So at the kickoff meeting (party!!!) the word dragon came up an extremely disproportionate number of times. So from that has our regional "dare," much like the trebuchet is the sort of unofficial "dare" for all of NaNoWriMo.
Work a dragon into your story somewhere, and post the excerpt here. (Give some kind of context, please!) Doesn't have to be a main character, or feature, but it should have a bit more than a casual mention. Dragon tattoos, metaphors for crazy drug trip, horrifying nightmare or dragons as the main form of transportation in your story all count!
Everyone who does will be awarded (by me) a prize at the closing party (hopefully we can plan it soon...!! :) The reward won't be much (think "sticker" as opposed to "trophy") but you'll get some kind of recognition that will remind you of your accomplishment for eons (or until you forget what it was for and throw it away). But even better, you'll have something that might at least give you the opportunity to write even more words!
Do it!!!!
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time for another misadventure
25,246 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 18 32
Mmmm. I might just manage to do this - I'm writing an ancient Roman mystery, and the animal shows in the Coliseum factor into the plot...maybe a mechanical dragon for sensational effect.......and words! words! Of course my MC will have to get involved in the planning and construction, which actually fits pretty well into the background situation.
Thanks!!!
38,389 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 02 18
I needed one more villain. A Dragon works nicely. So shall it be! Huzzah!
44,119 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 03 21
My main character is describing some of the things her parents have sent her over the years they were wandering abroad and she was living with her mother's uncle:
"Another of the things which my parents have sent me is a golden figurine of a water dragon. Most dragons are reptilian creatures which resemble in build something like a dog or a cat; four legs, a sturdy body. Of course, few canine or feline creatures are blessed with wings, while many dragons have wings and can fly. But the water dragon is a different creature entirely, said to bring good fortune, especially to sailors and fisherfolk. Its body is lithe and serpentine, and the artist has sculpted it as curling around itself, weaving its own body in a complicated pattern. Even the scales are delicate; as a child I spent many hours simply holding the figurine and gazing at it from different angles, trying to interpret the exact meaning of its pose, feeling the texture of the scales that almost made it like some living, breathing creature. Sometimes I have wondered if there was some magic to bring it alive, if that was what was intended, even if the little model I could cradle in my hands was many times smaller than a true water dragon. I liked also to gaze at its face, which was the one rather catlike feature of it, and which featured eyes that were inset tourmaline the shade of mint leaves. The figurine itself was sculpted in Hao Stolt, one of the islands within the usual range of the water dragons."
4,410 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 06 06
It's just the first chapter, but I'm loving the dragons thing already. It actually fits quite nicely with the setting of the novel (medieval fantasy). There will be more dragons later on, but for now... here's the excerpt:
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“Shh! Don't say that word so loud. Remember where we are,” the first one said sternly to the second.
Both men glanced nervously to the sky as the sounds of the rustle of wings drew close.
“My apologies, good friend,” Althalos said apologetically to Hadrian.
“Still... your point is a sound and logical one. I also hear the wingbeat of dragons. That means the imperial guard may be on our tail. What would I do without you? Your sound advice has saved us many times,” Hadrian said thankfully.
“I simply go by what I know and by instinct,” Althalos replied casually, almost as if he was no longer worried about the situation at hand.
The wingbeats were getting closer and both men noticed a red silhouette and a blue colored silhouette in the sky.
“Dragons... for sure,” Althalos said.
"Two of them. They must not be kidding around. There's an ice dragon and a fire dragon. We should get inside as soon as possible," Hadrian said.
44,119 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 10 05
I'm loving the dragon challenge as well! Originally I wasn't really thinking of including dragons, but now I think there's a whole regiment or army or something (I haven't figured out which yet) called the Dragons, and I think my main character is going to meet the ghost of one of them. And the dragon figurine wasn't originally among the things her parents had given her, but now i think that along with the Dragon Regiment it's going to end up being somehow important to the plot later on....
25,469 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 06 45
Excellent--LadyBard and TheSilentOrator have claimed the first two dragon prizes!! AWESOME!
Keep posting your excerpts, I'll try to check back in weekly to update the list (will make the forum easier to follow)
Also, I've had an idea for the prize. If there are any artists out there who would be willing to sketch a dragon & submit it for artwork on the prize (with appropriate recognition, of course), send me a NaNoMail. Smaller is probably better (5x7 or so) scanned & emailed is how I'll need it...! Thanks!
----------time for another misadventure
3,142 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 11 59
A dragon-slayer came into being in chapter 2...from wherest I do not know....and from deep in the recesses of sleep came the anguished fires that toast my protagonist's dreams.
It must be the dragon...
Yet its flames will not be extinguished until the end of the month....and its ugly head will never once rear up into view.
Can my dragon-slayer count towards this challenge??????????
39,271 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 12 46
It should! I believe the gauntlet was thrown on the premise that any reference, no matter how obscure (a drug called "Dragon Breath" or something like that was mentioned). Someone had a tattoo also - Dragon Slayer is a go for me!
Haven't found a good place to put one in yet even though my story is medieval fantasy fiction. I'm sure I'll get it in there, even if it's just the shape of the goblet of wine my character drinks at the next meal...
----------"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later." - MH
23,070 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 12 52
I've just worked the first reference to the dragon people in mine. The people believe that the supposed long dead dragons are actual dragons not dragon people which is what my MC eventually finds out.
-krista
----------...
In this blood of winter
You may crush my soul
For we can fall no further
The world is hell...
-Death In June-
http://blood-of-winter.livejournal.com/
31,600 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 16 02
This should have been last year's challenge! My story last year was all about dragons! XD
But I'm sure I can give a character a dragon tattoo or something, I've been thinking of giving her a tattoo anyway ;) (And then I can spend 500 words describing in disgusting detail exactly what the tattoo looks like!)
Or maybe a place called something with dragon in it? *shrug*
But dragons are awesome anyway; they deserve to be mentioned in every novel! *nodnod* x]
Good luck everyone!!
----------25,469 / 50,000
Nov 11, 2009 - 08 55
My reference is to an Island in camp that the kids have to camp out on.
Dragon Island was a great place to go during the day. It wasn't a huge island; when you stood on the shore you could see the lake through the trees on the other side. We could walk across it in about 15 minutes, about a mile wide at it's widest point. It was sthaped like a rough triangle, with a rounded peninsula at the top and three juts of land out the back. Two smaller islands came scooping off the tip in an upward arch from the southern point, although these were mostly marshy and there weren't any trees.
Nick got the credit for naming the island. When he was young the camp was new, and he was into dragons and wizards and things. He spotted the island on the map in the office, and said it looked like head of the dragon. "There are spikes on its neck, and the little islands are like smoke coming from its snout," he said. So Dragon Island got its name. Carson cheerfully named the other two large islands on the big lake in the same spirit--Atlantis and Shangri-La. He said he liked the idea of the camp being named after mythical creatures and lost civilizations. "Makes it seem more mysterious," he said, ruffling 5 year old Nick's hair. So those were the names given by the camp. Before then, the three islands were named after trees--Pine, Cedar, and Cypress.
I'll probably delete half of that LOL. But, I win the challenge!
----------time for another misadventure
42,741 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 05 35
“This is absolutely dreadful.” He pushed the paper away as though it was covered in slim. Persephone felt crushed, Mary Nell had always said such nice things about her writing. Was she really that bad? The red haired boy sat, his hands folded on the desk, he starred silently at Persephone. He was patiently waiting for her response. She attempted to steady her nerves before speaking; she didn’t want to cry. Perhaps she was in fact ungifted. James would surely tell The Master and then she would be asked to leave to make room for a more capable writer. Mary Nell had betrayed her. She was simply being nice, taking pity on poor untalented Persephone.
“Why is it dreadful?” she finally asked.
“Look here,” said James tapping a long pale finger on the page “The young man…Osbert…really Osbert? Okay, the young man has to climb up the tower to rescue the fair…Mildred? He has to climb the tower and then Osbert hugs Mildred and they kiss.”
“This was a specific story. The instructions said to have Osbert rescue Mildred from a tower.” Persephone defended.
“I know that is what the instructions say, but you need to use your imagination. Where’s the heroic bravery? Where’s the danger?” There was a hungry look in James’ emerald green eyes.
“Danger?”
“Yes, I think we need to add a dragon. A large dragon...he’ll be burnt orange with accents of yellow and red eyes!”
“But won’t that make the dream too scary?” Persephone was still new and she didn’t want to break the rules. James rolled his eyes.
“No, he won’t be in any real danger; we will make sure the dragon is at a safe distance until the very end when Osbert stabs it through the heart!”
“Stabbing would be considered an act of violence. We’re not supposed to put violent things in our stories.” James let out an over exaggerated sigh.
“Fine, we’ll throw in some dream knowledge so he knows he’s not in any real danger and when he stabs the dragon he won’t be able to look at the sword going through the dragon’s heart, he’ll be too busy gazing up at…Mildred…in the tower.”
“But the instructions say to only have him climb the tower then hug and kiss Mildred. The Master wrote that Osbert really likes Mildred, but he has been too afraid to speak to her, this dream is supposed to give him a little push,” argued Persephone. She didn’t understand why James couldn’t just paint the stupid dream the way she wrote it. She glanced over hoping that Mary Nell might be finished with her current project, but she and Mabs were busy designing the perfect ballroom chandelier.
“I think that it will take more than a small push to get Osbert to buck up the courage to talk to his lady love. Don’t you see how much braver he will be with the knowledge that he has slain a dragon; a dragon that is a representation of his own shyness?” That did make a lot of sense, and it certainly would make Osbert feel brave, but it was still breaking the rules.
“It will still be scary and there will still be violence,” sniffed Persephone whose resoluteness was waning.
“Persephone,” James shook his head in disbelief, “it’s not your fault, I know, you’re new. The rules aren’t as black and white as you think. There are a lot of gray areas. Once again, Osbert will be chased by the dragon, but the dragon will always remain at a safe distance up until the point when the dragon charges forward. Osbert will valiantly stab the dragon through the heart, which he will know, but won’t see because his eyes will be fixed on the fair Mildred. See, not too scary not too violent, just the right amount of fear, danger, bravery and reward.” The dream did sound a lot more exciting with a dragon. Persephone’s reluctance faded.
“Shall we paint it?” asked James reaching for his brush.
“Yes let’s paint it,” nodded Persephone.
31,600 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2009 - 19 18
I found a way to fit it in, and I'm actually very glad this challenge was set because if gave one of my organizations a really cool insignia XD
Sorry it's a bit long... and probably filled with errors. ^^;
It was made obviously to be the eye catcher of the room, with bright bold colors that strongly contrasted the rest of the white walls, floors, and even ceiling. The symbol took up the entire wall, and Candra guessed if she could stand next to it, it would take at least three of her tall and two of her sideways to make up the measurement of the marking. In deep black, with a gold belly and claws and streaks of purple was a picture of a great dragon, curling around to create a circle, it’s jaws meeting it’s tail and wings spanned high up and out, curving back in to bring the eye down into the center of the circle. In one of the dragon’s great claws was either a sword or a fancy cross, Candra could not well tell the difference while the other claw held what looked like a torch. In the center of the circle the dragon made was a silver silhouette of a wolf against a red background, standing high and tall. It stared at the viewer with gold eyes, shoulders back and posture confident, as if challenging anyone who laid eyes on it.
For a moment, Candra could not breathe, her eyes caught in the gold painted eyes of the wolf. Alpha, she thought. She had let him down, she had let them all down. Could he see her there, now? Did he know what had happened, that she had failed? Would he come for her? Would he even want to?
“Like the insignia, eh?” The man’s light words pulled her from her thoughts, her breath returning quickly, making her side hurt again.
“The what?” She asked breathlessly, glancing at the man.
The man continued walking along with the few others, heading for the stairwell. “What you were just looking at.”
“What is it?”
He smiled. “It’s our symbol.”
“Of what?” Candra prodded, the questions keeping her mind focused.
“Of us.” He answered, as if amused by the obviousness of the answer and her failure to notice.
Candra glanced at all the men and women around her, looking over the man’s shoulder to the doors where other people carried things from the trucks in and out. She looked back into the younger man’s rugged but kind face and narrowed her eyes. “What are you guys?”
He glanced down at her while taking the stairs, a grin forming on his lips. “We’re the Predators.”
Candra hummed thoughtfully, though her face was sour. “Fitting name for what you did.”
The man chuckled, just barely. “You’ll understand more in time.”
Candra remained silent as he walked up the first flight of stairs, her eyes caught back on the insignia as they passed before he turned started up the second flight. Her mind threatening to give, she let her mouth run in hopes of staying awake. “So I understand the wolf thing – your’re werewolves too – but why the dragon? And that other stuff?”
“You’re not one for symbolism, are you?” The man asked lightly, not pausing in his stride.
Candra huffed. “Why should I be? Care to answer my question anyway, or are you going to just ignore them like everyone else is here?”
The man laughed shortly. “The dragon is the ultimate predator, the ultimate creature of power and wisdom--”
“That depends on who you ask, Lu.” A woman a few paces behind spoke up in a teasing tone. The man rolled his eyes and shot her a quick teasing grin back before continuing.
“He also symbolizes valor and protection. The way he touches his tail with his mouth also symbolizes immortality and eternity. The sword shaped like a cross in his front claw symbolizes righteousness in battle, and the beacon means watchfulness in times of danger.”
Candra snorted. “You guys think too highly of yourselves, then.”
The man only laughed and shook his head, climbing the last of the stairs before continuing down the hallway.