The End of My Hiatus & NaNoWriMo

I’m BACK!

A few weeks ago I was trying to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge. I was desperately falling behind and decided to put aside blogging (as well as reading and just about everything else besides working and breathing!)

I’m pleased to tell you all that all the extra time allowed me to catch up, get back on target, and I did it! 30 days. 50,000 words. My story is nowhere near complete. There’s about 30,000 words written previously, and I’m guessing there’s another 10,000 in the story. So we’re maybe looking at 90K total.

Here’s a small sample from one of my favourite scenes:

The whole experience made Micah understand why the town got together every so often to beat the hell out of each other. With all the work he had been doing he felt so damn tough. Like he could take on the world.

And though it had taken longer than with Kai and Coak, the people of the community grew to accept and even like Micah. It was surprising to admit to himself, but he liked them too. Which was good since Kai spent nearly every spare moment with Sarina and Coak still wasn’t really talking to him. Even though she was a grounder, she held a grudge with the same intensity that a flier woman did.

Micah head seen her around town a few times with the giant Elias. He didn’t think he was capable of jealousy, but when he saw her with the huge man, he felt it. Probably for the first time ever.

Others in town claimed that Elias had been asking for a commitment. Some said he just wanted something exclusive, others said he asked her to live with him at his house, and a select few claimed that he tried to give her a ring.

It was a lot of rumour but whether or not any of them were true, or if all of them were true, she hadn’t accepted anything.

Micah joined in on the applause for the two latest fighters, who were leaving the circle with arms around each other. Then, as if Micah’s own thoughts had summoned the man, Elias entered the circle. Cheers erupted from the already applauding crowd. Micah didn’t cheer. In fact, he stopped clapping all together.

As Elias walked around the circle, basking in the praise from nearly everyone around the circle. It quickly became obvious that no one was going to step in to challenge him. A few people looked to Sarina, but she and Kai were snuggled up in that lovesick way that made people avoid them. Unless 2-on-1 became an option, they weren’t moving.

Micah sneered. He was big, but he didn’t look that tough. He spent his days cutting meat, the blade doing all the work. Micah spent his days working the land. With the brain Micah was born with, and his recently acquired brawn, Elias didn’t stand a chance.

He made his way through the crowd, people around him recognizing him and then giving him a pat on the back as he took another step closer.

Then the familiar gasp of the crowd as a new fighter entered the circle. He raised an eyebrow and looked down. He was still a step away from entering the circle.

Fun fact about this post: I’M BAAAAAAAAAACK!!