Tuesday, November 9, 2010

NaNo, Day 9. The Obligatory Earthquake

- Chapter one -> eleven = complete
- Chapter twelve = not yet begun

Word Count: 21,743/25,000
Story = 86% complete
Art = 1%

Off to a slow - albeit very early - start. Had my "Writing for children" course today too. Also my brother came to visit = many distractions. Presented my picture book in course and the teacher seemed to like it ("you need to submit this to a publisher" she said *grins* I think she's being overly optomistic. But hey, what can it hurt?).

Managed my first piece of art too - I have decided that it is 4% for each picture completed. So, partly inked = 1%, inked w/bground = 2%, some colour = 3%, complete = 4%. Not all pieces will necessarily be coloured. We shall see how time goes.

Home soon after 7 and sat down to force out some words. Gained momentum as I picked up the pace.

Apologies to DOC for destroying the Goat Pass Hut... at least it's only in fiction!

Excerpt:

A low, threatening rumble rolled across the landscape. Aroha froze. She was confused and frightened already, but this was It.

This was the Bad Thing.

The earth heaved.

It rumbled and swayed. It rippled like waves on the sea.

Speck exploded blindly into the air, calling in alarm. “Fly-Flee-fly-flee!”

The hut swung from side to side. Wood creaked and groaned.

The girl shrieked, grabbing onto her father.

The porch rippled beneath them. They ran, almost fell, down the stairs and into the open tussock.

Pebbles and stones bounced down the slope.

One of the scrubby bushes tore its roots from the ground.

An enormous, ear-splitting, grinding groan added itself to the din. Above the hut a large boulder ripped free.

It fell.

Crunch-boom.

Crushing the side of the hut.

But it was not done yet.

Crash-crash, it rolled down the slope. Faster and faster and faster. Tearing out bushes, tussock and gorging a great trail of destruction.

The shaking had stopped.

The boulder had vanished.

Silence.

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