aaaand....

It's ten days till the end of November.

EEEK.

So far, The Shadow Conspiracy has passed the 100 page mark (finally!), consists of 29,514 words (which will probably change in a few minutes), and is about 5 days behind schedule.

I must admit, when I pictured NaNoWriMo, I pictured a perfect little me, writing a perfect little novel, with a perfect little schedule in a perfect amount of days.

Pfft. Yeah right.

However, after I killed and buried my inner perfectionist, things started going pretty well. For someone who's behind. =)

But, in honor of me passing 100 pages (drinks all around! :P) here's a story segment. I'm becoming horribly impatient, waiting for Snippets, and if it doesn't arrive soon, I'm going to succumb to the urge and post all my paragraphs I've been hoarding.

 Leaping forward, she darted for the cottage. Cries of  “There she is! Stop her!” echoed from behind. Sierra was nearly at the cottage when she felt her legs fly out from under her, and her oof! was drowned out by a mouthful of earth.

            Before she could even protest, she felt cold iron handcuffs clamp onto her wrists and she was jerked to her feet. Spitting the mud out of her mouth, she turned to glare at her captor.

            The triumphant guard practically dragged her to his leader, like an energetic puppy retrieving animals for his master. “I’ve got her, sir! I’ve got her!”

            The leader dismounted, a prideful smirk on his face. “Excellent work, soldier.” He reached out a hand and touched Sierra’s chin, turning her head right and left, as if admiring a prize he had won. Sierra was disgusted, and the man knew it. He chuckled.

            “You’re a feisty little one, aren’t you? Tell me --- why did you hop over the gate? Surely you know it is strictly forbidden.”

            Sierra looked  him defiantly in the eye and did not answer.

            The man shrugged. “Very well, have it your way. I do not care to know why you came, only that you will be adequately punished. You!”

            “Yes, General?” barked another footsoldier, hurrying over.

            “Take this girl to the Slave Warden and tell him I’ll be along in a few minutes to discuss price.” The general smiled viciously. “She’s a fine catch --- must be worth my month’s wages, at least. Take her away.”

Lifesavers

I interrupt your blogging to bring you an important message. :-)

I found a blog, called Lifesavers, that is a group of teens standing up against abortion. They are making videos, sending letters to the President, and they (and I) would appreciate it greatly if you joined them in the fight for life. Please show support by following their blog. Thanks!

stay patient....

I'm having to physically restrain myself from posting Snippets of my NaNo story, which, as it turns out, will now be called The Shadow Conspiracy. Thanks for the ideas, guys!

Anyway, I am eagerly awaiting November's Snippets of Story. It's very hard --- mentally, as I write, I pick out what will make the cut for Snippets and what won't. Things are piling up, and as I excitedly check Katie's blog every day to see if Snippets are ready, I wish I could find something to post! That isn't already going to be posted for Snippets!

However, I am going to indulge myself and post one segment. Just one. Then I will continue to hold myself back. (Arrgh.) xD

~

“Fine then.”

            In the blink of an eye, the girl leapt forward. Sophie didn’t even have time to scream. Her dagger held upright, the girl flew through the air --- and landed on Sophie’s torso.

            “Oof!” Sophie gasped.

            Chuckling humorlessly, sitting comfortably on Sophie’s stomach, the girl, her face enveloped in shadow, pried Sophie’s fingers open like they weren’t there and took the necklace.

            “Why don’t you take the earrings too, while you’re at it?” said Sophie scornfully.

            “My boss only wants the necklace,” said the girl indifferently.

            “But ---” said Sophie, a little taken aback, “If you’re a thief --- won’t you, you know, take what’s available, give nothing back?”

            “I steal because I have to,” said the girl. “Not everyone’s life is as fabulous as yours, Prissy. My kind of people? We don’t have fancy clothes and big houses. In fact, we don’t have houses at all.”

            Sophie blinked. “But --- where on earth are you from? In King’s Crossing ---”

            The girl laughed. “King’s Crossing! Not everyone is in King’s Crossing. I am from the Lower East Side.”

            Sophie’s eyes widened. “The --- Lower ---”

            “That’s right,” said the girl, standing up and releasing Sophie. “The Lower East Side. There, we have to steal to survive. You know nothing.”

             Sophie stood, her body and face still hidden in shadow. For once, somebody had rendered her speechless.

Title Complications

It's November, and if you don't know what that means, it means that it's NaNoWriMo time.

I almost did it last year, but for one reason or another, I didn't. This year, though, I was determined to brave the challenge and weather the hardships of trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days. (Yikes!)

But anyway, I need your help. :) I am writing a novel for NaNo about three triplet girls (Sophie, Sierra, and Skylar) fighting to overthrow an evil Raven King (Hurrah.) and I'm having a wee bit o' trouble picking out a title. (You just thought that in a Scottish accent.) My current working title IS:

The S Gang

And my second choice IS:

The Warriors Three

Eh. Not my favorites. Can you do any better? :)

Tag

Thank you Mime for tagging me! :) I've been tagged a lot for this Liebster thing....still fun though:)

Like pretty much everything else, there are rules, so....

1. You must post eleven random facts about yourself.

2. You must also answer the eleven questions the awarder has given you and make up eleven questions for your awardees to answer in turn.

3. Tag eleven fellow bloggers. 

4. Notify them that you've awarded them.

5. No tagging back.

6. The eleven blogs you tag must have less than 200 followers.

11 random facts...let's see.....

1. I don't like soda, ketchup, or hot dogs. (I know....so un-American)

2. I'm hoping to participate in NaNoWriMo this year! (O.o....it's quite daunting)

3. I love Pinterest and Facebook dearly. ;)

4. Anyone ever heard of Rebecca Black? Well, if you have, just know that we share the same name, only with a different spelling. It's caused an endless amount of confusion, trust me.

5. I really like my handwriting. 

6. I don't like to sing and I don't play an instrument. Though I'd really like to.

7. I consider myself a ninja with a fatal weakness against creepy bugs.

8. I LOVE watching movies and I integrate movie and television quotes into my daily life.

9. Christmas is my favorite holiday.

10. I'd rather read up in a tree on a sunny, 70 degree day than sit inside, curled up in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa on a wintery day. Though both are pretty good.

11. I love to dance and act.

Now for Mime's questions! They're good :)

1. If the floor randomly gave way beneath you, would you scream?

Let me think...uh...yeah.

2. Why are people obsessed with randomness?

I don't know. I think it's one of their new attempts to try to "think outside the box" or "go against the crowd". All I know is, I am random. Not obsessed with it. ;)

3. Are you an arty person, or academic?

Definitely artsy.

4. If your friends jumped off a cliff, would your first instinct be "Hey, look! That's my friend!" Or "Hey, look! That's my friend!" (You can differentiate for yourself.)

Probably the second one would be closest to my reaction, which would be something like: "Oh my gosh! My friend just jumped off a cliff! 911! Therapy! Somebody help!"

4. Would you prefer to be short or tall?

Neither. Being middle is awesome.

5. Have you ever experienced hail?

I guess---just tiny pieces, and I was watching from a window, so I don't know if that counts as "experienced"....

6. What is the strangest thing you've ever done? (Includes instances of fighting a horse with a frying pan.)

:P ummm....well, I've done a lot of strange things. The only one I can think of right now is dressing up as an old lady for a dance production. (don't ask.) 

7. Do fish have feelings?

Nope.

8. When was the last time you surprised someone?

If you mean "happy birthday!" kind of surprise, then it's been years, but if you mean "jump out from behind a corner and freak someone out so much that they scream like a little girl" then yes, I did that within the last week or so.

9. What was the last good book you read?

The 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave

10. If someone gave you a million dollars, what would you spend it on first? (Be honest.)

Technology. Then, donating a lot of it to Compassion and World Vision. Then, turning my room into a spy central with secret passages and bunch of security cameras and stuff.

11. If the internet had a global breakdown, how severe would your mental breakdown be?

On a scale of 1-5, probably a 4. I would lose my entire book so far. :( I've taken precautions so I can still recover it if my own computer crashes, but if the Internet has a global breakdown.....*gasp*

Now for my questions......

1. Hunger Games or Harry Potter?

2. Lord of the Rings or Narnia?

3. Movies or books?

4. What kind of music do you listen to when you write, if any?

5. Winter or summer?

6. Cursive or print?

7. Keyboard or writing by hand?

8. If the villain from your favorite movie/book series right now came walking through your front door as you're reading this question, what would you do?

9. Mexican or Chinese food?

10. Cake or ice cream?

11. Candy or chips?

Then, at long last, tagging time! I'll tag as many as I can, but I doubt I'll get eleven....

1. Miss Jack Lewis Baillot (awesome name!)

2. Kiri Liz

3. Kendra E. Ardnek (for some reason, I can't get your link to work!)

4. Katie

Well, that's it(: If I didn't tag you, it's because I thought you already did it. Feel free to do it (or not do it) though!

Snippets of Story: October

I really love these Snippets. Gives me something to look forward to every month =P

The woman, Opal, sighed, crestfallen. “I have waited for fourteen years, my lord, I cannot wait any longer!”

Igdoscio held up a hand. “Do not throw your complaints at me,” he snarled. “You will wait as long as I say you will wait, and that is the end of the discussion!”

Opal bowed low, muttering to herself.

“However, I do need those weaklings corralled as soon as possible,” Igdoscio said, thinking aloud. “Opal,” he ordered, “send out five of our best assassins. And tell them ...” --- a nasty smile played on his face --- “... tell them that I am only interested in the redhead. They can do what they like to the extras.”

Opal smiled. “As you wish, my lord.”

Igdoscio chuckled to himself as Opal left. He wasn't one that believed in maniacal evil laughs; it made your opponent believe you to be a mad idiot, and besides, in this day and age, it was too cliché. I am original, Igdoscio thought to himself, straightening his sword. I do not laugh madly …. I plan. I scheme. I …

Igdoscio smiled again, a smile that would make the knees of the bravest man knock together, a smile that would send fiercest animal running and cowering in fright. I win.

The Search for the Allies

“Jazmyn?”

Jazmyn whirled around so fast she whipped herself in the face with her shiny black hair.

“Are you okay?”

Noah poked his white blond head out of the folds of the tent, his baggy tunic hanging low.

Jazmyn sniffled and turned back to face the woods. “Yeah … I'm fine.”

Noah crawled out and sat next to her. “Is it the flashbacks again?” he asked gently.

Jazmyn turned to him sharply. “The fl --- what --- how --- how do you know about those?”

Noah glanced up at the stars. “I overheard Riko talking about them,” he said quietly. “I didn't mean to. I just did.”

Jazmyn looked away. “Yes and no … I … I don't know. I just wish … wish I ...”

Noah nodded. “I understand. I'm sorry you have to go through this, Jazmyn, but everyone has their own personal struggles. You just have to push through it. Overcome it.” he looked deep into her eyes. “I know you can do it.”

Jazmyn was speechless. Noah had never acted so serious … so wise! “I … er ...”

He smiled slightly. “Why don't you get some sleep. I'll take over from here.”

Jazmyn crawled back to the tent, at a loss for words. Suddenly, though, she turned, reached out, and touched his shoulder. “Noah … thank you.”

The Search for the Allies

Dakota's eyes widened. There was a stiff silence, and Dakota felt like she did not know the whole of how horrible it would be if that rumor was true.

“Okay – well –” Dakota pulled her knees up onto the chair and hugged them to her chest. “I was wondering – will you train me during the mission? I feel like I don't know anything --- about fighting and all that --- I mean, it'll be perfect timing, it'll be --- you know --- hands-on and everything ---”

“You'll be fine, you're a fast learner,” soothed Jazmyn. “And of course I'll train you. We'll start tomorrow. Meet me in the Clearing at dawn.”

“At dawn?”

“Yes – we're leaving after Morning Meeting – is there something wrong with the dawn?”

Dakota blinked. There was a problem with dawn. “I – er – I don't do alarm clocks.”

Jazmyn shrugged. “That's no big deal, as long as you don't mind sleeping without a nightlight.”

“Why?”

“I can shadow-travel, remember? I'll just jump into your room through the shadows and wake you up.”

“Oh – okay – what do you need me at dawn for?”

“A quick training session, of sorts.” Jazmyn looked excited, nervous, and breathless all at the same time.

“Ah.” Dakota glanced at the clock on Jazmyn's nightstand – 7:45. “I need to go – Ashton will start to worry, then she'll tell somebody that I'm missing.”

“Right. Well …” Jazmyn grinned. “See you bright and early tomorrow. This is going to be fun!”

Dakota couldn't see what would be fun about getting up at the break of dawn, but she just shrugged noncommitedly and smiled encouragingly.

The Search for the Allies

“So, all in all, we have eight minutes to get out of here?” Dakota gasped.

“Yes.”

“Great. Just … great.”

“Well, Dakota,” said Jazmyn, her mouth twitching, “you wanted some action and hands-on learning --- here you go.”

“Hey, when I said hands-on, I didn't mean getting electrocuted, locked up in a puke-inducing Cage, chased by an insane centaur, and running for my life five times a day. Oh --- no offense, Brigh.”

“None taken.” she grunted.

“I know you’re trying to lighten the mood,” said Saphira calmly, “but unless you want to get caught, I’d suggest that you stop talking.”

The Search for the Allies

Random

Here, my friends, is my attempt at humor. It will be edited, but hey. Opinions and comments are appreciated. :-) (Oh, and Brigh is a centaur. Just in case you were wondering.) ;)

           It was Brigh.

          “Father went upstairs towards the kitchens,” she panted. “He'll figure things out soon enough. Quick!”

          And so it begins again, Dakota thought as she loaded, once more, Ember and the still unconscious Noah onto the Pony Express.

          “How soon is soon enough?” asked Dakota, panting as she, Saphira, and Jazmyn ran behind Brigh.

          “Too soon to be comfortable,” Brigh replied. “It’ll take him five minutes maximum to get to the kitchens, two minutes maximum to realize I’m not there, and one minute maximum to realize something’s wrong.”

          “So, all in all, we have eight minutes to get out of here?” Dakota gasped.

          “Yes.”

          “Great. Just … great.”

          “Well, Dakota,” said Jazmyn, taking a stab at humor, “every day is a gift, they say. This one has thrills and chills, all in one package.”

          “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m going to decline.”

          “Too late. You already have it.” Jazmyn smiled slightly.

          “Well then,” Dakota snapped back playfully, “where can I return it?”

          Jazmyn laughed.

          “I know you’re trying to lighten the mood,” said Saphira calmly, “but unless you want to get caught, I’d suggest that you stop talking.”