I Won.

That's right, I won Nano.

It was a crazy kind of November, which I talked about in my last post to some degree. I made 50K words on Day 29 after restarting from 0 on Day 14. Not too shabby. Of course, I wasn't actually done with the first draft at that point. I finished the first draft today actually, after staying up into the wee hours of the evening/morning. Final word count was 62.5K words in 19 days. I'm calling that a win.

This book was an unusual one for me. For one thing, it was scifi, and I haven't written science fiction for years. I've never finished any of the scifi projects I've started either, so finishing this was sort of a break through for me. Getting out of my usual genres was good for me.

Admittedly, writing without any supernatural or magical creatures had me missing them, but I'd conceived of this world some time ago and I knew that I wanted it to be science fiction. It let me flesh out some concepts I'd been toying with in some of my old, unfinished projects as well as dig into my technological interests.

Scout's Honor turned out to be one of the more honest books I think I've written. There's a lot of myself in it. It is, at it's heart, about a girl trying to put her family back together. The fight against a tyrannical government, prison breaks and espionage are all fun to write, but Dinah really just wants to get her mom back home.

She makes some great friends along the way, including (against my better judgement) falling for a grumpy medic named Eddy (short for Edwina). Romance was not in my plan for the book, but Dinah took one look at Eddy and was like, "Oh, that is mine." What can I say, characters do have a will of their own.

Set in a world where gene-modifications, micro-computers that can implanted into the body, and body modifications are common place, Scout's Honor is basically my take on the rise of technology, the rise of a very bad man to power, and what happens when the Girl Scouts of all people become a force for resistance.

I'm going to let it rest for a bit, but I plan on tackling revisions in 2017.

I've talked before about being ready to write a certain book. The WIP I tore apart to write this had long been resigned to the scraps folder. A few thousand words that petered out with no real direction. I'm glad that I found the place and time to write this book. I needed to write this book.

And, an obligatory excerpt:

Nothing about my room had changed while I was gone. The soft green of the walls I’d insisted on after I turned fourteen and could no longer live with dancing ponies on my wall. The half-chewed pen I’d left on my desk. It was a bit surprising there wasn’t a film of dust over everything but my bed was still half-made, my uniform was still hanging up in my closet. I wandered over to it, eyeing my wings. They couldn’t ever take the wings, I’d earned them, but the power that went with them was gone. I swallowed and gritted my teeth. I took hold of the pin, but jerking it off would only damage my uniform.

Fingers shaking, I let it go and turned away.

“Do you think you’ll be ready to go back in three weeks?” Papa asked, leaning in my doorway.

“I don’t know.”  I shook my head. “I didn’t think this far ahead. You know? I didn’t think about what would happen when I got back.”

“You weighed the probabilities. You didn’t think you would be coming back, did you?”

“I couldn’t be sure. I didn’t want to think too hard about it either way.”

“Well, now you’ll get your chance. You know they won’t let you out for field work until you come to majority.” Papa’s tone told me the truth. I won’t let you out for field work.

I couldn’t exactly blame him. I couldn’t let that get me down though, could I?

“Lunch in fifteen. I picked up a new ear piece for you and an upgrade module for your chipset. Do you need anything? I’m putting in the grocery order.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I need my birth control refilled.”

“Done. You have your first therapy appointment tomorrow afternoon, by the way. Dr. Kaplan has agreed to remote sessions to start, but she may want you in her office at some point.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Okay.” He managed a smile. “Shout if you need me.”

I nodded again and he headed off. I could smell food—specifically Papa’s goulash which was the only thing he ever made. It was his grandmother’s recipe. He always made it when we he thought I needed comfort food. He wasn’t wrong. I stripped down, changing into my worn favorite pajamas, gray with little black crows on the pants and a gray tank-top. The familiar smells of laundry soap and the lavender sachet I kept in my drawer.

I sat down at my desk, picking up things and setting them back down again. My sharpshooter award from camp. The tiny owl figurine my mom gave me when I was six. Random pieces of jewelry, pens and hairpins. A small photo of my parents and me in Berlin when I was ten. I was never very good at keeping my desk tidy. My room wasn’t too bad, but my desk was always cluttered.

I picked up a screwdriver tucked under my monitor. I couldn’t even remember why I had it on my desk to start with. I sighed and set it back down. I was feeling a little bit at ends. Uncertain. Alain was right about me putting together a plan.

If Scout Command couldn’t get Mom out, I would. I had to be prepared for that. Having Alain on my side would come in handy, but I was also going to need someone from R&D. Extraction and smuggling experts.

Like Maxwell Reed. Max had one of the best records for extracting dissidents. He’d participated in other prison breaks. From the outside in other instances, but still. He was good at what he did. I’d been counting on myself as the pilot no matter the circumstances, but now?

I had to put another list together that included a pilot.

“Lunch!”

But I’d have to solve that problem later.

I sure as hell would have the time.

Nanowrimo Update

So...I sort of completely restarted Nanowrimo from 0 on Day 14 because my WIP was being effected by my emotional state post-election. So I dug through my WIP folder for a couple days until something finally spoke to me in the state I was in. The things I needed to say.

Out of that, Scout's Honor was born.

 I made a cover mock-up because it statistically increases your chances of winning. I've clawed and typed my way up to 24K words over the last six days so...that's good. I'm marginally hopeful that I'll finish this. I've written more than that in week before. I finished in two weeks last year so...Anything is possible.

So, what's this thing about?

When the US has been overtaken by despots, there's only one organization willing to try and take the country back. The Scouts aren't going to let tyranny reign.

Dinah, a Wing Scout and the daughter of the Scout Mistress General (missing for near four years now since a mission gone wrong), takes a major risk. Smuggled on to US soil, this Girl Scout is ready to fight back, find her mother and free a few Scouts while she's there.

And if she can finally throw down the terrible regime choking America? Well, the Girl Scout motto is "Be prepared...to resist!"

And because I can't help it, my current favorite scene:

“When the doctor said you should push yourself,” Eddy remarked, “I don’t think this is precisely what she meant.”

I shrugged. “Exercising in the rehab gym was depressing.” I continued walking along the top of the fence. “I’m testing my balance.”

She shook her head, leaning back against a post. “If you fall, I will not be blamed for the scrapes and bruises.”

“This whole curmudgeon thing you do, you know it’s like, only more attractive to me. Right?” Did I say that out loud? Oh…fuck.

“And I admit you are pretty damn cute when you’re plotting to overthrow despotic regimes.”

I stumbled, airplaning my arms to regain my balance. Failing that, I tried to fall toward the grass rather than the sidewalk. The sensation of falling, of losing balance, my heart jumping into my throat—and then stopped by a firm grip as Eddy caught me.

Okay, this was not in any way making me less attracted to her.

“I thought you weren’t going to stop me from falling.”

“Never said that.” She peered down at me. “I said I wouldn’t be blamed.” Her nose wrinkled. “Didn’t think it would be this easy to sweep you off your feet.”

I groaned. “A pun? Really?”

“If it works? Yes.” She licked her lips. “I’m really glad you did something stupid and reckless and got me out of jail. Thank you. I meant to say it before but, thank you.”

“Oh, you know, it was nothing.” I swallowed nervously.

“Right.” She nodded, leaning closer to me, strong arms still holding me tight. “Can I kiss you?”

I was entirely okay with that but I couldn’t quite bring myself to speak in the moment. I could only nod, eyes wide as she pressed her lips to mine. I felt like the whole world had shifted suddenly. Kissing Eddy was like electricity tingling against my skin. She was decidedly in control of the encounter from every aspect an outsider could see but I couldn’t ever remember someone stopping to just ask that one little question before.

It made me feel…cherished. Important.

Eddy pulled back the moment I started to cry.

“Hey,” she got me standing again and put a hand on my cheek. Brows drawn down in worry. “Hey, are you all right? Did I hurt you?”

I shook my head. “No. No I just…that was perfect. I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“It’s okay.” She smiled. “Hug?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” She pulled me back into her arms, stroking my hair.

She gave me the time I needed to compose myself, not really caring if I got her shirt wet.

“You know,” I said as we finally began to walk back to the hospital. “If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you too. I don’t want you to think that I can’t be there for you. I want to be there for you.”

Eddy took my hand as we walked. “I know. Right now though? Right now you need me. And that’s okay.”

“Thank you.”

“Come on, we’ll get you some cocoa and see if we can’t find something decent to eat in the cafeteria.”

I snorted. “I really thought the food would get better once we got out of prison. You know?”

Eddy laughed. “Yeah. I know—maybe we can find a burger place on the way back.”

Here’s hoping.

I won Nano!

I did it! I finished my Nano story a week early even. I didn't win last year, so this was a nice confidence boost on the writing front. It was good to just get something completely new on paper. I started from a literal blank page with no ideas on day one.

And I wrote this weird book. Still editing to do, and it's on the back burner for the season so to speak, but here's a bit about it, and a little excerpt.

The Forest of Souls 

Natsuki (Nat to everyone) was adopted by the Faroe-Thompson's when she was eight-years-old. Totally colorblind after a head injury when she was younger, she takes her life with a heavy grain of salt and a pessimistic world view. Her brother, Jamie, is the bane of her existence.

But things are about to take an unexpected turn for Nat during a class trip to Gettysburg--where Nat learns that she can see the dead in living color. Will Swift, Union soldier and ghost, has decided it's his job to protect Nat now that a cabal of mediums is on her scent. Will one earnest ghost be enough to save her? Will Nat figure out how to use her gifts in time to save her friends, stop the cabal and keep her family safe?


Excerpt

After spending way too much money on ridiculous trinkets the class was trooped over the see the reenactment of the Gettysburg Address. The actor playing Lincoln was passionate at least, but having had to recite the address by rote before we even left on the trip meant I was used to the sound and my attention…wandered.

There were some actors dressed as soldiers off to one side fiddling with their equipment. I don’t know what drew my attention to them. One of them was different and it took me a few seconds to figure out why. I raised my eyebrows, jaw dropping in surprise. He’s in color.

I could see the color. The dark blue of his uniform, the peachy color of his skin—the red of the dried blood on his sleeve. Sometimes I dreamed in color, but this was different. It was just him. Maybe he felt me watching him or something but his head turned and he stared at me. His eyes were blue. His eyes narrowed and his head tilted. He was maybe a hundred feet away from me, but I blinked and suddenly he was directly in front of me.

I backed up, stepping on Lito’s foot.

“Nat?”

I turned back to look at Lito and then back to the soldier, but he was gone.

“Sorry, I—thought there was a bee,” I said.

“Oh.”

I took a breath and looked back at the soldiers, but the man I’d seen before wasn’t there. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. What was that?

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lito asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Totally fine.

***

That night I woke up again to cold feet, but this time I was afraid to open my eyes. I tried to ignore the cold air. I pulled a pillow over my head and willed whatever it was to go away. Please go away. Please go away.

I felt a cold, icy touch run down the bottom of my foot and screamed, jerking my foot away.

“Nat?” Christina flipped on the light, rubbing her eyes and she fumbled for her glasses. “What’s wrong.”

I stared at the end of the bed. There was no shadow there, but for the briefest of moments, I swore I saw that soldier again, standing over my bed with his finger pressed to his lips.

“I—uh—bee?”

“A bee? Really?”

“Not really. I think—don’t judge me—I saw a ghost.”

“Really?” Her eyebrows went up. “A ghost? That’s awesome.”

“Not really.” I shook my head. “Maybe it was a just a nightmare.”

“Well let me know if you see another one, okay? I want to get a look at it.”

“Sure thing, Christina.” I flopped back onto the pillows. “Let’s try to get some sleep.”

“Okay, but wake me up if you see another ghost, okay?”

“It’s a promise.” I turned off the light and tried to go back to sleep.

***

I woke up the next morning annoyed and puffy. I got coffee at breakfast and Papa raised his eyebrows.

“Late night, pumpkin?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” I added enough sugar to make it taste less awful and some milk for protein.”

He frowned and steered me away from the coffee station by the elbow. “Are you having nightmares?” he asked in a low, concerned voice.

“No, Papa, it was just—new place. Excitement. I’m okay.”

“You’ll tell me if you aren’t.”

I nodded. “Of course.”

“Okay. But only one cup of coffee, and eat some oatmeal.”

“Yes, Papa.”

He was the worrier; not like he didn’t have reason to worry. When my dads’ took me in I was not okay. I had nightmares. I went to a lot of therapy. I hadn’t needed to in a while but they worried.

He was definitely going to keep an eye on me. Not so great if I had more encounters with the soldier from yesterday. We were touring some historic buildings today and after lunch we would head to the Gateway Theater.

I stuck with Lito and Christina as we made our way through a period-furnished house. I felt uneasy. It wasn’t just that I hadn’t slept the night before. I felt like there was something waiting for me around every corner, hovering. I couldn’t shake the feeling. The hair kept prickling up on my arms. I almost felt like I was being followed. Like—someone was watching me.

I tried to ignore it, focusing on Ms. Irwin’s lecture about the house and the living conditions of everyday people during the Civil War but the sensation persisted. Even when we left the house, I could feel eyes on me. As we walked away down the sidewalk in a ragtag line I glanced back at the two story Victorian and paused. There was that soldier again, standing in the downstairs window. He was in color again.

“Nat?” Christina called.

I didn’t want to look away from the soldier in the window. I felt her join me, touching my arm.

“What is it?”

“You don’t see him?”

“No. What do you see?”

“A soldier, in the window.” I pointed. “He’s in color.” I kept my voice pitched low. “You don’t see him?”

“No.” But I didn’t hear disbelief in her tone.

“Girls, keep up please!” Ms. Irwin shouted.

I turned away from the house, following Christina back to the group but that prickle of the back of my neck told me the soldier was still watching me. I took Christina’s hand and she squeezed mine gently.

This was definitely not normal.