Hi folks! If you’re new here, this is the 200 Word Novel, where I’m writing a book 200 words at a time, Monday through Friday. Each week I post the last week’s progress, raw and largely unedited, along with some reflections on the past week’s writing. If you’re here primarily to read the story, you can find the start of the novel here.
Ari’s eyes narrowed as she took a step in front of Benji. Orion, for all his performative bluster, also seemed to clock the tension in the air. “Theoretically speaking, of course,” he said.
“Sure,” Gruber replied.
Basil chimed in, breaking the awkward silence. “Our job is simple,” she said. “Keep Benji safe and alive as he traverses to Vahn. After that, the Arcanists have a safehouse where he can stay as the negotiations between their Lead and the other Prime Guilds happen.”
“Not as simple now,” Gruber said.
“Still simple,” Basil pushed back, “just… more difficult.”
“If the guilds deployed assassins to kill Arcanists en route to random places in the world, what’s to stop them from ambushing the Lead Arcanist in Everden? What’s to make the Arcanists trust the guild enough to show up for ‘negotiations’?” Gruber asked. “No longer simple.”
“We don’t know that this was a guild assassination attempt,” Basil began.
“Oh please,” Orion said, cutting her off. “No chance it wasn’t the Machinists. Once portals are in place across the world, their massive ship routes and fleets become obsolete. They have the most to lose and the deepest pockets to deploy.”
“That’s dangerous speculation and assumption, and even more dangerous as an accusation,” Ari said.
“That’s logical conclusions,” Orion retorted.
“That’s why I don’t follow Everden politics,” Gruber said.
Basil nodded, holding a hand up to cut off Orion’s protestations. “Regardless of all of that—the key thing we need to focus on now is getting to Vahn.”
“Actually, the key thing we need to focus on now is getting somewhere to repair the ship,” Ren said, walking up to the group. “Crew and I took stock. No way we make it all the way to Vahn in our current state. We have moderate to heavy damage across the vessel, and severe damage to our main mast. We’ll need a safe port for us to patch her up before the damages worsen on the seas and we sink down to join our would-be slayers beneath the briny curtain.”
“I do know of a place along the way we could take safe harbor,” Gruber said.
“Known ports are dangerous,” Ren said. “In case it is Machinists.” (”Because it’s definitely Machinists,” Orion chimed in. Everyone ignored him.) “Almost all ports between here and Vahn, and even within Vahn itself, are either run by Machinists or has guild presence.”
Gruber shook his head. “It is not a known port, and I am certain they will not follow us there.”
“Why not?” Benji asked. ”Because.” Gruber slowly licked his eye yet again. If it were anyone else, others might have assumed it it was for effect. Instead, none questioned him as he finished (though Orion did suppress a small dry heave).
“Because…?” Ari prompted.
Gruber looked up at several pairs of expectant eyes, watching him closely.
“Port’s haunted,” he said.
Chapter 2
“It’s what Scurryers do,” Bria had said just two hours ago, full of sincerity and pure intention.
But now, knee deep in snow and several miles away from the warmth of the town center hearth, she felt the slight tinges of regret for jumping so quickly to volunteer and help.
“You know, I’m not so sure this is what Scurryers do,” Tavi said, as though answering the very thought in Bria’s head. “Like, this seems absolutely above and beyond what Scurryers do.” Underneath her scarf and hood, Bria blushed, marveling at how often her mind seemed like an open book to Tavi.
“Chapter 4 of the handbook, paragraph 3: “going above and beyond is what Scurryers do,” Bria quipped back. “Ergo, we—”
“Yeesh, alright, fine,” Tavi gave a wave of her paw, whiskers quivering in the cold. “You know it’s bad when you bust out the ‘ergos’. Also, we’re journeyfolk now. No one is grading you on the handbook knowledge anymore.”
Bria blushed deeper and pulled her hood down further to squash her large ears over her face as they continued hop-tromping through the snowscape.
For a city otter and mouse, the duo had made good progress across the wilderness, their Scurryfolk training serving them well. Their efforts were made all the more impressive given the parcel sled they dragged between the two of them, with each taking turns pulling the vehicle along. The physical effort along with the well sewn grey-white Scurryfolk cloaks did plenty to keep the duo warm, even in the biting temperatures. But Bria was beginning to feel the exertion get to her, the muscles in her hind legs burning with effort as she took her turn pulling the sled.
“We’re deliverers of packages, not retrievers of lost ones*,*” Tavi complained, her shortness of breath doing little to stem her tide of words and opinions. “And couldn’t the village have spared one snow beetle to pull this thing? This would’ve been such a short ride out here, instead of this long haul out on foot.”
“You saw how small that village was,” Bria replied. “I doubt they did have more than the one. And she looked old and had that wound on her leg from when the caravan was ambushed in the first place.” Bria leaned against the sled for a moment, her breath puffing in soft clouds of vapor in the crisp air. “Also, how are we to deliver anything if we don’t also retrieve them in the first place?”
“Now you’re just being pedantic,” Tavi complained, but a crooked grin lingered on his face.
“Let’s take a break,” Bria said. “I think we both could use it.”
“I can also take my turn with pulling the sled,” Tavi said. “You’ve definitely done more than me on that front.”
🐭
If you’ve been following along in the story, you might have noticed that we jumped from chapter 3 to chapter 2, and that chapter 2 has jumped to a brand new crew of critters.
The fun thing about taking Stephen King’s “situation method” (or “pantsing” if you’re on that side of too-online-writer-discourse (or “improvising” if you know me personally)) for writing a novel 200 words is sometimes you discover an epiphany mid effort that completely changes up the structure and framing of the story.
I was driving home from a weekend road trip to Portland when the idea hit me out of nowhere for a completely different piece of the story—another character, in another part of the world, with very different tone, but finding themselves drawn into the same story and events. In the ultimate draft of the book, I imagine Bria’s story will interweave with the Gruber chapters. As such, I’m currently planning to write 3 chapters of Bria’s tale to get the two caught up, so if you were invested in our little frog guy, I’m afraid you may have a little while to wait.
A question people love to ask is “where do you get ideas?” There’s also this assumption that “creative people” get ideas more easily, or that it comes more naturally.
I usually give some answer about reading and watching lots of things, playing games, and trying to give room to daydream. But a key component of inviting ideas in… is to be a little bored. To have space to go on little walks to nowhere, not looking at your phone, and be with your thoughts for a while. Or to have a 3 hour drive where you’re half paying attention to a podcast as you stare out at the unchanging I-5 scenery.
“Please Like and Subscribe”
This week, I got my first paid subscriber to the Substack! I know it’s a bit of a meme to have your parents be the only ones to sub to your stuff—but I’m genuinely moved and touched that my partner’s mom jumped in to support the moment she heard this was a project I’m working on.
I’m generally bad at asking folks to subscribe, or asking for folks to chip in. It feels cheesy to implore folks to pay monthly just to read something I’d also happily share with them for free. But a couple folks have jumped in as new free subscribers this week as well, and I’m reminded that inviting kind people in to come along on this journey is great.
So to all of you who are opening the emails or popping by the page to check out the latest stuff… thank you. I’m genuinely getting more and more excited for this story, and am daydreaming about arriving at “The End” with all y’all. 💙