NaNoWriMo Progress Report (Day 9)

13000+ words. I've written 3000+ words today, Everything is starting to flow pretty well, once I can maintain this speed, I'll do fine. I would've actually written more if I hadn't gone to Fremantle for a break. However, I managed to finish Akutagawa Prize (highest literary honour in Japan) winner 'Snakes and Earrings' by Hitomi Kanehara while I was hanging out at the bookshop there, it was short read, think it took me less than an hour (I posted her photo in this entry). You may choose to Google her if you want to, I'm not putting up my book review until next month's edition of my Monthly Book Reviews.

Here are the excerpts.

The sketch was placed before him.

Erik squinted his eyes in concentration.

“Tell me what you think.” She said, looking at him eagerly.

“It is very nice.” Erik said.

The sorceress wasn’t satisfied with the answer. “And why is it nice?”

“It, ah, it oozes realism.” Erik managed.

“Which part?”

“The entire artwork.” Erik met the sorceress’ gaze, smiling.

The sorceress scowled. “That’s NOT constructive. I want honest criticism, not a pat on my back! Are you even looking at it carefully? After all the efforts I’ve put into drawing this, you better honour it by looking at it some more. See? There’s something WRONG with this picture, I don’t know why, but I KNOW that it’s imperfect.”

“Maybe because the people in it are all… stick figures?” Erik suggested.

And...

He was dying. He knew it. There was no way he could survive through this journey.

The sorceress emerged from the cabin, her face pale like a corpse’s. Weakly, she struggled her way towards Erik and stood alongside him. The knight detected a mild scent of vomit from her.

“The mayor’s a sadistic bastard.” The sorceress said in a feeble whisper. “This is his revenge.”

“Indeed.” Erik agreed.

“A ship. Of all things, he arranged us to travel on a ship!” She said. “I would have rather WALKED. Uuuuuuuuurgh… this is bad. Goddamn sea dragon, what the hell is he looking at? Is he mocking me? And those dolphins and those damned faeiries, what ghastly melody are they performing now? A funeral hymn, I bet. Damn you, damn you all to the lowest depths of hell!”

and...

“You’re lying.” Samot pouted. “I am going to tell my parents that you know magic.”

“NO!” Eliar shrieked, grabbing hold of the boy by his collar. “You, you vile and sickeningly manipulative little boy, you are going to blackmail me, aren’t you? Threatening to tell the world that I’m a mage, so that hordes of robots and those Imperial soldiers can come here for my ass, eh? And then even if I can outwit them all, I will be barred from leaving by train, and end up starving and rotting to death here, with my corpse eaten by dogs. I know how your dark and twisted mind works, little Samot, I can’t believe you can stoop that low!”

Samot giggled, most likely not following half of what Eliar had just said.

“Very well, child,” Eliar sighed, releasing his grip on the boy. “I shall allow you the privilege of following me around. Not because you blackmailed me, nuh-uh, I did this because I was searching for a business assistant, and you happened to fit the criteria I’ve been seeking for.”

After salvaging his pride, Eliar stormed off, the boy clapped his hands joyfully and started following him.

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