NaNoWriMo!

[SLAYING SARAAAA ✨✨]

@whalekeeper

Me, I guess!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by SLAYING SARAAAA ✨✨.

"Hair. Mouth. Cheese of yak. Come, Sintar, bRiNg a MeLoN."

[Esther]

@whalekeeper @savannah_grac2009

Me too! (Well, sort of. I’ll actually start writing stuff later today. XD)

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[G]

@whalekeeper

I have!!

INTP.
Have a carrot.

[Esther]

Heyyyy I got approximately 1,700 words written today anddd…. 48,300 to go. 🤦🏻‍♀️😆

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[Lydibug]

@esther-c yay!

Happy unbirthday every one!
"EVERYTHING IS AWESOME..."

[SLAYING SARAAAA ✨✨]

@esther-c

Great job! Yesterday I wrote 1,167.

"Hair. Mouth. Cheese of yak. Come, Sintar, bRiNg a MeLoN."

[Esther]

Sooo… I wanna share the first two chapters of my NaNo WIP, because, in my opinion, they turned out pretty well for a first draft. 😂 So here ya go! (Don’t mind any grammatical errors. 😁)

Chapter 1

“Amir!”

   “I’m coming, Maman!” Amir’s little feet padded into the room. He jumped onto his bed and ferreted under the covers. “Story time!”

   “What do you want to hear tonight?”

   “I want to hear my story.”

   Maman’s face softened into a gentle smile. “Yes, Amir. Your story. Do you remember when you were born?”

   “November 2, 1017.”

   “Right. In the night too. It was so cold, but my heart warmed to see your little face when you were born.”

   Amir smiled. 

   “It only took me and your Baba a couple of days before we had chosen your name. Rohan Amir. Kind-hearted prince.”

   “But why am I a prince?”

   “Because you are one on the inside. Never forget that, Amir. No matter what people try to make you become, you are the kind-hearted prince. A boy like no other.”

   “When will I get my last name, Maman?”

   “When you earn it. And I’m sure you will earn it very quickly. But before you do, you have to go to sleep.”

   Amir giggled as Maman tapped him on the nose. “It is very late. Good night, Amir.” She gave his cheek a soft kiss, then slowly walked over to the doorway. “I love you, my prince.”

   “I love you, Maman.”

“I love you, Maman,” Amir murmured, as the wind floated the Rashkitan sands by his window. He sighed and walked over to his desk.

Two days… They had been gone for two days. They had gone on trips that long before, this time it wasn’t planned. When Maman and Baba had left on one of their journey’s that their trade required, they said they would be back in a day’s time.

Well, that day’s time had passed. And so had a second. Amir tried to convince himself that they had just had some complications while traveling. Maybe caught in one of the seasonal sandstorms.

Amir desperately hoped they would be back by tomorrow. Not because he missed them—although he did—but because that meant he’d force himself to find them. To search for any clue as to why they had disappeared. Then he’d have to leave the house… probably even leave the town.

Amir’s stomach twisted at the thought. All his eighteen years, Maman and Baba prohibited him from leaving their property, a small sandstone house on the outskirts of their town. Amir had never questioned why. He had just assumed that they had a good reason. They always had a good reason for anything they told him.

Amir coughed on the cloud of sand that blew through his window and settled across the carpet, glinting in the yellow light of the late afternoon sun. That carpet had gotten so dirty over the past few days since Maman hadn’t been there to clean it. Amir closed the wooden shutters over the window, then grabbed the edge of the carpet and started to drag it across the wooden floor.

“So— heavy—” he grunted, pulling with all his might. “Why do they made these things so heavy?” He dragged it almost out of his bedroom, when he noticed something odd under the carpet. A floorboard looked loose, one end sticking out just a little higher than the rest of the floor. He sighed and stomped on the end with his giveh-shodden foot.

The other end of the floorboard shot up. Amir dropped to the ground and fumbled with the wooden plank, trying to get it to go back in place. “Come on… come on…”

But he only seemed to make it looser and looser. Finally, it popped completely out. Amir sighed and dropped the board next to him. “Great, I broke the floor.” He was about to try to finagle the plank back in its place when a small box caught his eye. He pulled it out of the hole the missing floorboard had made and examined it.

It was made of black walnut box, able to comfortably fit in his two hands, and closed with a rusting, golden clasp. Amir’s fingers were drawn to the clasp, but he yanked his hand away. What was he doing snooping around like this? He’d surely get in trouble. Whoever had hidden this, had hidden it for a reason.

No matter how many excuses Amir made not to open it, the adventurous part of him shooed it away. “Amir,” he said to himself. “Just open it. You’ll see what’s inside, and then you’ll put it back and forget about it.”

Satisfied with his own compromise, Amir took a deep breath and unhooked the clasp. He clamped his eyes shut, then slowly opened them. Inside the dark box was a small scroll and a pendant next to it, engraved with some sort of image. It looked like the shah’s royal crest.

He held it gently in his fingers and held it up to the light that flowed in from the adjacent room. Nothing too interesting about it.

He set it back in the box and pulled out the scroll. It was actually a map. A map of what looked like his little town. A house on the edge of the town was marked and by it was written: For emergencies. Amir gulped.

With shaking hands, he shoved the scroll back in the box next to the pendant, slammed the box shut, and put it back in the floor, covering it with the floorboard. He let out a quick breath and walked back into the kitchen. He paced the floor and tapped his finger against his leg. “I didn’t see anything. This is not an emergency. That paper has not importance to me. And that definitely was not Maman’s handwriting. Nope, not possible.”

He paused at the threshold of his bedroom and stared at the loose floorboard. No, I won’t. He pushed away any idea to look at the map again by sliding the carpet back over it. He’d clean the carpet later.

~~~

   Why am I doing this? Amir asked himself for the hundredth time in the past five minutes. He gripped the map in his sweaty palms as he traipsed down the sandy walkway from his house that led into the heart of the town. Amir, why are you doing this? What if whoever lives at this house is dangerous? What if he kills you? That thought almost made Amir turn right back around and run to the comfort of his own home. But remembering that Maman and Baba were missing made Amir press forward. That was the only reason he was going, the only logical reason why he should break Maman and Baba’s rules and walk straight through the town he was forbidden to enter.

Amir sucked in a breath as he came to the edge of the trail. Only an arrow’s shot away was the heart of his town. Once he entered, he knew he wouldn’t turn back. He forced his feet to move onward, feeling like he was in the wrong body. Never in his life would he have imagined going here…

He entered through the open gates and paused in complete awe. It was second market hour. The hour when everyone would do their shopping in the evening, since it was one of the coolest parts of the day. Vendors lined the streets, their booths overflowing with all sorts of goods: meat, fish, flowers, spices, jewelry, scarves, turbans, shoes, and every product imaginable.

Amir slowly walked into the orderly chaos of the market. Shoppers bustled every which way, bumping against Amir on every side. He could barely apologize whenever he stepped on someone’s foot. Which happened too often to count.

“Spices! Spices! Turmeric, saffron, and even cinnamon! Young man, would you like to smell?” A vendor held out a bowl of spices and shoved it under Amir’s nose. Amir nodded and smiled.

“That smells very nice, but I’m not here to buy any—”

“Spices! Spices! Turmeric—” the man began his little speech again, apparently only trying to find people who would buy his goods.

“Fresh fish! Straight from the docks!”

“Silk scarves! Silk imported from over the seas!”

“Rubies, emeralds, and sapphire! Only thirty shakas a jewel!”

“Fresh fruit! Oranges, apples, bananas, and grapefruit!”

Amir gave nods and smiles to every vendor that tried to sell him something. He would have stopped to look at their goods, but whenever he said he was only looking and not planning to buy anything, the vendor moved onto the next shopper. Amir was swept along with the throng, made of people who seemed to have one goal. That was to get their goods and go.

Amir’s nose was flooded with the smells of fresh fish, fragrant flowers, savory spices, and the sweat of the people pressing against him.

He could barely distinguish one sound from another as they all blended together around him…

And he loved it.

He felt a twinge of sadness when he finally was out of the marketplace. Why had Maman never allowed him there? It was amazing!

His joy soon dissipated though as he followed the map through streets that twisted and turned along the outskirts of the town. Dirt blew along the sides of the buildings and rats skittered near Amir’s feet. He walked carefully, trying to avoid the little rodents.

The sun slowly sank below the clouds, casting odd shadows through the alley he was walking through. Amir barely noticed he was crumbling the map in his fist when he found himself on the doorstep of an abandoned house.

He bit his lip as a spider skittered down the wall and into the shadow of a corner. Amir looked up at the wooden door, softened with age and dirtied because of little use.

Amir lifted his fist up to the door and held it hovering above the wood. He couldn’t find the strength in him to simply knock.

What if nobody’s here? What if they kick me out? What if someone else is living here than before? What if—

Amir stopped himself before he got too far in his “what if” game. He’d only scare himself more than he already was. The shadows deepened in the alley as he stood there on the doorstep… waiting… If he waited too long, then he’d have to walk home in complete darkness. And there was no way he’d be able to do that.

His finger tapped against his leg as he again lifted his hand… and knocked.

Chapter 2

“And don’t plan on coming back unless you want to get skinned!” Dabir shook is fist at the giggling boys scurrying back down the alley. He murmured something to himself as he closed the door behind him. Those stupid kids. Never left him alone. What did they think they’d get from him? Food? A warm place to sleep tonight? He scoffed at the idea. They could go ask somebody else.

He plopped on his couch and tucked his hands behind his head, resting his neck against the arm rest. The fire crackled in the hearth, lulling his mind to the place between consciousness and sleep.

Knock, knock, knock!

“I told you to stay away!”

Knock, knock, knock!

Dabir grunted, staggered over to the door, and whipped it open. “Leave before I— oh, who are you?” A young man stood on his doorstep, his face pale in the light of the setting sun. “You gonna answer me?”

The boy licked his lips and cleared his throat. “R-r-Rohan Amir. My name is Rohan Amir.”

Dabir raised his eyebrows, prodding for more, but the boy didn’t answer. “You have no last name?”

Amir shook his head. “No.” Then he grinned. “Not yet.”

Dabir watched him for a moment, noticing Amir’s finger constantly tapping against his leg. He shrugged. “Well, if you have no reason for being here, then salaam and asr bekheyr.” He slammed the door shut and went back to his living room.

Knock, knock, knock.

Dabir opened the door again. “I thought I told you asr bekheyr.”

“Yes, you did. But you didn’t give me a chance to talk to you.” Amir’s voice cracked.

Oh no. “So what do you want?” Dabir leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

Amir cleared his throat. “Have you seen this before?” He thrust out his hand, holding a small scroll and a pendant.

Dabir slowly grabbed it. His eyes flicked from the pendant and scroll, to Amir, and back again multiple times. “Where did you get this from?”

“My house.”

“You said you have no last name?”

“Yes.”

“And you live…?”

“On the other side of town. A morning’s stroll away from the marketplace.”

Dabir shoved the scroll and pendant back into Amir’s hands. “Thank you for visiting, but I cannot help you. Go back home and stay there. Salaam.” He tried to close the door again, but Amir put his foot in the way. When Dabir met his eyes, Amir looked like he was about to break into tears.

“You won’t leave, will you?”

“No.” His voice cracked again.

Dabir rolled his eyes. If this really was Khina and Bijan’s son, then he needed to get away from prying eyes as soon as possible. “Fine, come in.” He widened the door and stepped aside.

Amir’s eyes lit up, but he stood unmoving.

“You coming in? I’m about to change my mind.”

“Oh yes, sir, right away.” He stumbled through the door and Dabir closed it behind him.

He motioned to the couch. “Have a seat.”

“Mamnoon.” Amir wiggled in his seat until he was comfortable and watched Dabir with expectant eyes.

Dabir grabbed a chair from his kitchen table and pulled across from Amir. He turned it around and sat in the now backwards chair. He watched the boy for a moment or two. Amir had tousled, short-cut brown hair and bright hazel eyes that were mostly green. He had a small, constant smile at the corner of his mouth that complimented his other soft facial features.

Looks just like his father.

“Um, are you going to ask me something?”

Dabir cocked an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted my help. Aren’t you going to ask me something?”

“O-oh, I, I guess so. Um… what’s your name?”

“Why should you know?”

Amir blinked. “I just— well you— I thought it was a normal—” He cleared his throat again. “Can you help me?”

“You need a lot of help in many different areas. So what do you need help with?”

Amir was clearly taken aback, but licked his lips and kept his composure. Impressive. “My parents have gone missing.”

Dabir stopped smirking and furrowed his brow. “Are you sure they’ve gone missing?”

“When they left they told me they would be gone for a day. It’s been almost three days.”

“What if they just encountered some difficulties while traveling?”

“I don’t think so. Where they were going is only a quarter clock’s walk from our home. If they had any trouble, then they should have been home at least earlier today.”

“Hm…” Dabir rubbed his dark beard. “Well I can’t help you.”

Amir’s jaw dropped. “But your house was marked ‘For emergencies’ on this map! You have to help me!”

“I have to help you?”

Amir hardened his expression. “Yes. Yes you do.”

“But what if I’m not who you think I am? What if I killed the person who used to live here and kill anyone who comes to visit?”

All color drained from Amir’s face.

Dabir laughed. “Loosen up. I’m just kidding.”

“Oh.” Amir let out a nervous chuckle. “I thought you were serious and I was like—”

“Maybe,” Dabir added with a shrug.

Amir’s unkempt eyebrows knotted.

“Alright,” Dabir said, standing up and putting his chair back in the kitchen. “I might be able to help you. But do you have anything to go off of?”

“What do you mean?” Amir turned in his seat to face Dabir.

“Any leads, or clues. Evidence that they’re actually missing and not taking a day or two for a vacation.” He pulled a cup from his cabinet and filled it up with water from the pump.

“Well, not exactly… I just assumed—”

“Then that’s your first problem.”

“But I—”

“You’re just assuming. No fact to base it upon.” He took a sip of water.

“Oh…” Amir’s gaze lowered to the ground. “Well, then…”

“You seemed very certain earlier that they were missing. What made you suddenly change your mind?”

“Well you said that because I had no leads or any evidence that they were missing, then you couldn’t help me.”

“Is that what I said though?” Dabir leaned an elbow on the counter and smirked.

Amir blinked a few times and cocked his head. “I guess not exactly.”

“All I said was that your first problem was assuming with nothing to go on except your gut. You want me to help, right? Well here’s your first lesson: be your own man. Sometimes you have to listen to your gut and not what everyone else says.”

Dabir watched Amir’s expression go from confused, to understanding what he was getting at. “Oh! So… you’ll still help me right?”

“Maybe. All you want is to just find your parents, right?”

“Yes. That’s basically it.”

Dabir sighed and watched Amir for a moment. If he agreed to actually help this boy, then both of them could be plunged into a world of danger… only if Dabir’s hunch as to why Amir’s parents went missing was right.

And if Amir got seriously hurt, or worse… Dabir hated the thought of someone else’s blood on his hands. Especially Khina and Bajin’s son…

“Here’s the deal,” Dabir said, setting his cup down and sauntering over to Amir. “I’ll help you on one condition.”

Amir nodded, urging him to go on.

“You will always do what I say, no complaints. And… if it gets too dangerous, I’m done and you will be too.”

“Agreed.” Amir nodded firmly, determination in his eyes.

“Alright, come here and bring that map with you.” Dabir sat down at his table. Amir slid into the chair across from him. “Let’s lay out all the reasons why they could’ve gone missing.”

“Right. First, they could be on a vacation.”

Dabir lifted the corner of his mouth and chuckled. “Alright.” He grabbed the map that Amir had laid on the table and jotted that down on the back of it with a quill. “Another, they could have died.”

Amir’s face contorted. “Why are you so negative?”

Dabir raised his eyebrows. “I’m not negative, I’m realistic.”

“I’d call it pragmatic,” Amir murmured.

“You want me to help you or not?”

Amir straightened in his seat and snapped his mouth shut.

“Third option, they could have been kidnapped.”

“But why would anyone kidnap my parents?”

“Have they ever told you what their trade is?”

“No…”

“Then that’s why. They must have some secret job. Secret professions often involve dangerous people.”

“Oh…”

“Fourth option, they could have been assigned another journey and weren’t able to tell you.”

Amir cocked an eyebrow. “Do you know my parents?”

“Does that really matter right now?”

“You know, you’re very—”

“Alright. We have our options. Which ones do you think are the most likely?”

Amir humphed, clearly annoyed at being interrupted once again. “Well, I doubt they died.”

“You never know.”

“Fine… then I don’t think they’re on an impromptu vacation. That’s not like them.”

Dabir crossed out that option.

“And I don’t think that they would have been assigned another ‘journey’ without being able to let me know. They’ve sent me letters while on longer journeys before and they always get to me in a day’s time or less.”

Dabir nodded and crossed off the fourth option. “So we’re left with two. They’ve been kidnapped or killed.”

Amir sighed and stared at the paper.

“Hey, kid, you good?”

“Y-yeah, I’m f-f-fine.”

For a short moment, Dabir’s heart softened towards Amir, able to see who he really was: a scared boy looking for his parents.

“I think it’s most likely that they’ve been kidnapped.”

“By who though?”

“Could be any typical road bandits, gypsies, or nomads looking for some extra shakas. But… I think I know who might have done it…”

Amir leaned in and lowered his voice. “Who?”

“They’re called the Shamil. Meaning, the North Wind.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“They are,” Dabir murmured. “Have you heard the reports about the conspiracy?”

“No.”

“No?”

Amir shrugged. “I don’t get out much.”

“There are rumors going around that the Shamil is planning a conspiracy to overthrow the shah.”

“Woah… But why would they kidnap my parents? I still don’t get it.”

“That’s what we’ll find out. We’ll start in the morning.” Dabir stood up and took another swig out of his cup.

“Great!” Amir looked out the window and his face fell. “It’s really dark outside…”

“Yeah, and?”

“I still need to walk home…”

Dabir sighed. “Are you trying to imply that you want to stay here for the night?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean that at all I was just—”

“Fine, you can stay. But you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“Oh… Oh, mamnoon. I very much appreciate it.”

“I can tell.” Dabir walked over to his bedroom door. “Be ready to go first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, sir. I will,” Amir said, not taking his eyes of off Dabir as he rushed over to the couch. “Good night— wait, you haven’t told me your name yet…”

Dabir sighed. “Arsyn Dabir al Arash.”

“Warrior teacher… the hero…” Amir mumbled. “Wait a second! Are you the—”

“Questions later. Sleep now.”

“Oh yes, right away. Good night, Arsyn Dabir.”

Dabir paused at his bedroom threshold. He smiled to himself and softly said, “Good night, Amir.”

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[Esther]

Me: *worries that her book is going to be too short, things are happening to quickly, characters are overcoming their problems too easily, etc.*

Important character: *gets stabbed*

Me: *shrugs* That’ll do.

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[Esther]

It’s the last day of NaNoWriMo!!! 🥳

What did everyone accomplish this month?

I was able to exceed the 50,000 words, and I haven’t finished the novel yet! 😆 Super excited to finish it out. The ending I had planned changed to something that actually surprised me, so I’m really looking forward to writing it! ☺️

I think this month has really helped me establish a consistent writing habit that I’ll be able to continue into the new year.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone’s NaNo went!! 🥰

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[Esther]

@savannah_grace2009 @thearcaneaxiom @hybridlore @grcr There’s a post up there 👆 Because y’all did NaNo, or some modified version of it, right?

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[Esther]

@acancello @smiley Oh and you guys did too, right?

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[G]

@esther-c

It’s the last day of NaNoWriMo!!! 🥳

Yes!! 🎉

What did everyone accomplish this month?

😓 Ehh… due to a lot of deleting and a massive mid-month story/plot change, I am still only around 7000 words…. unfortunately. I’ve kinda been hopping around in chapters, so many have been started… but only the first chapter is at a good/finished place.

 

I was able to exceed the 50,000 words, and I haven’t finished the novel yet! 😆 Super excited to finish it out. The ending I had planned changed to something that actually surprised me, so I’m really looking forward to writing it! ☺️

I think this month has really helped me establish a consistent writing habit that I’ll be able to continue into the new year.

OH MY GOODNESS, WOW!! 😆 That’s… that’s great!!!!!! 😃😄

 

INTP.
Have a carrot.

[SLAYING SARAAAA ✨✨]

@esther-c

I was able to exceed the 50,000 words, and I haven’t finished the novel yet! 😆 Super excited to finish it out. The ending I had planned changed to something that actually surprised me, so I’m really looking forward to writing it! ☺️

Um….how????? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE???? I ONLY MADE IT TO 19K AND I’VE HAD THIS IDEA FOR LIKE A YEAR!!!!!

I did start  my novel over and made it to about 19K…how is 50K even possible???

"Hair. Mouth. Cheese of yak. Come, Sintar, bRiNg a MeLoN."

[Allison]

@esther-c

I didnt do NaNo this time, but good job for doing it! Thats a huge accomplishment!!

"Would you kindly...?"

[hybridlore]

@esther-c

I didn’t really do it either, but I did start a new project on Thanksgiving XD. I’m glad it went so well for you! The chapters you posted look good!

INTP 🧡 Homeschooler 🧡 Violinist 🧡 Current WIP: TCoH

[Author]

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