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Is The Nixie's Song Off Key? – Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles Book 1 |FF 18 – Fortress Fiction
Join MJ for his daily writing log and a brief discussion of cast size.
Is 19 characters too many for a chapter book? That seems like a lot to me, but I wanted this magical bug society to feel realistic. What say you?
#amwriting #writer #author #WritingCommunity
TOPICS
Chapters: 0:00:00 – INTRO
0:01:10 – AUTHOR’S LOG
0:08:46 – ON CAST SIZE
0:12:10 – ON WRITING METHOD
0:13:55 – CHRIS FOX + 5KWPH
0:17:17 – AHSOKA AND THE RETURN OF MY FOOLY OPERATIONAL STAR WARS ANALYSIS
0:19:33 – OUTRO
LINKS
PLAYLIST
August 19-25 Author’s Log Text
August 19, 2023
I failed to write.
[X Words]
August 20, 2023
“Are you serious, Yawn?”
“Of course I am… NOT! Why should I want to be?
Babble turned away…
“Hey, comeback.”
And hopped away.
“I’m serious!”
Babble laughed, “So NOW you’re serious?”
“Yes! Your little Crisis of confidence here has really put us behind schedule! It’s a wonder you ever get anything done!”
“Wow. Wow. WOW! I’m really speechless now. I have no speech!”
“That works for me, pal. Less talking and more doing. That’s what I always say!”
Grunt dashed in and asked “Are you two done yet? We have lots of work to do.”
[95 Words]
August 21, 2023
NOTE: Humph is helped with Bulwark construction by:
Keeper Whistle + Gnaw, Quiver and Splash
–OR–
Keeper Grunt takes + Yawn and Babble
–OR–
Keeper Shush and Chirp and Slurp
[Humph, Grunt, Yawn and Babble do Bulwark construction, while the others haul material to the main base and are tasked with concealment]
^Planning^
[0 Words]
August 22, 2023
Glimmer called the teams together after Humph had finished his perimeter patrol.
“Our guests are drawing ever closer. I have received word that they are due to arrive here very soon. Their course has shifted, it seems to be focused on arriving here. We must act in haste, but we must remain calm. Nothing good ever came of worrying. Remember that Cadets! Now follow these pathways and return here quickly.”
With her special abilities as a Seer, she made paths for all the teams to follow. A Seer can see and cause others to see. When a mind is willing, a Seer can even see into the mind’s eye and share that vision with others. Trails of light streamed from where they were gathered. First they darted to the Keepers, then away from them in the direction of their duty. Shush went back to the cradle of Grogrubs, while the others went for materials.
[154 Words]
August 23, 2023
A hush fell over the group as they worked. Cadets fell in line with the Keepers and worked diligently at their tasks. Glimmer used her powers to talk to Grunt Whistle and Humph as they finished readying the camp. She also contacted Hum, Tut and the 5 Grobug Guardians who had come to share their stories with the Cadets. This was not their home, but they defended it like it was. They were hidden in a few places along the path where the Clavens or Cloud Ravens would cross to get to the nest of the Grobug camp.
[98 Words]
August 24, 2023
NOTE: Shush and Splash stay in the cradle with the Grogrubs. Hum stays in another area with Grunt, Whistle and the 6 other Grobug Cadets. While they are hunkered down, the 6 Guardians confront and fight the Cloud Ravens. They spring traps and attack engines (catapults and such) to thin them out. The idea is they will defeat them all out on the battlefield far from the camp and the camp is split up so that if one of the two is destroyed, hopefully the attackers will leave, thinking they have won. Hum and… where is Glimmer? I need to figure that out.
[102 Words]
August 25, 2023
NOTE:
Where is Tut? Tut should be out with the 6 Guardians. Maybe he does a support role, firing catapults and stuff to keep attacking enemies while the Guardians engage them? Tut was a Guardian, so that is a cool idea.
Glimmer is with Shush and Splash for two reasons: one: defense of the Grogrubs and two: comms; Hum has full comms capability, as she is a Watcher. Glimmer the Seer has full comms capability, that kind of redundancy is good for ensuring the survival of the camp.
One generic ability is the ability to manipulate LIGHT ARMS, tendrils of light that allow them human-like dexterity. This ability is more or less scaled to their size and strength.
Guardians have an advanced form of the LIGHT ARMS ability, SHINING ARMS that allows them a broader ability to form light construct for attack and defense barriers. The use of SHINING ARMS is limited based on a number of factors, but that is mostly to keep the tension at a decent level. Different Guardians will have different capacaties, but the general idea is that SHINING ARMS are stronger than LIGHT ARMS and can be used up in a single burst or preserved for use over time (think of Yusule’s use of Spirit Energy, after a certain point the tank is empty). SHINING ARMS replenish with time and rest.
[225 Words]
MJ Muñoz 