A huge thank you to MoranaInDesign for the beautiful cover and banners! I absolutely love them!
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I never thought I'd ever participate in the Open Novella Contest. Yet here I am, convinced by the good people in Astania to do exactly that.
This will likely be a challenge for me. First, I'm not used to writing creatively on a deadline, and there will be three deadlines in this contest. Second, my previous stories have been lengthy, and I need to manage to evoke the same emotions in less than 40k words that I am more comfortable with doing in five times that. Third, this is fantasy; I'm not used to that.
My primary goal is to finish this story. My secondary goal is to do so by the deadlines. My tertiary goal is to have fun while doing it. We'll see if I accomplish any of them.
UPDATE (24 FEB 2023): It looks like I managed to accomplish my three goals! Everyone, thank you so much for your overwhelming support!
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MAIN PROMPT
53. A team of scientists' unmanned submarine dives into the deepest areas of the Atlantic Ocean. The video feed cuts as they reach low depths, but not before it freezes on what is clearly a city underwater.
SECONDARY PROMPTS
42. The hero finally gets an opportunity for revenge but it comes at the cost of something meaningful to them.
43. You have waited a thousand years to find your true love, what's one more day?
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WORD COUNTS
(the following numbers are taken from Wattpad)
Chapter One: 2,299 words (2k milestone) (Prompt 53)
Chapter Two: 2,810 words
Chapter Four*: 1,714 words
Chapter Five*: 1,584 words (8k milestone)
Chapter Six*: 2,931 words
Chapter Seven*: 2,993 words
Chapter Eight*: 3,055 words
Chapter Nine*: 2,401 words
Chapter Ten*: 1,793 words (20k milestone)
Chapter Eleven*: 3,494 words (Prompt 42)
Chapter Twelve*: 1,255 words
Chapter Thirteen*: 1,373 words
Chapter Fourteen*: 1,221 words
Chapter Fifteen*: 762 words
Chapter Sixteen*: 1,588 words (Prompt 43)
Total: 31,180 words
*Note: Chapter numbers have been changed from initial time of entry.
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Good luck to everyone!
- Lauren