Sunday, November 03, 2024

Six Sentence Sunday: Looking For Home: My Home Is You

Star Wars: Looking For Home: My Home Is You

BookWorm's Library | Ao3

The Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1760 light freighter moved steadily toward the jet-black Super Star Destroyer. Unlike the Executor's arrowhead silhouette, the Eclipse had a wedge-shaped bow perfect for ramming into anything opposing its might. It was also twice the size of Lord Vader's destroyed flagship. The YT-1760—named Jade's Escape according to its transponder code—looked like a grain of sand compared to the Eclipse and didn't fight the locked-on tractor beam.

A battalion of stormtroopers took their positions inside the hangar bay. Two companies lined the walls and the catwalks above, one company took scattered position behind the cover of docked shuttles and other equipment, and the last stood at attention before the platform on which the Jade's Escape would land. The pilot and passengers could not miss the Imperial strength levied against them.


Summary: Mara Jade has gone from wanting to kill Luke Skywalker to accepting his help for her minor problems and reciprocating by saving his life, but where will her loyalties fall when the Emperor Reborn calls her back to his service?

Frangipani (@teagrl) had a Tumblr post that inspired this story. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea, even though I never read Dark Empire in full and never wanted to because I think that’s where the EU Legends mis-characterization of Luke Skywalker started. That was my main reason for rejecting me writing this plot bunny: I hadn’t read that part of the source material and still don’t want to read it.

Eventually, I will learn not to say publicly that “oh I won’t write that story idea.” Every time I do, I end up writing the story. I made a comment on someone’s else fanfic about hated story lines of the EU referencing this idea and how I didn’t think I could do it justice because I didn’t want any more knowledge of the Byss episode than I had already gleaned from the rest of EU Legends. Besides, I was busy on my Rescue the Farmboy AU. Then came a writing challenge of meeting daily word count goals from a writing encouragement newsletter. The Rescue the Farmboy AU took too much time researching movie scenes at the time, so I decided to outline this Byss AU instead and work on it for two weeks. Then I’ll have something to build off of later.

The two weeks got spent only on the outline, and I found myself committed to writing it after. I hope you enjoy this AU in the Star Wars Legends continuity.

Sunday, October 06, 2024

Six Sentence Sunday: Signs and Portents: Trinity

Signs and Portents: Trinity

BookWorm's Library | Ao3

The three F-15s screeched through the sky towards the billowing, black mass. It reminded Steve of the 2010 Iceland volcano eruption. The lightning flickering in the enlarging red and black clouds didn't help the impression. "Keep an eye out for the alien entity designated as Superman. He doesn't have a transponder," Steve said to his subordinate pilots. Command listened to every word as well.


Summary: In this sequel to Signs and Portents: Forgiveness is for the Living, Signs and Portents: Meanwhile in Gotham City, and Man of Steel, Superman defeated General Zod, saved Earth, and lost all his Kryptonian heritage that was sent with him, but Lois knows about another woman who can fly.

For the longest time, this story only had two scenes after I watched Man of Steel: Wonder Woman and Batman confiscating the world engine wreckage before any Earth government did, missing Superman by minutes, and Lois using Selina as a sounding board for her venting about Zod. (Dude, if you had colonized Mars, you would have won. Wait a while, call Kal-El for a visit, and kill him after he was weakened from Kryptonian environment, easy-peasy.) But two scenes do not a story make, so I put the whole thing aside to simmer.

I figured out how to work in Steve Trevor and Diana's meet cute and decided who would act first: Bruce and Diana because they know the prophecy or Clark and Lois because they know of another hero who can fly. Eventually, when I wanted Blake and Babs to interact with Clark, it all worked out. I hope you enjoy this take on the Nolanverse.

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Strix: Forget the Sun September Metrics 28

METRICS
Previous Word Count: 88,744
New Words: 330
Total words for the first draft: 89,074
2024 Metrics Words Total: 7815
2024 Cumulative Word Count: 13,470
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Decided to move part of the climax to another POV to better describe what is going on. So I finished one scene since that started a new one.
Fave line: His arm reaching down for her face was like slapping stone and it didn’t knock his hand off course.
What Else I Accomplished Today: Laundry mostly. I had planned on ripping new CDs but had technical difficulties.
What I'm looking forward to: Making enough words in the next two days to finish off this first draft.
What I'm not looking forward to: The disappointment when that doesn’t happen.

Friday, September 27, 2024

Strix: Forget the Sun September Metrics 27

METRICS
Previous Word Count: 88,486
New Words: 258
Total words for the first draft: 88,744
2024 Metrics Words Total: 7685
2024 Cumulative Word Count: 13,140
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Moved the scene along. I didn’t get as far as I wanted to in the action but my day was pretty broken up.
Fave line: The crossbow stake sailed past him and he didn’t even have to dodge.
What Else I Accomplished Today: So one of my goals was to get more sleep. I went to bed around 8:30 p.m., woke up a couple of times, and then got out of bed with the alarm at 8 a.m. I thought for sure I could get 45 minutes of writing and a shower done before leaving for my dental appointment. And then I found out Dame Maggie Smith died and got derailed a bit. I got the shower done and a little writing and then off to the dentist. My teeth are fine. I came back home and made stabs at writing but not very hard.
What I'm looking forward to: Writing tomorrow but to use Brain.FM instead of my podcasts backlog.
What I'm not looking forward to: Chores, boo.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Strix: Forget the Sun September Metrics 26

METRICS
Previous Word Count: 87,965
New Words: 521
Total words for the first draft: 88,486
2024 Metrics Words Total: 7484
2024 Cumulative Word Count: 12,882
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I got two hours of writing in between paying job tasks and have gotten to the threat to Peg. I think I have the body movements planned out for the rest of the scene.
Fave line: “You don’t get to call me that, you fucked-up fream!”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I found a new YouTube channel that does Good Omens analysis.
What I'm looking forward to: Hooray for more sleep. I still need more, but last night was a nudge in the right direction. I have to make it to my dental appointment Friday (and that’s been a damn saga this year) but maybe Saturday I can do some lazy shit and stay in bed.
What I'm not looking forward to: The drive home, I think one of the railroad crossings warnings are malfunctioning.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Strix: Forget the Sun September Metrics 25

METRICS
Previous Word Count: 87,348
New Words: 617
Total words for the first draft: 87,965
2024 Metrics Words Total: 7317
2024 Cumulative Word Count: 12,361
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Gave Sophia a part to play in the fight. Honestly not sure what to do with the ghosts a majority of the time. Hot damn, I may actually get Kevah killed today. Hot damn, I did! Also some stunned blinking over my word count today. That is a personal best this month for sure.
Fave line: There wasn’t much of a sound with the sudden light so his screams reverberated into the house until they faded with the light.
What Else I Accomplished Today: Today ended up a quiet day at work and I was able to put it into writing. Also using the Brain.FM to stop twisting my neck into tightness has worked on that front and to help me generate words.
What I'm looking forward to: Sleep. I keeping reading until it is 10 p.m. and that’s too late for me to get enough sleep.
What I'm not looking forward to: The long drive home.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Strix: Forget the Sun September Metrics 24

METRICS
Previous Word Count: 87,005
New Words: 343
Total words for the first draft: 87,348
2024 Metrics Words Total: 7128
2024 Cumulative Word Count: 11,744
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Down to two bad vampires left. And the fight scene continues.
Fave line: “Sing a new tune, Kevah. That note has been flat for fifty-five years.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I need to run some errands as I head home. I hate having errands after work.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting home and making myself go to bed on time tonight.
What I'm not looking forward to: Shopping.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Strix: Forget the Sun September Metrics 23

METRICS
Previous Word Count: 86,702
New Words: 303
Total words for the first draft: 87,005
2024 Metrics Words Total: 6993
2024 Cumulative Word Count: 11,401
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Well, I ended up taking the weekend off on this story. Hopefully, it has recharged the batteries. Also I am switching off YouTube for Brain.FM while working on the laptop so I don’t twist my neck into tightness again. So I finished up one scene and started the next one in the big fight of the novel.
Fave line: “More is the pity. I hope you’re going to be more reasonable than that, young lady.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Back to work. Today wasn’t too bad.
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the fight scenes.
What I'm not looking forward to: Fighting with traffic in the parking lot. I hope I get here before and leave after the outside agency using our hearing room does.