Novel Demons

National Novel Writing Month is in full swing.  This year I am doing a story based on an idea that has been in my mind for a very long time.  I have even written a few blog posts about it.  This year's book takes place in a world where Demons have emerged and special individuals, Hunters, try and protect humanity.  A number of aspects have changed since I first came up with the idea.  Today's post is an excerpt from the work in progress.

Demon from Hell. You have come unbidden to this Earth. Your presence in this town and on this plane of existence is undesirable. I have come to banish you and end the pain you and your kind have brought forth.”

The Demon just laughs. The sound lacks anything close to mirth as far as SonHunter knows it. The sound of the Demon's joy echoing off the walls of the hall fills SonHunter with dread. The sense of evil in that simple noise is enough to bring most people to their knees. It is a something SonHunter had heard before, but still causes him the same emotional pain as it did the first time.

The ember on the end of the Demon's cigarette glows more brightly as it takes a drag. Then it speaks with a voice that sounds like rocks tumbling in a deep grave. “You silly humans and your rituals. Weekly gatherings where you read from some dusty old tome. Phrases are said and replied to. None of it does any good, really. Candles, robes, all that fancy décor. And all of it asking for favors from some deity that may or may not be listening.

“Is it really any wonder so many of you follow my kind when we make our offers? You will believe in anything, even if you know it's wrong to do so. Just give you a tempting enough offer from someone in front of you, and you will give up on generations of worship.”

The Omega Demon takes another drag off its cigarette and lift one hand straight out. It snaps its fingers and the shades drawn over the hall's windows all fly up. The room is filled with light. All of the seated shadows are now revealed to be the residents of the town. They all sit still as statues, their eyes tracking the Demon as it strolls back and forth across the stage.

SonHunter can now clearly see the Demon. Its skin is as red as blood. This particular Omega has the body of an athlete and is naked from head to toe and almost six feet tall, minus the horns. Every Omega Demon looks the same, except for the horns. This Demon's horns curve back from high on its forehead. The seem to lay across the beast's bald head. The black horns come to sharp points near the back of its head.

SonHunter grabs two crystals from his pocket. He selects, by touch, two of the larger ones to allow for a quicker capture of the Demon once he gets close enough. He grips the crystals tightly, one in each hand. “Demon, hear me and answer me true. What have you done to these people? Why have you trapped them in this place?”

“I have done nothing to them. They have done it to themselves. I just came to town and made each of them an offer. Those that accepted, now sit here. Those that didn't spread word of my legend to other towns and villages.”

As the Demon speaks, SonHunter gets a closer look at his cigarette. He realizes it isn't a bundle of tobacco wrapped in paper. It is a small, burning bone. He can't tell what part of the body it may be from, or if it is even a human bone. All that is clear is that the Demon is breathing in on one end of a bone as the other end smolders. The Demon takes another drag as he continues to smile and taunt SonHunter.

“These people are just sitting here, waiting for me to make up my mind. I haven't decided if I want to make them kill themselves or go out and kill others as my bloody army. Either way, they are only doing what they chose to do by accepting my deal.”

This is still a very raw first draft.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

All Done

November 30th has come and gone.  My verified word count for the National Novel Writing Month challenge is 50,079 words written in 30 days.  On my fourth try, I am a WINNER!  I am excited, exhausted, relieved, and satisfied.  Now the more serious work begins.  I have to finish the story and seal up some plot holes.  There is tons of editing that needs to be done.  A title needs to be settled on.  A cover image needs to be chosen or made.  Writing the story is only the beginning and the easiest part of getting a novel out to the public.

My brain cells continue to recover as I take a slower, more careful look at the words I have written.  Today's post is one of the epilogues from the end of the book.  If you wish to read the book once it is completed, this shouldn't be too much of a spoiler.  In the meantime, enjoy.

News is being broadcast all over the station. A hidden corinthum processing plant had been located on the planet below. The discovery was due to an issue arising with some odd residue being discovered in a secondary power system for the station. An operation by Sector Security's elite enforcement officers led them to the storage room full of slag. From there it was easy to track down the processing center on the planet and its supply of raw corinthum and other minerals.

Timothy “Timmy” Van Hausen sits in his office when the news comes across his terminal. Without even thinking about it, he compiles a few files together. The files are attached to a message that also includes the names of a number of the people on the orbital station. Names of people that Timmy has worked with in unofficial ways for some time. Timmy's contacts on other stations in other systems also go into the message. The captains he had recruited to collect and transport slaves and their ships were also mentioned. Finally Timmy signs the message with his personal identification code to show the contents are from him and not part of any official procedure or communique. The message is sent to the station's commander, the Sector Security Deputy Director in charge of this region, Timmy's own direct supervisor, and a number of other administrators and officials.

Once the message is sent, Timmy shuts his terminal down and stands up. Despite the fact it's less than halfway through his work day, he walks out of his office with the feeling he won't be back. A short lift ride brings him to the commons. There he sits down at an empty table and waits for someone. He isn't sure who and how long before they arrive, but he will sit here and wait as long as it takes.

This novel is a sequel to my first NaNoWriMo attempt and published novel, Dangerous Stars.  Pick up a copy and get to know the characters while I finish up their second adventure.  Go.  Read.  Enjoy.

Grinding

Since November 1st I have been with hundreds of thousands of writers around the world grinding away at our stories.  50,000 words in 30 days is obtainable for some and a target to be chased after by others.  This is the challenge of National Novel Writing Month.  While I work on filling out my own story, here is a sample of what I'm working on now.  It is the sequel to my first novel, Dangerous Stars.

The ship's AI quickly consulted records for the answers to Lss'Tor's questions. “Brenneth 5 is a basic class M planet. It was settled by a large contingent of religious zealots from Earth with no terraforming required. Previous persecution and religious tenants caused the planet to become isolated. They have no interstellar exports or imports. Sector Security has no presence in the system at all. The nearest sizable forces are in the Maitland system. The remoteness of the star system means that it isn't on any civilian cargo routes or flight paths. We are one of three ships within range of the broadcast. One is an unarmed interstellar scout heading out to explore further outlying systems. The other is a Sector Security battle cruiser returning to the Maitland system from a round of system upgrades.”

Christian speaks up while everyone else is still considering the tactics of their current situation. “There is nothing to decide here people. Interstellar code requires that any ship within range of a distress signal respond if they are able. We are still heavily armed, our cargo isn't critical, and we can leave this pursuit for someone else to pick up.”

Traylor chimes in with her opinion. “Christian, you are simply spoiling for a fight. The battle cruiser can handle things themselves. They don't need us. Besides, we've been warned against converting the KRENNET into combat mode where Sector Security ships could detect us.”

Christian's determination came through his voice. “That battle cruiser can't defend an entire planet by itself. There may be evacuating shuttles that need to be protected. Even an isolated planet will have industrial facilities that would be vulnerable. One simple shot from me and the tracking device will be on this damn Raider. Then we can do what needs to be done.

As for the battle cruiser detecting us while we convert, that's simple. We just enter the system in combat mode. Crystal can alter our transponder to broadcast a false signal. The cargo ship KRENNET won't be anywhere near the Brenneth system as far as anyone knows.”

Granek's rumbling voice cuts through any further discussion. “We are a crew of equals. We will decide which course to take by majority decision. Each of you state 'Pursue' if you feel we should stay on mission or 'Rescue' if you believe we should go to the aid of Brenneth 5. Crystal, could you please record the votes into your protected core for future review?”

“Protected memory ready for recording.”

Granek once again speaks in his rough tone. “Understood. I will call each of you by name for your vote. My position is 'Rescue.' Traylor?”

“I say 'Pursue.'”

“So noted. Christian?”

“It should be obvious, 'Rescue.'”

“So noted. Lss'Tor?”

“Purssue”

“So noted. Fezror, the vote comes to you.”

The engineer's rarely heard voice is soft yet clear enough for everyone to hear. “I can't simply let an entire planet remain in harm's way again. I say 'Rescue.'”

Granek stated what everyone now knew. “By majority decision we will be breaking off our pursuit of the Raider attack craft after planting a tracking beacon on its hull. We will convert out of combat mode to allow for more speed to the Brenneth system.

Now, where did I leave off at.....?   

Shameless Plug

Another page of the calendar has been turned.  It is now November.  Fall is in full swing.  The baseball season has ended and football is roaring forward.  Piles of empty Halloween candy wrappers are growing by the day.  Lawnmowers are mulching more leaves than trimming blades of grass.  All of this can mean only one thing.  NaNoWriMo is in full swing.  Thousands and thousands of writers are attempting to write 50,000 word novels in 30 days.

People all over the world are sitting down to notepads, typewriters, and laptops to express themselves through words.  They are receiving support from other writers through pep talks and write-ins.  Most importantly they are all creating in a way that they want to.

This is my fourth year attempting the NaNoWriMo challenge.  I have yet to reach the 50,000 mark in any one attempt, but my first two tries are now published novels.  My first book, Dangerous Stars, taught me much about how a book is written and made.  Post Exodus was picked up by an independent publisher, Amazing Things Press.

Now, I am a little behind in my word count and there are some characters waiting to see what will happen to them next.

Post-Creation Coma

Another November has come to a close.  The National Novel Writing Month has finished for another year.  Thirty days where every free second is filled with writing, composing, and creating.  A month of reviewing outlines, defining characters, setting scenes, and creating just the right mood.  Mornings shift into afternoons, which then change into evenings and nights without notice.  Nights pass without sleep as ideas form and are molded and shaped before being put into place.  The deadline passing by means the steady writing can be put on hold, but the process is far from finished.  With the arrival of December 1st, a brief breath can be taken before the hard work truly begins.

The small number of days and large number of words in the challenge force an author to write at a pace that doesn't allow more than basic editing on the fly.  Many critical questions must be left for later consideration.  Does this scene work?  Should the affections between these characters be more overt or subdued?  Would it be more effective if the readers loved this person more before I kill them off?  What words or phrases can I use to increase the emotional impact of this passage?  All of these factors can take weeks or months of reading, tweaking, and rereading to get a novel to come out just right.

The holiday season is a great time to get out and remind myself what the outside world looks like.  It will be relaxing to participate in activities that don't require too much mental strain.  I can gaze at lights and admire decorations while refilling my creative juices.  It will certainly ease my exhausted mind to sing along with joyous songs heard so many times the lyrics are practically ingrained in my DNA.  Now, where did I leave that remote control?

Creative Games

It is 19 days into NaNoWriMo.  There are 11 days of writing left to reach the 50,000 word goal.  While it doesn't look like I will reach that lofty mark, I will continue to strive towards it.  Unfortunately, this means I have to focus on my work in progress, a sequel to my first novel.  Instead of a story idea, here are some games you can play with friends and or family members to improve everyone's storytelling skills.  Maybe have some fun at the same time.


Once Upon a Time by Atlas Games:  This card game contains elements from the fairy tale world.  Players play cards as they use the elements to tell a story.  The winner is the one that ends the story with an Ending Card.  Stories can be interrupted by other players at any time in order to change the tale or reach their own ending.  Variations are available to form tales of the high seas or adventures of knights and chivalry.

Role Playing Games:  Once firmly planted in deep basements and only enjoyed by groups of lonely nerds, role playing games have risen in scope and popularity.  The games are more than just the rolling of dice and the moving of model pieces around a map.  The Dungeon Master, or other teller of the tale, must create an adventure that entertains the players while keeping in line with the rules of the universe in which the game is set.  Individual players must help to keep the story alive with the actions of their own characters in the various situations.

Munchkin by Steve Jackson Games:  On its face, Munchkin is a card game that enjoys making fun of traditional role playing games.  Players take turns "kicking down" doors and fighting the monsters that may appear.  Other players can help or hinder either combatant in the battle.  While gameplay doesn't immediately lend itself to the formation of a story, players can still use the elements of play to come up with a fantastic story.

Gloom by Atlas Games:  Gloom is another card game by Atlas Games. However, unlike Once Upon a Time, this game does not end happily ever after.  Each player has a family of five characters they are responsible for.  The object of the game is for each player to make their family as miserable as possible before killing them off.  The misery comes in the form of playing cards that cause the characters to be Menaced by Mice, Jynxed by Gypsies, Widowed at the Wedding, or Marooned on the Moors.  The game can be played in a simple manner, but using the elements on the cards to tell a story can add a smile to all the players' faces.


These games can all be used to have a little fun while stretching your creative muscles.  If you know of any other card or board games that can be used to tell a story, let everyone know in the comments.

Different Strokes of the Pen

NaNoWriMo is in full swing.  A month full of writers summoning forth characters from the endless worlds that occupy their imaginations.  Lives are created.  They begin and end with the stroke of a pen or press of a letter on a keyboard.  Worlds are created and environments come into being.  There are adventures to be had and enemies to be defeated.  Broad fields of story and plot lay before the creative mind.

There are any number of obstacles that must be hurdled when writing a story, whether it be a short read or a multi-chapter novel.  How do you define characters and give each of them a unique voice?  How do you choose a time period for your story and how does it affect the plot and lives of the characters?  Do you reveal histories at the beginning of the story, in little pieces as the story moves along, or leave some mystery for later stories?  How do you get the proper impact of various events across to the reader so it effects them the same way it effects you as you write?

One of the biggest challenges for me is writing just one story at a time.  Over my lifetime I have been struck by the thought of many ideas that would make good stories to tell.  Some of them are similar enough that they can be molded into one story.  Others are so vastly different they must each have their own tale.

For my current NaNoWriMo attempt I am writing a sequel to my first published book.  There are story elements I have been wanting to use in these and other sci-fi stories.  Relationships to develop, locations to discover, and things to happen in general.  Also taking up space in my mind is a story that comes from a world of magic and spells more than one of spaceships and lasers.  In order to clear out some of the extra clutter, I'm going to put some of the opening of the fantasy story here.  Maybe it will be my 2015 NaNoWriMo novel.

A robed figure slowly moves through a dark cavern.  The only source of light is a gentle glow from a large crystal in the center of the room.  The figure's features are hidden under the shadows of a deep hood.  He walks with a tall staff clutched in one aged hand.  Ancient runes seem to glow up and down the staff, reflecting the clear light from the crystal.  As he walks by the crystal, he reaches out his other gnarled hand to caress it as one would a longtime lover.  His voice, despite being as rough as a poorly maintained gravel road, clearly carried a degree of affection.  He speaks with certainty and conviction to the otherwise empty space.

"It is nearly time for us to rise again.  For centuries you have been building your reserves, growing in power, collecting the raw energy of life itself.  The eight recipients have been selected.  When the time is right they will be given access to you in order to bring about a new age.  They will be the beginning of real power returning to this world.  Power that is based on strength of mind and will instead of simple brute force and conniving manipulation.  Power the use of which can drain the user for a short time or eternally, depending on how it used.

"The chosen eight will gather others together and teach them to use this power.  Its use will quickly spread around the world.  Some will have a great talent and use their power for great things, others will only be capable of impressing small audiences with their simple flashes of skill.  Like other powers humanity has come across, some will use it for the betterment of those around them and others will use it only for themselves.  Some will us it for good, others for purely evil purposes.

"The power you have inside you was used many centuries ago.  Now it will be used again.  Magic will rise again on the Earth.  The modern age of electronics and technology will see the return of sorcery and magic.  Spellbooks will take their place alongside e-readers.  Teleportation will join driving and flying as a method of personal transportation.  The Digital Age will give way to The Age of Power"

The crystal's glow shifted as the man spoke.  It gives off a bright flash of light that fills the cavern as the man slowly ends his caress and removes his hand from the crystal.  He raises the staff and speaks an ancient word.  The robed figure vanishes from the cavern with no sign he was ever there.


With that piece of story out of the way, I have more room in my mind for my current tale.

That Time of Year

It is just over a week until the annual National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, challenge begins.  The challenge is to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  Every November 1st writers across the country do their best to hide from the outside world and write their next, great novel.    

Phone calls go unanswered, emails go unread, FaceBook and Twitter posts drop off, DVRs get filled with unwatched episodes.  At the same time characters come to live, worlds are created, events occur on personal and interstellar levels, and stories are told.  Editing is ignored as writing is done in a near stream-of-consciousness method.  All of this in an effort to reach that elusive word count before time runs out.

The National Novel Writing Month website has many tools to help prospective authors wishing to undertake the challenge.  They have forums that allow authors to connect and share advice, story ideas, and offer up abandoned plots for someone else to run with.  There are also schedules with write-ins where writers can meet other local writers in person.  

The most important tool is the word counter.  This tool shows the total number of words written so far, the number of words remaining to reach 50,000, and how many words per day must be averaged to reach the target number.  Word counts can be submitted manually at the start of the month.  For full verification, an automatic counter is used by pasting story text in a counter on the site.

This year will be my third attempt.  During each of my previous tries I broke through 40,000 words, but was unable to reach 50,000.  This year may be no different, however I will still do my best to tell my story as completely as possible.  Here is a sample from my first NaNoWriMo attempt which I self-published as a book titled Dangerous Stars.

Hours later, Christian was returning to his quarters after another uneventful shift in the pilot's cabin. As he lay down on his bunk a light, tapping comes from his door. Samantha is standing there wearing only her jumpsuit and none of the usual clothing under it. In a sultry voice she asks, “Might I come in? The majority of my clothing is being cleaned and these halls are a little cold. Your quarters as so much closer and warmer than mine.”

Christian steps to the side of the doorway and gestures for Samantha to enter his quarters, excited anticipation lighting up his face. “By all means, please enter. We certainly can't allow the guests on our ship to become cold and uncomfortable.”

Samantha slinks into the room, Christian detecting a hint of an exotic perfume as she passes close to him. Christian is unable to take his eyes off Samantha as she slowly settles herself into his work table chair, her sensuality obvious in every movement and gesture. “I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important.”

Christian then returns to his bunk, stretching out leisurely, and picks up the printouts he had been studying when Samantha knocked on his door. He feigns interest in the pages before him, his mind clearly wandering to a figure other than the one represented by the numbers in front of his eyes. “Nothing important, just reviewing some notes on a personal project.”

Samantha speaks in a sultry voice as she gets up from the chair. “Then maybe you wouldn't mind a little bit more of an interruption. Recent ...occurrences have the ship in a dreary mood and I have an urgent desire to feel alive and full of pleasure.” One hand slowly unhooks the shoulder straps of her jumpsuit and allows the top to fall slightly. Only smooth, bare flesh is revealed underneath. She covers the short distance between the chair and Christian's bunk with two seductive strides. The motion of her hips causes the top of her jumpsuit to fall further, coming to a rest around her waist. Her entire upper body is now bare, the notes Christian had been studying gradually falling forgotten from his hand.

Samantha slowly climbs on top of Christian, her legs straddling him to either side. Leaning down and pressing her chest to his, she breathily whispers into his ear, “There is something I've wanted to do to you since I saw you on the research vessel.” He simply lays there, grinning, as she uses one hand to start pushing his shirt up his chest. She stops removing the shirt after his head is out but his arms remain in the short sleeves, effectively pinning his hand behind his head and leaving him at her mercy.

In his relaxed state, Christian fails to notice the sharp knife in Samantha's other hand as it emerges from behind her back. Once she has the blade pressed against his throat, he can no longer help but be aware of it. He is unable see the entire blade, but can see enough to know it is a simple knife stored in the galley for the rare times someone cooks by hand. Christian is very aware of the sharpness of the knife's blade, a deep swallow on his part would draw blood. He isn’t truly afraid, but he has never been quite this nervous in his life.

You can find Dangerous Stars in digital and print formats on Amazon.