Day 2 Words
Nov. 2nd, 2006 08:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hobgoblinnOk, this is the first draft of scene 1 of my nano novel. And just to boost the count, I think I'm going to include all the work I did on a preliminary outline, as that in itself is kind of an achievement. Feel free to ignore, of course. I'd much rather have comments on Summer, really. As I have said elsewhere-- it doesn't have to be good (yet)-- just long.
1935 / 50000
(3.9%)
Outline:
Scene 1: Willow and Kennedy in Rio. Willow feels a need to return to Giles, and Kennedy confirms it by relating a Slayer dream.
Implications-- the child in the vision is important (more than just personally significant to Giles and to willow.) How is she important? What does she have in common with Willow.
Scene 2: In an airport – Willow on her way home, Giles meeting her
She will obviously remember a time when her friends came to meet her and didn't see her
Giles is uncomfortable and trying to hide it. Needs to have lots of subtext going on here.
Questions and Musings:
If Giles has not yet found out about the child, how does he? Letter from a solicitor? No, Mother writes because she is dying, and – ah-- the child has gone missing. Plot can revolve around finding out about this child through others, and though artifacts left behind.
Who or what would take a Potential not yet close to the age of Decision? Child needs to have been conceived just prior to his coming to Sunnydale, so she is about 9.
Well, she would have some magic aura, if she inherited a bit of her dad's gifts. Also-- she's a bargaining chip with the Council, i.e. Giles. Potential blood-- potent as slayer blood? Probably.
Scene 3: A watcher's life-- how does Willow integrate herself into Giles' life? What's he doing well? What's he happy to hand off to someone competent?
She ends up in his guest room and just kind of stays.
Scene 4-- The letter, and the meeting
How does Giles receive contact from his old fiancée? Letter passed on from a mutual friend (who later might be a bad guy-- somebody has to know this kid is his for this to happen at all. How do they meet up for the first time and hash out old stuff, and learn new stuff?
Scene 5 – Willow and Giles at the Council-- child has been brought to him there, and some Slayers take her off on a tour of the cool stuff. Giles reflects on being a father, and on what an evil and dangerous world his child has been born into.
Scene 6 – child and Giles bonding time.
Scene 7 – child goes missing
Scene 8 - Lampost scene
Scene 9 – Endings, and beginnings
I'd like most of this in Willow's point of view-- how can I get her voice for this? How has she changed? What has she grown into, post Chosen?
I do not want Giles and Willow romantically involved, but I do want them to be close by the end, and partners in the deeper sense of the word, both in the fight against evil and in the making the world better for one little girl. I also want Giles to finally heal from the emotional damage he has suffered, able to make a family, and reconnect with the ones he has been shutting out since Tabula Rasa (or really, Bargaining Part 1) .
And now, the-- whatever it is:
Willow awoke with a start, her chest burning, as if someone had placed a branding iron in the shape and size of a human hand between her breasts. She sat up, gasping, eyes streaming with tears, blinking as she fought to regain control over herself.
Dim light was streaming through a gap in the curtains of the hotel room. Beside her, Kennedy stirred, but did not wake. Willow gave a slight, fond smile, tinged with sadness. Her nightmares were so frequent now that Kennedy had learned to sleep straight through them.
But this had not been a usual nightmare. Her past provided a rich array of scenes to haunt her nights, but this one-- she had sometimes had it from the other side, watching in horror as she pulled the magic in burning streams from her old friend and mentor’s chest. But this was the first time she had felt it from his point of view. Instinctively, she knew that it meant something.
She rose quietly, dressed, brushed her long hair. She crept to the balcony door and slid it open quietly, so as not to wake her friend. She knew Ken had had a rough night out patrolling with a couple of the new slayers they’d found on this trip, and besides, she wanted some time to herself to consider this new dream.
She leaned on the iron railing and looked out over the city, watching the sunrise. She was calm again now, but she had a slightly restless feeling that she needed to be somewhere else. Somewhere a good deal less warm and bright. She shivered a bit, thinking about the place which had become a base of operations, and a second home, in the two years since her own hometown had disappeared off the face of the earth. London. And Giles.
Ever since that day she had almost killed him and ended the world, she had been connected to him in a strange way. She couldn’t read his mind or anything, but she sometimes would get a flash of emotion that wasn’t hers. It took her a while to figure it out. The day she had first tapped into the connection between all living things and summoned the courage to tap into that Earth Magic again, she had felt a genuine relief, and amusement, and even a flash of joy, but also a flash of guilt. She had glanced up into his eyes and-- she had just known. What he was feeling. Joy for her, but sorrow, that he hadn’t done a better job teaching her, recognizing her gifts and helping her steer clear of his own terrible mistakes.
It had been unsettling for the both of them, and it seemed magnified by physical proximity. Which explained why Willow was half a world away with Kennedy, organizing this regional branch of the Council, just as she had set up several other outposts in the two years since the closing of the Sunnydale Hellmouth. Giles could not hide his relief when she had announced her intention to do a little traveling, nor could he completely mask the dark undercurrent of emotion which he spent a good deal of energy keeping hidden, not just from her, but from everyone. There was a reason why Buffy and Dawn had chosen Italy, and Xander Africa. It hurt, a lot, to love someone as much as they all loved Giles, and to feel as if they were looking at a stranger on those infrequent occasions when their paths crossed in the new Council Headquarters.
But something was up with him, now. And Willow just knew-- he needed her there. Whether or not he Wanted her there, was, of course, another question entirely. She sighed and wondered how she would broach the subject with Kennedy.
She heard the glass door scrape slightly as it slid open behind her. Kennedy came over and rested her hands on Willow’s shoulders. Together, they watched the city come awake below them. Then Kennedy squeezed a little harder before releasing her and coming to sit in the chair next to hers. “So, when are you leaving?” she asked gently.
Willow looked up in surprise, and Kennedy grinned a little sadly. “There’s someplace you need to be, and it’s not here. Hasn’t been for a while.” Kennedy looked out over the railing for a moment, as if waiting for Willow to deny it. When she didn’t, the Slayer went on, “I had a dream last night-- you and Giles in that side street a couple of blocks from the council. Fog. And a little girl standing all alone under a street lamp.”
Kennedy had a faraway look in her eyes, as if trying to see what it all meant. Willow reached out and took her lover’s hand, and tried to open herself to what Kennedy was describing. She had found she could push her way in, but she didn’t like to do it, and she didn’t like doing it to someone she cared about. She had learned to place limits on her power, and not to abuse people with it. So now, she waited and let Kennedy’s mind reach out to hers, until she, too, could see herself, and Giles, and the child under the lamp.
Willow frowned as she continued to look through Kennedy’s eyes. “I don’t get the sense that anyone’s in danger, do you?” she asked after a moment. Kennedy shook her head.
"I don’t either. But Giles-- he needs you to be there for this, whatever it is.”
Willow pulled back and released the strong hand, but not before bringing it to her lips for a kiss. “I think so, too. Are you okay with that?”
Kennedy looked away again, but she nodded. “There’s too much to do here right now for us both to leave, “ she said.
There was a lot more to say, but neither of them were willing to or ready to go there. Willow knew as she packed, that this was an ending of sorts. But not a bad ending. They were, and always would be, connected in some ways. But they both were on different paths, and it was time.
1935 / 50000
(3.9%)
Outline:
Scene 1: Willow and Kennedy in Rio. Willow feels a need to return to Giles, and Kennedy confirms it by relating a Slayer dream.
Implications-- the child in the vision is important (more than just personally significant to Giles and to willow.) How is she important? What does she have in common with Willow.
Scene 2: In an airport – Willow on her way home, Giles meeting her
She will obviously remember a time when her friends came to meet her and didn't see her
Giles is uncomfortable and trying to hide it. Needs to have lots of subtext going on here.
Questions and Musings:
If Giles has not yet found out about the child, how does he? Letter from a solicitor? No, Mother writes because she is dying, and – ah-- the child has gone missing. Plot can revolve around finding out about this child through others, and though artifacts left behind.
Who or what would take a Potential not yet close to the age of Decision? Child needs to have been conceived just prior to his coming to Sunnydale, so she is about 9.
Well, she would have some magic aura, if she inherited a bit of her dad's gifts. Also-- she's a bargaining chip with the Council, i.e. Giles. Potential blood-- potent as slayer blood? Probably.
Scene 3: A watcher's life-- how does Willow integrate herself into Giles' life? What's he doing well? What's he happy to hand off to someone competent?
She ends up in his guest room and just kind of stays.
Scene 4-- The letter, and the meeting
How does Giles receive contact from his old fiancée? Letter passed on from a mutual friend (who later might be a bad guy-- somebody has to know this kid is his for this to happen at all. How do they meet up for the first time and hash out old stuff, and learn new stuff?
Scene 5 – Willow and Giles at the Council-- child has been brought to him there, and some Slayers take her off on a tour of the cool stuff. Giles reflects on being a father, and on what an evil and dangerous world his child has been born into.
Scene 6 – child and Giles bonding time.
Scene 7 – child goes missing
Scene 8 - Lampost scene
Scene 9 – Endings, and beginnings
I'd like most of this in Willow's point of view-- how can I get her voice for this? How has she changed? What has she grown into, post Chosen?
I do not want Giles and Willow romantically involved, but I do want them to be close by the end, and partners in the deeper sense of the word, both in the fight against evil and in the making the world better for one little girl. I also want Giles to finally heal from the emotional damage he has suffered, able to make a family, and reconnect with the ones he has been shutting out since Tabula Rasa (or really, Bargaining Part 1) .
And now, the-- whatever it is:
Willow awoke with a start, her chest burning, as if someone had placed a branding iron in the shape and size of a human hand between her breasts. She sat up, gasping, eyes streaming with tears, blinking as she fought to regain control over herself.
Dim light was streaming through a gap in the curtains of the hotel room. Beside her, Kennedy stirred, but did not wake. Willow gave a slight, fond smile, tinged with sadness. Her nightmares were so frequent now that Kennedy had learned to sleep straight through them.
But this had not been a usual nightmare. Her past provided a rich array of scenes to haunt her nights, but this one-- she had sometimes had it from the other side, watching in horror as she pulled the magic in burning streams from her old friend and mentor’s chest. But this was the first time she had felt it from his point of view. Instinctively, she knew that it meant something.
She rose quietly, dressed, brushed her long hair. She crept to the balcony door and slid it open quietly, so as not to wake her friend. She knew Ken had had a rough night out patrolling with a couple of the new slayers they’d found on this trip, and besides, she wanted some time to herself to consider this new dream.
She leaned on the iron railing and looked out over the city, watching the sunrise. She was calm again now, but she had a slightly restless feeling that she needed to be somewhere else. Somewhere a good deal less warm and bright. She shivered a bit, thinking about the place which had become a base of operations, and a second home, in the two years since her own hometown had disappeared off the face of the earth. London. And Giles.
Ever since that day she had almost killed him and ended the world, she had been connected to him in a strange way. She couldn’t read his mind or anything, but she sometimes would get a flash of emotion that wasn’t hers. It took her a while to figure it out. The day she had first tapped into the connection between all living things and summoned the courage to tap into that Earth Magic again, she had felt a genuine relief, and amusement, and even a flash of joy, but also a flash of guilt. She had glanced up into his eyes and-- she had just known. What he was feeling. Joy for her, but sorrow, that he hadn’t done a better job teaching her, recognizing her gifts and helping her steer clear of his own terrible mistakes.
It had been unsettling for the both of them, and it seemed magnified by physical proximity. Which explained why Willow was half a world away with Kennedy, organizing this regional branch of the Council, just as she had set up several other outposts in the two years since the closing of the Sunnydale Hellmouth. Giles could not hide his relief when she had announced her intention to do a little traveling, nor could he completely mask the dark undercurrent of emotion which he spent a good deal of energy keeping hidden, not just from her, but from everyone. There was a reason why Buffy and Dawn had chosen Italy, and Xander Africa. It hurt, a lot, to love someone as much as they all loved Giles, and to feel as if they were looking at a stranger on those infrequent occasions when their paths crossed in the new Council Headquarters.
But something was up with him, now. And Willow just knew-- he needed her there. Whether or not he Wanted her there, was, of course, another question entirely. She sighed and wondered how she would broach the subject with Kennedy.
She heard the glass door scrape slightly as it slid open behind her. Kennedy came over and rested her hands on Willow’s shoulders. Together, they watched the city come awake below them. Then Kennedy squeezed a little harder before releasing her and coming to sit in the chair next to hers. “So, when are you leaving?” she asked gently.
Willow looked up in surprise, and Kennedy grinned a little sadly. “There’s someplace you need to be, and it’s not here. Hasn’t been for a while.” Kennedy looked out over the railing for a moment, as if waiting for Willow to deny it. When she didn’t, the Slayer went on, “I had a dream last night-- you and Giles in that side street a couple of blocks from the council. Fog. And a little girl standing all alone under a street lamp.”
Kennedy had a faraway look in her eyes, as if trying to see what it all meant. Willow reached out and took her lover’s hand, and tried to open herself to what Kennedy was describing. She had found she could push her way in, but she didn’t like to do it, and she didn’t like doing it to someone she cared about. She had learned to place limits on her power, and not to abuse people with it. So now, she waited and let Kennedy’s mind reach out to hers, until she, too, could see herself, and Giles, and the child under the lamp.
Willow frowned as she continued to look through Kennedy’s eyes. “I don’t get the sense that anyone’s in danger, do you?” she asked after a moment. Kennedy shook her head.
"I don’t either. But Giles-- he needs you to be there for this, whatever it is.”
Willow pulled back and released the strong hand, but not before bringing it to her lips for a kiss. “I think so, too. Are you okay with that?”
Kennedy looked away again, but she nodded. “There’s too much to do here right now for us both to leave, “ she said.
There was a lot more to say, but neither of them were willing to or ready to go there. Willow knew as she packed, that this was an ending of sorts. But not a bad ending. They were, and always would be, connected in some ways. But they both were on different paths, and it was time.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-03 05:06 am (UTC)You write very well, clearly and well organized and easy to follow. I didn't get a good sense of Rio as a place. I think they were in Rio. I'm lousy at this stuff myself, so I hesitate to criticize, but I did notice it.
If Willow moves in with Giles and helps him raise his daughter, people are going to talk. Not sure if that's important, but snarky comments will be made.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-03 11:22 am (UTC)Thanks for the comment.