OKAY let's do this before I have too many second thoughts.
Now, I won't be telling you guys MUCH (since this is a novella for a contest, after all - I don't want to give away too many things about it!) but I will give you guys a collage, temporary title, and a snippet.
So.
Y'all, meet my current work in progress, Asher Grey .
images not mine |
So ... well, secrets out now, huh? xD The main character's name is - go figure - Asher Grey, and this novella's (mostly) written all in first person. I'm having heaps of fun with it! The writing schedule for it is pretty tight, seeing as I have to submit the entire thing for the Rooglewood contest in DECEMBER. *is low-key stressed out*. But right now I'm working towards getting it spruced up for alphas, so ... I suppose I can share ONE snippet without too many fears, yes? (ignore the spoilers that I block out of the snippet. You don't need to know them yet xD)
I woke up with a start, and the entire forest felt like a prowling cat. Silent. Lethal. Waiting to strike. It was dark, and the stars floated in the sky like pin-pricks in black paper. My hand went for my knife.
I should have called someone, but I didn’t. Instead, I laid there in the deep, deep black and wondered if [spoiler] could be hurt, before steeling my resolve and standing up, still clutching the hilt of my dagger.
That was when a shard of moonlight tumbled through the canopy of dark leaves and landed on my hand. I blinked in surprise, then stretched out my fingers, watching the shadows warp. Suddenly, the light fell from my hand and landed on the ground.
I moved to step on it, and the light shifted away from my foot. It moved north … and I followed it.
It moved again.
I glanced uncertainly from the strange, moving slash of moonlight to the east of the camp, where Falkor was probably still standing sentry. Could [spoiler] start seeing things? I looked back at the moonlight. Weighed my chances.
And I decided to follow it.
The gliding fingerprint of moon took me deeper into the birch trees than I probably should have gone, but I slashed marks into the trees I walked past with my knife so that I’d know the way back.
The moonlight seemed to know exactly where it wanted to go – and for an inhuman thing, it certainly seemed to know what it was doing. I just didn’t know how long I wanted to follow it.
I shot a look over my shoulder. We’d gone too far out for me to even catch a glimpse of the Camp anymore. I wasn’t sure if –
And then I heard a scream.
I knew that scream.
I shot off so fast that the moonlight had to fight to stay ahead of me. I ran on the very edge of the path that it lit for me, my heartbeat pounding faster than my feet hit the ground.
The scream rang out again, and the moonlight screeched to a halt and darted left. I dashed after it, ghostly birch-tree branches scraping across my arms. Blood ran in tiny rivulets where they cut me, but I kept running.
*stops snippet at a very bad spot*
So hopefully you guys enjoyed getting a tiny little peek at my current project! I know this wasn't a huge amount of info about it - so maybe I'll share more in October! ;) I love Asher Grey to death, and I'm so excited to see where it goes from here. <3 <3 <3
~ Savannah Grace
AHHHHH I love this so much! You've captured the creepiness and foreboding SO well, and the atmosphere is literally tangible.
ReplyDeleteI am HUGE fan of retellings (and am planning & writing like ten of them myself because I'm obsessed) and yours sounds amazing. Can't wait to read it someday!
Amy @ A Magical World Of Words
THANK YOU, Amy! I was so hoping that was what it would come across like. I'm glad that you enjoyed this, my friend! <3 <3
DeleteI always love finding another contestant's blog. I love the snippet, I am curious about your twists on the story. I want to read it!
ReplyDeleteSame here - it's so fun! I'm glad you enjoyed this sneak peek, Skye! :D
DeleteAAHHHHHH!!!!! GIVE. US. MORE. =O !!!!!! *flails* GIVE US MOOOOOOROEEE!!!!
ReplyDeleteJaidyn Elise<3
SOMETIME I WILL! (*cough* when I have more decent snippets *cough* xD)
DeleteWhy does something tell me that you've got a lot of decent snippets closeted up somewhere that you're reluctant to give up? Not just decent actually, but beautiful. . . Oh well, I basically just said the same thing in my comment, so I can't judge. ;-P Though I don't even have a chapter of my story written, so I have a LITTLE excuse. :)
DeleteWELL that remains to be seen, but you never know xD. Thanks, Hanna! <3
DeleteI WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS YOU JUST HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! THIS LOOKS AMAZING. The title is sooo intriguing. And that collage is one of the most gorgeous things my eyeballs has ever laid on. (You are like the collage making QUEEN.)
DAT SNIPPET. SAVANNAH. HOW COULD YOU END THERE???? Your writing is so suspenseful and sharp and puts me on the edge of my seat every single time.
THIS SOUNDS AMAZING. KEEP WRITING. THIS MUST BE ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST!!!
AH, CHRISTINE. *tackles hugs* YOUR COMMENT MADE ME GRIN SO BIG, YOU HAVE NO IDEA xD.
DeleteAw, you're the sweetest, girl! <3 I'm so so glad that you liked the collage! And AWK, I'M SO GLAD YOU LOVE THE SNIPPET *much flailing*. Literally I'm just over here with a goofy grin on my face looking at your comment xD. THANK YOU for reading, my friend!
NEEDS THE REST OF THIS TODAY PLEASE
ReplyDeleteOKAY THEN *hurries to keep writing* xD
DeleteGah. OHMYWORD. Savannah! I was reading this out loud to my sis and it just sounds so - so - so - umm? HAUNTING? BEAUTIFUL? CREEPY? I LOVE IT. And it almost sounds like ... me? Not really, but kind of like my style, acutally? So I DOUBLE LOVE IT. And oh bother - now I need more. I'd totally be your alpha/beta were this a regular project you were doing (rather than for the contest where you have a deadline and it should be kept somewhat secret!) xD
ReplyDeleteAnd also "Asher Grey"? Such a marvelous title!
And that collage!
(I'm basically saying exactly what Christine was but in different words and different order xD)
lisa
thisinkwell.blogspot.com
ACK, LISA. <3 Seriously, your comment made me grin so big - YOU'RE THE BEST, GIRL. That's exactly how I was hoping that this would come across :D. And OOH, you kinda write like this too? That's epic *highfives*.
DeleteAnd the way the title and main character's name came about is REALLY weird, so maybe I'll post about it sometime? xD Thanks for reading + commenting, Lisa! <3
WOW.
ReplyDelete*decides i must read the whole thing as soon as you finish*
I'm so glad you enjoyed this, Paige! <3
DeleteOH MY GOODNESS
ReplyDeleteI SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THE POST TITLE IN MY BLOGGER FEED
BUT LIKE, DUDE
THIS WAS TOO SHORT
I AM JUST SCREAMING WITH HOW AMAZING THAT WAS (and i have a thing for the Moon and Moonlight and ALL THINGS LIGHT IN THE NIGHT SKY so like asdkjfhalksdjfhlasdkjfh) AND I AM JUST A PUDDLE OF SCREAMING AND ASKDJFHLASDKJFHALSDKJFHALSKDJFHAWEFLKAUSDHF *proceeds to flop and flail forever*
*slips back in, a little more calm* Can I ... can I /please/ alpha for this? Please?? *bats lashes*
AND I ABOUT SCREAMED WHEN I SAW YOUR COMMENT. My word, girl - AWK, YOU'RE JUST THE BEST. <3 <3 <3 I'm so so glad that you liked this!! And YES, MOON AND NIGHT-SKY THINGS. They're epic in stories, I couldn't help putting them in mine xD. AND I'M A SMOL PUDDLE OF FLAILING OVER YOUR COMMENT, HANNAH. *flails*
Delete(*whispers* also I legit had you on the mental list of people I was going to message about possibly alpha-ing for me so IF YOU WANT TO THEN I GUESS THE ANSWER IS YES xD)
AAAAHHHHHHHHH. Oh my wooooord I'm so excited this sounds EPIC. AND THAT SNIPPET EXCUSE ME HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL TO STOP IT THERE. *chokes*
ReplyDeleteEEP, PRILL. <3 So glad you liked this! (*whispers* also I'm a writer, we're practically TRAINED in #beingcrueltoreaders xD)
DeleteOH MY WORD
ReplyDeleteOH MY WORD
OH MY WORD
SAVANNAAAAAAH!!!!
Asher Grey NEEDS to be published in Five Poisoned Apples! Also, THAT SNIPPET, THOUGH. AND THOSE AESTHETICS. *drools* *flails*
I can't wait to hear more about your story! <3 And I look forward to your next blogiversary-celebration post! :D
~Liv
livkfisher.blogspot.com
OLIVIA, YOUR COMMENT. <3 <3 <3 I'm so glad that you enjoyed the post! You're entering the SW contest with Because Of Midnight Poison, right? It would be SO EPIC if we both won! :D
DeleteThanks for commenting, friend!
Ohhh I love the name Asher Grey. It's just so beautiful and fits so nicely together and aHHHH GREAT SNIPPET IS SO GREAT. Also really stressful!? What happens next, c'mon now. 😂😂 I hope you have best of luck for the contest!!
ReplyDeleteThank you muchly, Cait! OH GRACIOUS, I'M GLAD YOU LIKED THE SNIPPET! And ... ah, nope you won't get to know what happens next for awhile because #MAJORSPOILERS. I'll need all the luck I can get to handle this beast of a story xD. Thanks!
DeleteSO MAYBE YOU JUST WANT TO HAND OVER YOUR ENTIRE NOVELLA BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT????
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to hear more about Asher and this [SPOILER]. ;)
SO MAYBE YES I ALMOST DO WANT TO BUT IT WOULD BE TERRIFYING THOUGH. xD Thanks for commenting, Evangeline! <3
DeleteAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Girl. DON'T LEAVE ME ON THIS CLIFF HANGER?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Asher Grey too.......AND THAT COLLAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There goes all my feels......
ReplyDeleteWell I NEVER CAN HELP IT when it comes to cliffhangers xD. So glad you liked this, Ellen! <3
DeleteThis sounds amazing, Savannah! I can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katie - I'm so glad! <3
DeleteThat looks so neat! I love the collage that you made - it's so haunting and beautiful. And the name Asher Grey is so cool, and really fits for a Snow White retelling. Great job so far - I would love to see how this progresses!
ReplyDeleteAnd I called the collage "haunting" too, before this comment was even visible. . . Apparently, it fits your story!!
DeleteThank you so much, Vera (and Hanna!), I'm very glad you think so! Thanks for commenting <3.
DeleteEEEEK!! I just about died when I saw that title... !! Love this--your collage is gorgeous. And mysterious and haunting and awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed when I realized it was the snippet I'd already read, but I still re-read it. I can't wait to see how the contest goes for you, but no matter what happens, I'm honored to get to read this.
I want to send you another "Nieo and Star" snippet, but I'm having trouble finding a good one that doesn't give something away. *sigh* I'll see what happens--and try to write more. . . :-/
Thank you so much, Hanna! I had tons of fun designing that collage :D.
DeleteYeah, I wanted to pick something that you hadn't already seen, BUT this is one of my favorite snippets I've written so far, and the others were too spoiler-filled xD. I can't wait to see your next 'Nieo and Star' snippet! <3
UM CAN I HAVE MORE PLEASE AND THANK YOU. And Asher Grey is an AWESOME NAME. Basically I need this story in my life. PLEASE. :D
ReplyDeleteI'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU LIKED THIS, MADELINE! *hugs* And YES, someday (hopefully!) y'all will get to read it :D.
Delete"I knew that scream"
ReplyDelete"The entire forest felt like a prowling cat."
And a living [?] shard of moonlight!!
Your snippet has a beautiful feel to it (okay, fairly dark, but it involves moonlight so it can't be too dark??) and I'll be interested in seeing more! :D
Jem Jones
Yeah, Asher's story IS a little darker than what I normally write (but it IS a Snow White retelling, and have you ever read the original Grimm Brothers fairytale? I would NEVER read them to a kid as a bedtime story xD), but I still love it! xD I'm SO glad you liked this, Jem! <3
DeleteWow, that snippet was amazing! 😊 You're very talented.
ReplyDelete~Ivie
iviewrites.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Ivie! <3
DeleteYes, yes, this is a very bad spot to stop it BECAUSE I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS
ReplyDeleteAhem. Yes. Very interested in Asher Grey. :P And your collage looks amazing!
Okay even though it WAS a cruel cliffhanger I'm SO GLAD that it made you guys curious! :D Thank you, Brianna!
DeleteThis was AMAZING! You left me at such a cliffhanger. Ah! Maybe................you could post just a few more sentences. Even if it's only one sentence, I'd love it. I'm begging you, girl. *sob*
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I really enjoyed reading this. Your wording created sharp images in my mind, and I felt like I was there. Great job, and thanks for the snippets and the collage. That was pure awesomeness.
God Bless! *Oh, and how's your baby brother? Still as tiny and cuddly as the picture?*
Thank you SO much, LHE! *hugs* And I can't share any more - my lips are sealed! (*whispers* but I MIGHT share more of it in the next month or two. No promises there xD)
DeleteOh, gracious - LHE! Your comment made me grin :D. I'm so glad that you enjoyed this <3. And Jonah's doing wonderfully, thanks for asking! I'll see if I can post another picture or two of him in September's highlights post ;).
You're welcome! *hugs back*
Delete*sobs* Lol, I'll look forward to it. ;)
I'm so glad! I did enjoy it. The cliffhanger killed me, but that makes your story even better! <3 I'm so happy. I gasped when I saw his adorable little face. Those cheeks! You're welcome, and please do. :)
Your snow white retelling sounds, Awesome!
ReplyDelete-Quinley
Thank you so much, Quinley! <3
Delete