Defenders of the Word {NaNo Novel 2013}

Day five of NaNoWriMo has come to an end and its time to celebrate because I just reached 10,000 words! Now there's only 40,000 words left. Eh, its really not THAT bad. Clearly I'm going to celebrate like any good writer by writing more words, although sadly these words don't count for NaNo.

Anyhow, to celebrate writing those first 10,000 words I'm going to ramble some about my story. Usually I jump into NaNo blind. I work on planned stories all year long, so NaNo's my time to just write whatever comes to me and let the story run wild. Obviously that's produced some less than wonderful novels *cringes* most of which are tucked away in a drawer somewhere until I work up the courage to edit them. But this summer I was struck with an idea for a trilogy. I planned and plotted the three books and then decided to write book one for NaNoWriMo. Its been so weird actually going into NaNo knowing what I wanted to write. But I'm also really in love with Defenders of the Word.

First I LOVE the characters. A few of them still need work. Okay well most of them need a lot of work, but its still early in the story and they're growing with it. But the cast is amazing and the main characters have already struck up some very interesting relationships.



For instance, Julia was supposed to be a quiet supporting character. Well, she's not. In truth she's quite the opposite. She's actually started to become a rival to John-Luke as to who's leading the rebellion.  And she's so verbal. Not to mention the fact that's she's managed to wrestle her way into being made a main character in book two. I guess this is what happens when I give characters in depth back-stories that turn into subplots.  

Then there are the twins, Stephen and James. They're both  quite a comedy act. I was planning on some serious sixteen-year-old's who had been forced to grow up too fast. That's still the case, but it affected them in a way I hadn't planned on. Oh, and the sibling rivalry...they're hilarious.

But my favorite surprise so far has been William. Let me tell you, the guy completely changed the first three chapters of the book. I was shocked and at first I didn't like it, but his personality and the way he handles situations added so much dept to the plot later on. I can't wait to get started on books two and three.

Then of course there's the amazing writing music. I'm pretty sure the playlist for Defenders of the Word has reached over 100 songs, but I've narrowed it down to just a few personal favorites and ones that really speak for the novel.



Revolution Cry is the song that pushed me to turn the Rebelution Trilogy into an actual project. It is 100% the theme song of the entire trilogy. A few weeks ago I came across When the Children Cry sang by Seventh Day Slumber and it was as if the song had been written for the characters of my novel. It's so perfect.

And since it is NaNo there has been some writing. Honestly at first I wasn't very happy with what I was putting down on paper. I've been torn between writing in first person verses third. I've chosen third since the story is told with multiple points of views, but I was finishing up RUN before NaNo and its in first. My brain was having a hard time switching over. But now I'm nearing the middle of chapter eight and things have gotten better. Here's a few snippets, all unedited of course, because my inner editor has been locked away since November first. Actually she broke out of jail for a little while today during a word war. I ended up spending ten minuets reconstructing a sentence went I should have been pounding out more words.

~~~

Freedom was the only thing she still had, but even that had never fully been hers in the first place. Alexa had been born in a time when freedoms were being restricted and revoked. She’d never really tasted true freedom, and yet that was exactly what she craved at this very moment. It was the very thing United NOW denied. 
~~~ 

"It’s alright to cry.” A girl stood across from him now, fidgeting with the collar on her dress. Her long dark hair had been twisted into perfect ringlets and pinned back to keep them from escaping. “Mommy cries every night. I hear her after she’s tucked me in bed. I don’t think she knows I listen to her, but she sounds so sad. It makes me so sad that sometimes I cry too.” Her large green eyes filled with silent curiosity, “Did your mommy ever cry?”
John-Luke nodded looked down at the ground and tried to hold back a sob, but it slipped out anyways. “She used to cry over my big brother.”
“Did he go to heaven too?”
His dark curls bounced as he nodded his head.
“I would cry too if my sister was taken away from me.”
~~~

John-Luke grinned, “Alexa, meet the twins.” He nodded to the first, “James.” Then turned and motioned to the second, “and the better half, Stephen.”
“I protest! We all know I’m the better half of this deal.”
Stephen coughed and shook his head, “You’re delusional.”
John-Luke ruffled Stephen’s hair before pushing Alexa further into the room, “Welcome to the family, Alexa. Fair warning, we’re all delusional here.”
~~~

“John-Luke, how many times do I have to tell you that revolution of any kind isn’t a good idea. We can’t give the Council any reason to persecute us.”
“I’m pretty sure the Council considers our breathing a good enough excuse to persecute us. If I’m going to die I want to die doing something for Christ, not just sitting back enjoying a comfortable life.”   
~~~

“I wanted to tell you. I wanted to more than you know, but if I had told you would it really have made a difference? William, you’re one of them! You. Your beloved government kills my people. You rip families apart and murder innocent people who have only ever wanted to help others. Over what? A disagreement about what we can and cannot believe? Would you really have accepted the truth if I had told you?” 
~~~

They say that truth will set you free, but what they fail to mention is that the truth will also bind you.  

~~~

And I think that's enough rambling for tonight. Now I'm off to join some new word wars. The goal is to reach 11,000 before midnight...though at the moment I'm not quiet sure if it will happen or not. Until next time, happy NaNoing.