Yes, once again I could not resist temptation. But why would I when this is all so fun? It's a way for me to maybe push my boundaries a bit and reconnect with old friends.
So, without further blah blah, welcome to my 2023 ONC project! Please feel free to drop the link to your own projects on this page. The more the merrier!
My prompt is #79:You are the attendant to one of the Zodiacs. When your Zodiac is mysteriously killed, you are the first one everyone suspects. Forced on the run, avoiding the Zodiacs prove difficult. But when you find evidence another Zodiac killed yours, will everyone believe you, or will they kill you?
This year, I'm definitely doing something a little different. Namely, I'm using my prompt to attempt to write a xianxia novella. Heavy on the attempt. Or at least one in that general style.
What is xianxia you might ask (unless you already know). Well, it's a Chinese style of story that is like wuxia (ie a martial arts/martial heroes story like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Who Rules the World) but with more supernatural stuff like gods, demons, ghosts etcetera etcetera. Some of my favorite examples include Heaven Official's Blessing, Ashes of Love and The Untamed if you'd like to get to know the genre better. All three can be found on Netflix, with Heaven Official's Blessing and The Untamed (also known as The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) available in novel and/or manhua formats.
So, not necessarily too far out of my wheelhouse what with demons and martial arts and badass characters.
That being said, the disclaimer here is that I'm not Chinese, I simply have a love for this style of storytelling. So, if you are Chinese or someone with knowledge of Chinese tradition and culture, please don't hesitate to point out anything I get wrong or mistakenly misrepresent. I just ask for your patience and understanding if something's not right. I'm writing this because I love the style and culture, and wanted to challenge myself with it, but I also know research can only get me so far.
Thanks so much for stopping by and please let me know what you think!
YOU ARE READING
Dark Star: The Lowly Guardian |ONC 2023|
FantasyBorn the son of a lowly hunter and abandoned as a child, Zhenxing never expected to be brought to Heaven and become the most treasured attendant of the mighty Tiger Immortal, one of the twelve Zodiac Guardians appointed by the Jade Emperor. But the...
