Thursday Tales – FINALLY Taphim’s wife :D

So, I’m about halfway done with Taphim’s wife’s character chart.  And I have a name for her.  First, though, I want to show the picture I found that is her.

Someone pinned/re-pinned/whatever’d it on Pinterest (I’m almost positive it was Alessandro Hinlo) a while back.  I was still just starting to work on the character charts for Undoing, and every time I would see Taphim in a situation where his wife would be there, she would simply be lingering back in the shadows, watching everything, and sometimes I’d catch a glimpse of her profile, or of her walking out of the room, etc.  She was always wearing red, and I knew she had brown hair, and that she gave off an aura of power and confidence and a sense of ‘don’t mess with me or else‘.

And then I saw this picture, and suddenly, she had come to LIFE.

Her name is Zareja.  Her hobby is training war horses, and she hates the politics that are involved in being the wife of the Rashan, even though she was the one who got the doors open for him to even be in that position.  She is torn between her own desires and the expectations of society, but even when she doesn’t want to do something, she will devote herself to it entirely if she feels there is no other choice.

She and Taphim have had three sons together, they’re all grown now, and serve as fellow judges with their father.  They do not have the compassionate hearts of their parents, though, and I know that’s going to play into the story somehow, I’m just not sure how yet.

She has a couple of secrets that she’s kept from Taphim, though, and one of them is what exactly her role was for getting him into a judge’s position.  Zareja has only told me a brief amount of what that was so far, but I’ve had enough of a glimpse to know that it was awful.  And that the guilt is eating at her.

The other secret she’s kept is that she’s sympathetic for the Rishka.  Taphim will be discovering this soon, and this is what will allow them to confront Kashtophim society as a united front.

I’m getting so excited to write this story.  My goal is to finish Zareja’s character chart today, and to have Undoing outlined by the end of the month.  I’d like to start my first draft in April.

Thursday Tales – Writer’s Campaign – First Challenge

Hey everyone!  Along with the Campaign means that challenges are rolling around again!  The first one is up!

The criteria:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:

• end the story with the words: “everything faded.” (also included in the word count)
• include the word “orange” in the story
• write in the same genre you normally write
• make your story 200 words exactly!

I did everything!  I had to play around with this for a while to get the wording right, but I did it!  Or at least, according to Microsoft Word, I did it.  There’s a bit more that I wish I could fit in it, but oh well!

This is a part of my Undoing Chronicles WIP.  For more background into the story, please see the Nightgale category in My Writings – Fiction.

If you enjoy this story, please go “like” my link here.  I’m number 161.

Processional

Shadows crept across the wall, cast by orange-red torchlight.  Daylight, the last she’d ever see, waited beyond the dungeon doors.

The doors swung open on silent hinges, she squinted when the sunlight stung her eyes.  The guard shoved her forward, and she stumbled blindly across the threshold.  A cloud passed over the sun, easing the light in her eyes.

She barely noticed the bits of broken glass and nails biting her feet, or the refuse pelting her face.  The crowd’s hateful roar barely whispered in her ears.

She focused solely on him.

Her execution march could have been her wedding processional.  Taphim would have been the man waiting for her, either way.  She stood tall, confident and at peace, but her heart ached at the unending torment in his eyes.

His voice was hoarse. “Sachi, I have poison.”

He offered mercy.  She shook her head and was the only one who saw the tears in his eyes.

The roar of the crowd grew louder – they were impatient.

“I love you, Taphim.”

Sachi stepped back from him.  Tears slid down his face as he hefted the weapon.

She barely felt the blows.  Her eyes gazed steadily into his until everything faded.

Once again, please – if you enjoy this story, please go “like” my link here.  I’m number 161.

Thursday Tales – HE finally has a name!

So, Sachi’s nameless lover finally has a name!

Before I go further, though, I must take a moment and thank Lissa for introducing me to the band Within Temptation back during NaNo.  My writing life will never be the same!  I keep finding songs from them that depict characters/stories perfectly.  Trust me, this will make sense when you get to the end of the post .

Alright, onward with the Undoing Chronicles!

Sachi’s lover’s name is . . . . 

Thursday Tales – The Undoing Chronicles

First off, a huge welcome to all of you stopping by from the Fourth Writer’s Platform Building Campaign!  If you’re in one of my groups, I promise I’ll be around soon, and I’m so glad to connect with you!

Second, I would like to remind you guys to go enter the drawing for a copy of Shades of the Orient by Stephanie Guerrero.  I did an interview with her on Tuesday, you can find it here.

So this is the first week that I’m starting my Thursday Tales feature!  Basically, I’m just going to talk about whatever story(ies) I’m currently working on.

This week, we’re delving into the newest thing I’m doing.

So last month, I participated in the #Nightgale flash fiction challenge that Stevie McCoy hosted.  Our assignment was to write 4 stories, a minimum of 200 words, based on the theme of Immortality vs. Mortality.  Week one was tough to write, I wasn’t really feeling it at all.  Week two, though . . .

The universe exploded.  Sort of.  Not really.  But that’s what it felt like!

Week two of #Nightgale, the Rishka and Kashtophim were born.