Category: Novella Starters

November Novella: Lambs

This month’s Patreon novella is Lambs. The whole thing is available on my Patreon, along with- at this point- a whole 8 others! For five dollars a month, you can also vote for the novellas I do in the future, and have a chance at a free 10,000 word commission. Starting for February, the choices are

Damage Control: Action, Buddy Cop/Special Ops. The Esoteric Forces of the United States is in charge of keeping things under wraps. Preventing anyone from learning the truth, a truth that would shatter the assumptions the world is built on. Sometimes, things get too big to keep under wraps. The only thing that they can do is try to roll with it. In the aftermath of the events of Skin Hunger, Sergeant Fetu Miller must undertake four missions to stabilize the situation. And worse, he must undertake them with an unexpected trainee.

Still Life: Horror, Post-Apocalypse, Romance. A young man wakes up to find the world suddenly emptied. Wandering the streets, he finds that the only other things are what he terms the Mannequins, plastic dolls that only move while he isn’t watching them. While slow and not particularly strong, he nonetheless finds himself being stalked by them, staying constantly ahead of their approaches. Then, he hears a radio signal being broadcast from nearby- By another human. Specifically, a young woman.

A Big, Bright, Shining Star: Sex Comedy, Action. A mysterious figure has been scouring the San Fernando Valley’s criminal underbelly for the better part of a week, claiming to be the goddess Ishtar, threatening to punish mankind for their sins- though her method of punishment is a bit unusual. The entrenched demonic figures in San Fernando Valley don’t want an outsider horning in on their business, but if she is who she claims to be, they may not stand a chance… Not to mention that the criminals she’s punished have been unsettlingly eager to do what she wants.

Chapter 1: Resolutions in Favor of Vegetarianism

“God is dead. And should we not follow his example?”

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Border Guard

https://www.patreon.com/home Here’s this month’s Patreon novella, which is a story about what’s been happening in Zion since A Serpent in Zion, with some familiar faces from A Serpent in Zion, and A Stranger in Paradise. Drama, slice of life, and some romance. Enjoy this first free chapter out of four!

Chapter 1: Dog Days

Threes.

Every good story uses threes. The reasons for this are complicated, but mostly come down to what humans call prime numbers. Numbers that cannot be easily separated. Amounts which are difficult to split. From such unity comes strength, but also, great pride and a tendency towards self-reinforcing behavior. Three, Five, Seven, Eleven; Thirteen.

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‘That’ Thing

Here is the first of a four-part novella, about a young man who goes to the Antarctic. If you’re interested in seeing the whole thing, it’s on my patreon. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5359808

Horror and Romance; mostly Romance.

Chapter 1: At the Mountains

The world is full of extreme environments. Places where human life is impossible. Places where no sane people go.

Mount Everest. Highest peak in the world. How many people have died climbing it?

Death Valley. Hottest place on earth. It hardly needs to be pointed out how it got its name.

The Mariana Trench. So deep that water is actually notably compressed by the pressure.

And Lake Vostok. Beneath a four kilometer-deep glacier on the surface of Antarctica. The land above Lake Vostok is dark continuously from late April till late August. During the polar winter, the temperature averages -70 degrees celsius, and has been recorded as low as close to -90. The coldest wind chill measured down to -130 degrees Celsius. That is closer to the boiling point of nitrogen than the freezing point of water.  It is nearly two miles above sea level, with the altitude sickness to prove it. And the wind never, ever stops.

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Earning Your Keep

If you’re interested in reading the full story, and others, my Patreon is available here. Just a dollar a month for access to the archives and the new stories!

Chapter 1: Isabelle

I took a deep breath, and it didn’t seem to fill my lungs. I tried again, and found a great weight on my chest. There was a gray mist all around, and a strange plant. The world was gray. I was among the asphodel-

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Letting Go

This month’s Patreon story is Letting Go. 20,000 words, 4 chapters, this story is focused on Randall- Specifically, his past, and how Horace came to be living with him. Set in 1997, in the aftermath of the death of Horace’s mother, it shows us a bit more about Randall, and why exactly Horace is the way he is. This is a bit of horror/kung fu stuff, with some psychological interludes; Maybe even what you could call a character study? But with a lot more fisticuffs.

If you’re interested, this- and all other Novellas, as well as PDF/.docx downloadable versions of A Serpent and Zion and Catfished- are available on my Patreon for anyone who pays 1 or more dollars a month! If you pay 5 or more dollars a month, you also get in on the voting for new novellas; Currently, there are three being voted on for July; There’s still two weeks or so to get in on that! ‘That’ Thing is in the lead with 2 votes, but Paradise by the Dashboard Light is close behind it. And as a last incentive: I’m only about 4 dollars a month away from unlocking the stretch goal, which is a free 10,000 word Hell’s Kitchen Sink story for one random person who is backing me at 5 or more dollars a month, every month! This one will actually be public.

Paradise by the Dashboard Light: Slice of Life, Comedy. Atina-focused. Atina finds herself being hired by a Fairy Noble of Spring, whose teenage son- a changeling- has begun making far too many unwise promises, not least his promise to love his girlfriend forever, while dealing with Roy’s occasional jealousy at said fairy teenager’s skill with words.

Border Guard: Slice of Life, Drama. Dio and Doctor Smith-focused. In the wake of the destruction of Zion’s keystone, Diomedes and the other inhabitants of the town find themselves at a crossroads. While monsters and heroes are awakening all across the world, Zion remains a particular nexus for things to cross over, and it’s in their best interest to keep things calm- But a figure from Megan’s path is there to court her, and where Mister Mica walks, trouble follows.

‘That’ Thing: Romantic Comedy, Cosmic Horror. There are many dangers to Antarctica, especially in the winter. The cold. The storms. The eternal darkness. But people always tell stories about things there. Creatures. Bullshit, of course, one would assume. But sometimes, you catch a flash of eyes in the darkness. But the cold and the dark and the night make companionship a rare thing. And so when a young man finds a huddling girl with transparent skin and black eyes, he’s willing to be understanding.

 

Chapter 1: Denial

1997

When I was 24, four very important things happened to me. First and foremost, I bought my first car. A second generation Ford Thunderbird, it was my first truly selfish purchase. It represented the freedom I had been searching for since I was a child, growing up in the booming industrial heart of upstate New York. Second, I passed the Bar Exam, and proved that I was worthy of being a lawyer, possessing the intelligence and recall to defend the liberty of others. Third, I stabbed a man who I probably shouldn’t have, because it was the only right thing to do under the circumstances. And fourth, I was recruited into a secret society. The Order of Set. I had written the name Randall Creed in the secret history of the world, in blood and splintered bone. I had been the greatest fighter the Order had trained in living memory.

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Black and White

This month’s Patreon story is Black and White. A 20,000 word, 4 chapter Novella, this story focuses primarily on Alfred, sword-wielding Iron Knight of Binghamton, his background, and his nature. Set in the aftermath of Amok, and the return of Li Fang Fen to Binghamton, he finds himself charged with tracking down and stopping Jack Black by his mother. Major characters are Alfred, Jenny Nishi, and Jack Black. This one is a bit of an adventure story, diving into other worlds and so forth. If you’re interested in the whole thing after I hook you with this first chapter, you can sign up for my Patreon; Just $1 dollar a month gets you all the stories I’ll put up on there! Later this month, the first poll will be taken of said Patreon-members, to see what stories people are interested in. I’ve already decided on the stories for April, May, and June, but you’ll be in a position to vote on what July’s story will be, and vote going forward. I hope you enjoy!
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5359808

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