I have no idea how fast this thread will die considering majority of the people here are artists rather than writers, but it probably won't hurt trying!
The idea of this game are very simple: Post a line (or a few) from your writing project, whether it's a novel, short story or OC bio / background detailing!
It can be something you're really proud of or something you simply like, or just want to share with other people! Feel free to also tell others a bit about the context if you feel like it
Rules & guidelines:
Mine is nothing poetic or complicated- simply the first few lines of a one-shot featuring my OC, writen for my own amusment.
Sometimes, when you least expect it, people will come crashing into your life. Literally.
“Watch out!”
The cry came from a blur of warm colors- a brightly dressed boy with fiery red hair, still going through puberty considering the croak of his voice. Hopefully he wasn’t too heavy, because there was no way in heck Haruka could get up and doge the incoming skater in time.
There's this bit when the protagonist's sister is trying to save him from a kidnapping and I just love this exchange.
“That’s fuckin’ weird. But whatever, I’m talking to magical cat girls, so I’m either on an awesome trip or I bet on the wrong horse with this accounting degree.” Aura laughed, shrugging the insanity off. “Alright what’s the plan?” She asked the more experienced trio.
“Plan?” They all said in unison.
An audible sigh left Aura’s lips. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “None of you thought about how we’re doing this? They’re probably armed you know.”
Blakki shuddered. “Don’t remind me.”
"Being a hero isn't something you do, it's something you are."
Dude then proceeds to throw his almost powerless self into a fight to save the kids. The kids are more powerful and capable than he is at this point. Sir what are you doing.
A small excerpt from a novel I'm working on, I don't have much done though and motivation isn't always high, but it's pretty good practice and I'm particularly proud of this: (the three teens don't know what a dog is lol)
It was a tall young man, only seeming a little older than Saul’s age, but a mysterious knowledge seemed to reflect in his dark eyes. He had dark brown hair, and a clean face with sunken cheeks, and finally an elaborate white robe from his shoulders to his ankles with gray, black, and deep blue patterns sewn neatly into it, the most notable being a black crescent moon-like symbol on his chest. In one hand he held a seemingly dead and black bush, and in the other, well…
Before Saul could say anything to the stranger, a large and unfamiliar animal with golden fur like a mud-caked rock standing by the other man’s side suddenly jumped towards him, attacking at him with its powerful, clawed forelegs. He let out a startled yelp as it brought him down, the creature shoving its devilishly long snout towards his face. The whole time it was making an aggressive shouting sound that rang in his ears, revealing terrifyingly sharp teeth on both jaws as it opened its mouth towards him.
Saul thought he’d be dead at that moment for sure, but suddenly he felt Suzanne grab his shirt from behind and pull him back just in time. As he got back up, finally having time to catch his breath, he could see the whole creature now, and the sight made him gasp.
“What on earth is that?”
It looked almost like a goat, but furrier, hornless, and clearly more dangerous, and around its neck it wore a lead held onto by the man’s hand. It continued to growl at Saul at first, seemingly about to attack a second time, before the man tugged at the leash, causing it to whimper and walk back behind him. The stranger eyed the creature for a moment as it did so, showing no fear surprisingly, before narrowing his gaze towards Saul and the others, giving him a slightly bewildered look as he raised an eyebrow.
“‘What is it’?” He repeated the question, revealing an oddly accented although average-pitched voice, “It’s a dog. Have you three never seen one before?”
context: etta, the narrator, left her wife after a long argument. three days later, she decides to call her and brag about how well she's tooooootally been doing for herself
"Quit fuckin' calling me! It's 4 o'clock in the goddamn morning, what is wrong with you!" The voice on the other end of the line was slightly garbled, but her heart leapt. She’d know it anywhere. She’d know it if she was deaf. She’d know it if she was dead.
So she opened her mouth to say something heartbreaking, something truly devastating, something so horrible that Alpha would never speak to her again.
All that came out was a sob.
Here is an excerpt from the NA post-apocalyptic novel I’m working on, called The Island! It’s in the fourth draft but this chapter/bit is pretty polished. Melissa is not having a good day:
Chapter 1 - Melissa
I might not get to eat today.
Melissa shivered as the rain continued to soak her to the bone. The howling wind whipped around and plastered her short, brown hair to her face. She glanced at the clouds, but from the rumbling in the distance the downpour wouldn’t stop anytime soon. Melissa scowled as rain dripped off her nose and formed a puddle at her feet. Above her, a handful of skyscrapers rose to touch the clouds. Lightning crackled in the sky and illuminated buildings in a blue glow. Most of the massive structures had been stripped away with their iron support beams covered in plant life.
To Melissa, they looked like rotting teeth ready to bite. Whenever she stared up at the massive buildings, the collar of her shirt felt tight and she felt small. Unlike the bright, open fields she was used to, Irongate was colorless and crowded. The only patches of color remaining could be found on the faded, tattered billboards advertising the beaches and boardwalks.
Skin prickling with unease, Melissa scrambled through ditches and cracks carved into the sidewalk. I can try to make a bit of headway or find somewhere dry to wait out the storm. If it ends.
hell, might as well. i need to put my writing to good use anyway
here's a "little" excerpt from a chapter of the story i'm writing :swag:
plus all of it is from the main character's (ritz's) perspective! woo!
…oh my god. This was... one of them. One of the Generals of Chaos... and it was standing right in front of me! This wasn't a stupid lie or anything, this was REAL!
As I looked at the figure in amazement, they slowly lifted their head to the night sky. “Ah. So small, yet so chaotic,” they muttered. To my surprise, their voice was soft, wary and quiet like a hare in the dark of night. They almost sounded… feminine. She held her blade forward, pointing the tip towards the heavens.
“So limited,” the figure whispered, before looking over her shoulder. It took me a moment to see that she wasn't looking behind her at all. She was looking straight at me. “Alas... the universe thinks I haven't had enough of it. Now, it has to throw another danger in my face. I feel as if... it's taunting me.” Finally, she sighed and put a hand to her face, lowering her blade.
“Well...” I began, surprised that the voice was so soft and gentle. “I can definitely relate, but, uh... what are you here for? In the woods?”
The figure looked down at me, disgusted. I could see her eyes in the darkness, or at least, part of them. Two narrow, jet black eyes, housing two glowing pupils that were pointed at me in spite.
“Hm. And why should I have to explain myself to a simple little thing like you?” the figure spoke. Suddenly, her voice took on a more threatening tone. “What are you doing here anyway? No, better yet, how are you able to see me?”
I gulped, realizing that I had gotten myself into something a lot bigger than I thought...
“Uh... I was..."
Fuck. What was I going to say to this thing? I had never met a god before, let alone one that actually talked to me. "I was just... I saw you running into the woods, and I wanted to find out what you were doing..."
…damn it. Good enough. The General glared at me, a frown forming on her face. She seemed to consider me for a moment, before finally responding.
“How?"
"H-'how' what?" I ask.
"How are you able to see me?!" she snapped back, raising her voice slightly.
"J- Fuck, I don't know! I just--"
I put a hand to my head. This was not going the way I wanted it to. On top of that, Dri said I had to KILL these guys. Somehow. How the hell do you kill a god?
Nothing particularly fancy or anything, but I really liked how this little section of a one-shot drabble about Eli and Angelica:
"Space had always fascinated Eli.
As a child, he was awestruck by the infinite stars that formed the endless mosaic in the sky, so beautiful and so powerful beyond human comprehension. He'd look at the moon from his bedroom window, thinking about what a small speck he was - it was freeing, somehow. The majesty of the bright stars against such a clear sky was brilliant enough to stick with him forever.
He would grow and the sky would change with him - on his darkest days, bright stars looked like dying light bulbs, the magnificent moon just a giant rock full of cracks and flaws. But when he'd outgrow his teenage angst and excessive cynicism, the stars would greet him eagerly with their beautiful glow. No matter where life took him, space was a constant; the constellations always stayed the same, the backdrop always such a rich black. It was peaceful to sit and watch the stars slowly begin to unveil themselves, one by one as the sun would retire for the day. It was the closest he would ever get to being truly calm. No matter what chaos life wrought, or what daily moments of violence gouged themselves into his psyche under the sun's judgmental, scalding glare, the inky black tapestry would always envelope the world - and him - in its comforting silence, illuminated under stars that dare not judge whatever occurred under the sun's watchful stare."
I was also happy with how this part came out when I was experimenting with a darker, less grounded style within the same story:
"There was that rotten, spoiled feeling in his chest again, that dropped to his stomach and filled his mouth with the sickly sweet taste of rot. A pit opened itself in his stomach, threatening to consume everything around it, tearing open wounds and filling the air with the distinct smell of death.
His hands immediately started trembling, clammy and cold. The thick, humid air was too heavy, overwhelming and threatening to suffocate him right then and there. The scent of rot forced itself in wherever it could, robbing him of his senses and replacing everything with its grotesque odor. He couldn't feel his head on his shoulders, but the pain in his chest threatened to knock him to the ground, contracting and crushing him into dirt, stealing every molecule of his being to swap them with maggots and decay.
"Oh, fuck. Eli?" Angelica knew what was happening almost immediately - it was far from the first time she'd seen it; not just in him, but in herself. Still, the sudden onslaught was staggering. She took several breaths, trying to steady her own voice before she spoke again.
Eli was hyperventilating, his lungs threatening to burst through his ribs; the heavy air denied him any respite in his gasping breaths, beating against his chest like war drums, holding his lungs hostage under an iron grip and threatening to crush his brain until it was nothing but slime dripping from his ringing ears. The blood rushing in his ears was loud enough to dim the world around him to a dull murmur."
Another excerpt, tagged as spoiler for gore and implied suicide:
" "Eli, you're having a panic att-" He'd never been allowed to see Otto's body, but that never stopped him from picturing the possibly gruesome scene whenever he closed his eyes. "You're with me, it's o-" He heard it was a shotgun that did the job. No wonder it was closed casket. "Look at me Eli, please try and-" He hadn't at the time, but he'd seen a few heads end up at the receiving end of a shotgun's barrel since. It was never a pretty scene. "-stay with me babe, you're with-" Every time he closed his eyes, he saw a new macabre picture in his mind. Was it at least a clean shot? Or did he miss, leaving himself convulsing and helpless? "-me, honey. I'm here-" Where did he do it? Was it next to the oven where they once almost set the house on fire trying to bake bread? Were Otto's mother's checkered oven mitts decorated with the fragments of the boy who once wore them on his much too small hands? "It's okay, you're okay, it's-" Was it in the bed where they would camp under the blankets with flashlights and comic books, staying up until sunrise flipping through the bright pages? Did what was left of Otto's head paint the same pillow he slept so soundly on? "-going to be okay. Breathe with me babe, you need-" No matter where it was, he'd been there, never once imagining that the boy he loved so much would go from painting dragons and drawing their initials on the walls to decorating them with a new maroon coat. "-to breathe. It's okay." "
Overall I enjoyed messing around with my style for a little bit.
Dang. Everyone has these big excerpts and I just got this tiny line I wrote in an RP describing my character.
"Ren is like a ray of sunshine, and someone always gets burned."
That's it, it is small but I am really proud of it.
A really good line I got isn't even serious or anything. It's just:
"Take a shot every time I blush. (Don't, you'll die.)"
And some other collections of my favorite lines:
"Nobody here wants to see me like this.
I'm a monster."
"Apple stared at the opening, thinking about the past 10 minutes. (or 3 chapters, if you’re keeping track.)"
""Hey, Bits," I whispered. "Bitin."
"...What do you want?" Bitin moaned and turned over.
"You hear that?"
"....No.""
"On observing the footage, the proxy noted that the craft seemed to have the affect of a creature pursued."