The Finale | A Project Update

It is over. 

Flightless is finished. Or at least, the first draft is. 

I figured I’d share a few things about this novel with you guys, and just wrap up my WIP posts for a while. Seems like that’s all I’ve been doing lately. So, here we go. May I present the last Flightless Post that you’ll see for a while at least. :D

Links to the previous posts:

Flightless | A Project Update
The World of Caldor | A Project Update
7-7-7 Tag

So, now that you’ve been refreshed with all of those, let’s look at some fun things about the story that have changed from the original plans.

Glayde became tall. Glayde was originally small. And about five years younger. Then I realised that that would have meant he had been in prison since he was about seven. And stayed there for ten years. *coughs awkwardly* So yes. That was upped a bit. *squints at my Glayde who is now a bit over six foot* 

The Etani came in a whole heap more than planned. Like, they actually have a place in the plot. *dramatic gasping* 

A plot twist happened.

Stats and Facts:

Look at how awesome those cabin stats are guys!!! I’m so proud of you! *happy claps* 

Number of cups of chai drunk: Well, We’ve gone through three over the last month, and I spent over a week consuming chai at other houses…and each packet of chai contains fifty tea bags…so, you can do the maths! (Note: There were sometimes other chai drinkers in the house. I can however confess that I was the greatest consumer.)

Most bizarre story research: Probably was my multiple hunts on how the brain is affected from years in solitary confinement and sensory deprivation. And no, you do not want to know what I’ve been doing for my characters.

Most words in a day: When I was doing a 10K day with Jane, I managed to get 10411 written. So, that was the most. 

Most listened to song (regarding writing not schooling): Well, lyrical, it would have been Who I am Hates Who I’ve Been by Relient K, and non lyrical would have been Flight by Mitch Chakour. 


Questions from a friend: (Same one who threw a shoe at me actually)


How would trio react if in this world? 

Goodness. They would freak out. A lot. Individually though, it would probably go something like this… 

Caution: Where is this place? Where are the trees? This is not on my maps. 

Glayde: *is silent* *internally* What has she done to us now?

Suitini: HUMANS. EVERYWHERE. WHERE ARE THE DRAGONS????


What does normal life look like for them? 

Ooooh, I like this one.  

Before story starts: 

Caution would be spending most of her time studying and learning more about how to act as a queen. She also does a fair bit of horse riding and often goes on walks around the courtyard with her father who she’s quite close to. 

Glayde would spend most of his time doing stable hand things. He likes horses and spends a fair chunk of the time looking after them. He feels that they are the least judgemental of his past in prison. When not doing that, he’d be practicing with his sword, vaguely hoping to get revenge against the person who threw him in prison ten years ago. 

Suitini? She would be chilling in her cave. Reading books, doing some sword drills, and raiding nearby farms for food. She also would be hunting about for money to help build up her book collection, the one good thing she can find about being a human. She also would be given lessons and dragon training things from her mistress, Harani. On the side, she often tries to work out where her dragon/human blood mix came from. 

After the story? Welllll, too many spoilers there. (Mwhahaha)


If you had to retitle it, what would it be? 

Goodness. Well, I didn’t even come up with the title of Flightless so I’m not sure…Hmm… 

*One bus trip later*

*Nervous laughter* Still no clue. 

(Yes. I literally thought about this for a whole bus trip and couldn’t come up with anything. So, obviously it isn’t meant to be retitled.) 


Theme and message?

Ooooh, good one good one.

Freedom. Freedom was definitely my main theme in this book, as you can kinda derive from the title. Everyone is flightless in some way. Caution is ignoring her captivity to her forced lifestyle, until she nearly ends up in a messed up marriage, Glayde has lost more than his
voice, and is trying to free himself through revenge, and Suitini is held captive by her own inability to help others. 

So what is my message?

Basically, that freedom is found through sacrificing yourself to help others be free. Only when you are willing to lay down all that you have and can offer is it possible for you to really be free. 

Hopefully that made some sense.


Why did you write it?


Because about a week before Camp I had no novel, so I got myself a novel. :P

But in all seriousness, I wrote it as a way to convey that message, and to look into it more myself. I find that I am often writing about freedom, and it’s making me curious as to what that may be reflecting about me. I think most Christian writers write for a few reasons.

To glorify God.
To show others of his goodness and love despite our broken world.
To entertain.
To actually get to explore these ideas ourselves and to look into some of the deepest parts of our lives that we otherwise do not touch. Things that you need to see be played out on paper in front of you. Some things just need that extra layer of discovery.

Phew. End of questions. 

Snippet?

Hahaha. I guess I can put in a little snippet. Hmm…which one… 

This is from Suitini's POV nearish the climax.

Coward. 

The word echoes dully through my skull as the wind batters against my face. 

Coward. Traitor. Deserter. 

That’s all I am—everything that a dragon is not. My heart throbs in double time to the beating of my wings as the blur of green and grey passes beneath me. Trees and grasslands mesh together in a hazy jumble of emotions, all the same and all different. Why am I running away? Why didn’t I stay and fight? We could have overpowered them, surely. Trees had tried to get free. 

Am I worse than him?

Am I more of a coward than a man who makes deals in the middle of the night to betray an innocent girl?

Did I just betray them both to the King, as well as betray the entire kingdom of Corohan—all of Caldor?

I let out a roar and some of the pain in my chest vanishes. Startled squawking of birds rises on my left and the small feathery things fly off in mass. Sticking together. I grit my teeth and
angle my head for the cliffs. I’m not like a stupid pigeon. I’m like an eagle. Eagles fly alone. Solo. They don’t need anyone else, and no one has to depend on them. 

Like me. 

I’m not a pigeon. If they mistook me for one, then that’s their own fault. Anyone can see the difference. 




What about you? Any fun facts about your WIP? Why do you write?