detailed synopsis — March Plans: start drafting! — WIP Hashtag: WIP: The Plus-One Contract — Blurb:

Gabrielle O’Keefe needs a wedding date, but that’s a tall order for a painfully introverted tech writer who grew up in a loveless evangelical cult. The only way she’ll survive her cousin’s destination wedding where her ex-girlfriend is the maid of honor is to hire Lady Sabrina, a professional companion. It should be simple: fork over some cash, fake a relationship for a week, and finally win her ex back. Except Sabrina Saunders is actually adorable, bubbles over with good humor, and makes the charade look effortless. In fact, unexpectedly, her extroverted presence helps Gabrielle mingle in crowds in a way she never could before.

Sabrina isn’t in this business for love. All she wants is the down payment for a house. After a childhood in poverty, she relies only on herself for her welfare; the last thing she needs is another person in her life, much less a client. As Gabrielle opens up to her, though, Sabrina struggles to maintain the distance she needs to keep herself safe. It turns out Gabrielle is loyal and even-keeled with an unexpected sense of humor, and she becomes a haven where Sabrina doesn’t have to entertain people or concoct complicated lies.

The mutual affection feels less and less false as the days pass. But Sabrina’s got a business to run, and Gabrielle’s ex wants to meet up. They’ll have to walk away from each other forever to maintain the safety of the lives they know…unless they can both mend the open wounds of their pasts in order to reach for something real in the future.

Interested in learning more about this writing challenge and maybe even joining?

Here's the Words into Potions introduction by @moon-and-seraph!

[365runesoftheamalgamations]

Words Into Potions [ 01 ]

hello and how are you, fellow Wanderers?

Well everyone, we're happy to announce that we will be attempting a new writing challenge that is being hosted by the lovely Seraph and Luna over at @moon-and-seraph! We're happy to be taking part and if you want to know more, then check out the links! :D

Challenge Post | Introduce Your Works | Challenge Tag

Photo by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash

Since we can't be normal about literally anything and we never really want to anymore, we will be doing as we do and aiming to work on five different projects! These will be interchangeable throughout the month and hopefully we will be able to get a lot of words for all of them!

Monthly Challenge Goals:

5,000 Words A Day

150,000 Words a Month

5 Zero Drafts [ Any Format / Existence ]

Full List of Works under the cut [ it is long, we do not apologize ]

Monthly Challenge Works:

The Magician & The Curse

Original Work, Standalone Novel Fantasy, Horror Dual Perspectives, Third Person Present Tense

Mature Content: Murder, Body Mutilation, Violence

⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰

Witches have haunted the Forests of Navamora for far longer than most of the Histories recorded within the Lands. Elios has known of the Witches before ever learning about the Beings of Humanity who have tried and failed to regain any sort of foothold in their Cursed home. Not even Humanity’s attempt at purging the Magicians does anything to help the growing Cursed Existences from rising from the grounds and destroying their World.

It’s only when they meet a Magician, one of those who were cursed at birth to death, that they learn of things not even their beloved Build is aware of. And they come face to face with the disgusting realities that engulf what it really means to hunt a Witch.

The Cityscapes of Dragoons

Original Work, Standalone Novel Fantasy, Action and Adventure Dual Perspectives, Third Person Present Tense No Major Mature Content

⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰

They say Icarus laughed as he fell. They never say what kind of laughter it was.

Emily has known nothing of the Cityscapes, the giant abandoned relics of machinery and impossibility that float through the Skies, air horns screaming their paths for absolutely no one to hear anymore. The only things that come from them now are debris, death, and the deadly roars of the Fire Bellies, Dragons without Knowledge.

The dead Cityscapes are only good for supply runs, attempts to salvage whatever essentials they can without evoking the wrath of the Beasts. It's a death wish wrapped in desperate hope, and Emily lives to serve, if only because it keeps her and her own alive.

And then she lays witness to something that makes her wish she didn't have so much to gamble against; an Icarus, a child falling from one of the Cityscapes without his wings.

Even worse, he was definitely laughing.

The Plague Begins With Me

Original Work, Possible Series Low Fantasy, Dystopian, Horror Third Person Present Tense

Mature Content: Death, Death Mentions, Medical Horrors, Body Horrors, Violence, Weapons, Blood, Implied Gore

⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰

Lost to the devastation of the Plague and destroyed by the aftermath of Humanity’s Fall, the World of Zeomia holds nothing but the dystopian devastation of disease and decay.

Shouldering a responsibility that no one else is allowed to know, Zero tries to give mercy to those who have fallen from her own twisted fate.

To Sleight the Mind

Original Work, Standalone Novel Fantasy, Psychological Horror Elements Differing Perspectives, Third Person Present Tense

Mature Content: Violence, Implied Gore

⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰

Tomfoolery was a gamble, plain and simple.

But when the Game holds itself to only one winner and too many losers to hold any value, it ends up as more of a show for cowards. The Tents of Fantasia are nothing more than hunting grounds for the Ring Master and his Mind Magicks. They drag anyone with a lick of desire into the gambles, make sure to drive into their fears, leave them nothing but the luck of their own willpower.

No one survives the Tomfoolery Gamble.

Julia knows this, has laid witness to the Mind Magicks herself.

And she knows a cheat when she sees it.

Vagabond Child

Original Work, Series of Short Stories / Novella? Dystopian, Apocalyptic Aftermath, Survival Third Person Present Tense No Major Mature Content

⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰

It had been a while since the Incident.

Not many people came by anymore, no one daring to venture into the wilderness that had taken over their utopia.

Those who did manage to get out of the beds and away from their homes were Scavengers, ghosts in search of the glory of the Old Days.

[seajaneradio]

March Writing Challenge: WIP Intro

⟢ Hello friends! This March, I'm taking part of @moon-and-seraph's most recent writing challenge! I'll be participating with a fanfic WIP this time around, but I'm super excited nonetheless! Here's my little introduction of what I plan to work on. <3

— drowned in love (unheard voices and untouched feathers)

— a Clorinde Navia Alternate-Canon Disability Wingfic AU

— After the flood of Fontaine, Navia loses her hearing. The Spina Di Rosula falls to shambles, everyone close to her has passed, and Navia escapes to the mountains to get away from everything. After she finds a woman with wings bathing in the pond, they learn more and more about each other and even unexpected connection to their pasts. Will the woman help Navia come to terms with her newfound hearing loss and return to Fontaine? Or will Navia stay with her as the only person she has now?

— M | F/F | Genshin Impact

— Hearing Loss | Wingfic | Alternate-Canon | Hurt/Comfort | Conflict | Pining | Trauma | Other Additional Tags to be Added

— #drownedinlove is my wip tag!

I'm super excited to get working on this this March! Much love!

[trixies-show]

Hallo all!!! I’m joining @moon-and-seraph’s Words Into Potions event!!! I’m just hoping to have some fun and get some writing done and hopefully make some friends along the way!

— Title: The Carnevil

— Genre: Thriller? Maybe? I don’t know genres

— Summary: A mysterious ringleader who goes by the name of Circus Mcgurkus runs an amazing circus called the Carnevil. Two of the performers, Raya and Jackalo!, work within the circus but unknown to the public they’re the only “people” there. Despite the fantastical shows put on by the ringmaster, secrets lie buried far beneath the masks all performers wear.

— Snippets!!!:

The two sat silently for a while. Jackalo! absentmindedly twirled his ribbons together, forming patterns and making soft, simple movements. It wasn’t his usual style, before or since the Carnevil, but since being trapped in the Carnevil he didn’t get many chances to do this style of magic. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so they say, Jackalo! thought to himself.

The ribbons grew and twisted into many forms: vines, a flower, a star, flipping and flowing between new symbols and sigils as images sprung into Jackalo!’s mind. He turned over to Raya, looking on at the display with starstruck eyes. Then he turned to the other set of performers. They were all milling about, nothing sitting behind their eyes. Occasionally, one of them would look over at the two of them, but their eyes glazed over Jackalo’s show, not recognizing that something was happening in front of them.

And a message from the ringmaster, Circus Mcgurkus…

Welcome to the Show!

[faithfire-writes]

Writeblr March Challenge

Hello Writeblr!

I'm going to be joining with Moon + Seraph to try and add as many words as possible in my manuscript. Check out the Words into Potions Intro post for more information and to join!

Now, about my project! I'll be continuing work on my epic fantasy, Captive Winter, and here's a little refresher for those of you who are new!

— Title: Captive Winter

— Genre: Fantasy

— Summary: Two families trying to save their people attempt to unite their houses through a royal marriage, but their plans are thrown into disarray when the priest tries to murder the northern princess. In the aftermath, the northern party is split: the princess and her fiance are sent north, to complete the marriage and find safety, while her injured mother is left in the southern capital, to face a world-changing conspiracy as well as the ghosts of her own past. The two acolytes who survived the attack are sent to serve the northern king as reparations for their crimes. Digory finds himself befriended by the ambassador, Nedra, whose mysterious past is only rivaled by the northern king's secret, the thing that caused him to send his twin sister to the south in the first place. Nettie ends up in a northern mining town, conscripted to join the hunstmen, who protect the mining town from threats unknown. As the two find their places in the new world, they uncover an ancient threat, not only to their new home, but to their entire world.