Drafting & Outlining
To start this Calling Evil Forth update, let me say one thing. Oof, this book. Normally, I’m a sit-down and write kind of person. The thoughts just come out, and I put them down on the page, building from one to the next.
But this damn book.
Calling Evil Forth is book three in the Newborn City series and follows Rayne and Lucas. Lucas is a detective who we meet in book one and is in a chunk of book two, and Rayne is who Lucas is actually looking for when he thinks he’s hunting down Red (in book two).
For this book, I’ve had to create an outline of events so that I know what I’m aiming for, particularly since I have no idea what the middle of this novel is going to be. I had the beginning, and I had the ending, but the middle was tricky.
However…
I did it! I’ve outlined the book and have even created some chapter outlines. Chapters one and two are even written! Hooray for words on the page!
As a celebration, have an excerpt of some Rayne and Lucas goodness.
(As always, excerpts are subject to change and are not fully polished. These are the beginnings of writing, and who knows what will and will not be kept. But in the meantime, enjoy this Calling Evil Forth update and excerpt.)
Calling Evil Forth Excerpt
Rayne
The sound of Rayne’s voice echoed off the dirty back-alley shops surrounding her. It pulled those with a stain on their heart out of hiding, and none could resist it. And what do you know? Here he comes.
The staggering form of a drunk man approached her. She could feel the evil seep off of him, the stagnant stench of someone who enjoyed hurting women. Rayne eyes the streets around them. A woman in her twenties spoke on her cellular phone just up ahead. The drunkard shuffled in that direction.
Rayne channeled her gift through her voice and hummed in their direction. As soon as the tune hit his ears, the drunkard turned around and came right for Rayne. His eyes glassed over white, and within just a few moments, he was kneeling before her. The foul created stared up at her like she were a goddess, like she were the sun itself, and he was a fool hearty Icarus.
The black of the night coalesced into a thick wave of energy that wrapped around the evil man’s throat. Rayne sang louder. The song didn’t have words, just strings of notes that balanced on the air like rain just about to fall. It washed over the kneeling murderer and pulled the light from him, sucking any ounce of goodness and more from within his gnarled body.
He started sputtering, gasping for breath that wouldn’t come. The song was crashing down on him too hard now, and there was no going back. As Rayne continued to sing, stroking the side of the pathetic mortal’s face, his skin pulled back from his teeth, his nails, his eyes. Any ounce of moisture that he might have washed away under the torrent that was Rayne’s song.
As the last of the magic ran its course, Rayne turned away and left the desiccated corpse behind her. The drunk, evil man lay dried up like a prune on the cement, and it started to rain.
Lucas
It was hot, sticky, and blindingly sunny. New York City during the summer felt smaller than it did during every other season and a slushy sounded really good to Lucas.
“Okay, bud. Just hang tight for a bit. I’ll run in and get us snacks. Blue?” It was like his big sis was in his head.
“Yeah! And maybe some Skittles?” Lucas smiled his biggest grin, hoping to get his way like he always did with her.
“Dude, mom and dad are gonna kill me if I give you that much sugar.” She made a face down at him.
He increased his grin power.
“Oh, fine. You owe me, though.”
“Yay!” He did a little shimmy in celebration, “Do you want me to wait out here again? With the bikes?”
“Yeah. But if anyone weird shows up or anything, come inside. You know, the whole stranger thing, right?” She cocked a brow at him.
“Duh, just hurry up. I’m hungry.” Lucas leaned back against his bike and raised his eyebrows back at his sister.
“Alright, alright. I’m going. You’re such a butt.” Megan hiked up her purse on her shoulder, and Lucas giggled as she also fell over the curb on her way to the door.
The C-Mart was every day when they got to hang out, and Slushies definitely were too. The sucky part was getting left out front every time. Meg said it was because she didn’t want him to get lost in the store while she was paying, but he totally knew it was because she didn’t want him touching a bunch of stuff and reading all the magazines he wasn’t supposed to.
But gross, like he wanted to look at a bunch of girls. Yuck. He’d be doing the same thing he was out here, playing with his Gameboy. Sisters.
From behind him, Lucas felt a hard jab in his back and tripped forward, his game hitting the ground right in the middle of his Doctor Mario run.
“Watch it, kid!” The strange guy shouted out. He looked super messy, and Lucas was about to yell ‘hey’ back at him when the light caught something in his belt.
He had a gun.
This has been your Calling Evil Forth update. Stay tuned for more!
See where it all began in Affinity for Pain– Book One of the Newborn City Series. And check out all my works in progress here.