It’s NaNoWriMo-time!

Posted by Nicky Drayden on Nov 2, 2014 in Writer's Life |

Words are being written. Characters are being created. Worlds are coming into fruition. It’s my favorite time of year! I’m 1748 words into this, and already it’s taken some turns that I didn’t expect. For one, I’ve decided to face my biggest writing fear and use gender neutral pronouns. The ey, em, eir, eirs, eirself set, which hopefully 50,000 words from now will feel like second nature, because right now, I have to look at a chart each time, and if I have to keep that up, it’s going to be a looooooong month.

Anyway, no time for blogging, but here’s a sneak peak at my novel, code name “Awesome Twin Awesome Novel.” Don’t ask. That’s just what I put into the NaNoWriMo site, and I’m sticking with it: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/nicolemd/novels/awesome-twin-awesome-novel/

Here’s a brief excerpt:

Vainglory

The quease of longing empties from my gut as I spy Kassir through the glass door of his classroom. Mrs. Maven paces at the front of the class in road-worn orthotics, her facial features as precisely angled as the writing across her chalkboard: Heed the Narrow Season, and a Fruitful Year Renewed. Her greetings may be merry, but the lines drawn on the foreheads of her students are not. Eyes gaze down at paper, pencils scribble furiously. Sweat drips from worried brows. Finally, Kassir feels my proximity, and sighs in frustration. He places his test pencil on his desk, then glares at me.

“What?” he mouths.

“I’m going out for a smoke with Geona. Meet us when you’re done,” I mouth back.

“What?” he says again. We may be twins, but he can’t read lips for shit.

“I’m–” I point to my chest. “Going out–” I make exaggerated swings with my arms and walk past the door. When I pop back up from below, a few other students have taken note of my presence. I catch a few half-smiles. “For a smoke–” I take a puff on an imaginary clove cig. “With Geona–” I cup my hands beneath my muscled chest and sashay like I’ve got the rack of a centerfold. This gets stifled giggles from a few students, and the mellow brown of Kassir’s cheeks flush red beneath.

Mrs. Maven stops her pacing, and as her eyes dart to the door, I duck out of sight.

“Concentrate, class,” I hear her say. “This exam will count for fifty percent of your final grade, and partial answers will not be accepted.”

I heave a sigh, thankful that I’d drawn Mr. Brerelle, fresh out of university, as my Bio teacher instead of Mrs. Maven. Bet he didn’t think, graduating from a Primways university, that he’d end up at some third-rate secular school, teaching sacrilege to a bunch of kids from one of poorest Comfies in the Coralease. He’d skimmed over so many chapters that we’d had our final exam weeks ago–all multiple choice. I’d aced it, but then again, it had been so easy that nearly everyone did.

“Mr. Okoye,” booms a deep voice from behind me. I look up from my crouch and panic when I catch a glimpse of Principal Boro’s reflection in the glass, bulky arms folded firmly across a laced lapel revealing just a hint of eir even bulkier chest. I forget how intimidating Boro is up close and personal, and somehow I resist the urge to ask for eir workout regimen.

“Principal Boro,” I stammer, then turn, “I was just–”

Boro plucks the cigs peaking out of my shirt pocket. “Getting back to class,” ey finishes for me. “And button that up. You’re in violation of dress code.”

“Yes, Principal Boro. Right away, Principal Boro.” You’ve never seen buttons get fastened so quickly. I’m out of there and running down the hall, so fast, Boro’s voice has gone soft before I hear that baritone “Walk. Mr. Okoye!” chasing after me.

I don’t walk, and I don’t return to class either. The narrow season has already started as far as I’m concerned. As soon as my feet hit pavement outside the school, my proximity with Kassir breaks and the quease is back–just a small granule buried an inch behind my navel. I feel my anger welling up, and all those things I’d wanted to cuss at Boro fill my saliva with bitterness. Finemister know-it-all, stole my cigs, and is probably smoking them now. I grab the collar of my uniform shirt with both hands, and tug until all the buttons pop loose. “Yes, Principal Boro, Right away, Principal Boro!” Sometimes I hate the person Kassir makes me, but left to my own devices, I’d be sitting in detention right now, or probably worse.

2 Comments

Nicky Drayden
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:32 am

Just passed the 20k mark. Things are starting to get serious!


 
Nicky Drayden
Nov 29, 2014 at 6:05 am

On the heels of 40,000 with just two days left to go!


 

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