Go Teen Writers: 100 for 100 challenge

by: Bethany

    Since August 23, I have been participating in the Go Teen Writers 100 for 100 challenge.

What does that mean?

For 100 days, I have been writing at least 100 words a day for my novel. It has been great for getting me into the habit of writing everyday, instead of just when I feel like it. Because writing a book that way goes very slowly for me.  :)

     My total word count for the challenge was 35,577, averaging writing about 355 words a day. I don't think that's too shabby, considering I have never done anything like this before.

    Since I am now 35,577 words farther into my novel then I was before, I thought I should post about it, giving you a sneak preview.

   The title is "Long Road From Canaan", and it is a historical novel set in Old Testament times, around the rule of King Solomon. 

Synopsis:

  Shalin son of Danel thinks he knows where life is taking him, and frankly, the direction bores him. He doesn't want to oversee his father's orchards that have been in the family for generations, marry one of the featherbrained girls in his village, and grow old, having never traveled past the next little village. 

 If that's what his father expects him to do, he has another thing coming.

   Shalin wants adventure, to see the world, and to have the chance to make his own life. So he heads to Tyre. Tyre is a great center of civilization. Merchant ships throng the harbors from as far away as Egypt and Greece. Surely here a man can make his fortune…but what if he looses it instead?

   When Shalin returns home and finds that he has lost much more then his money, his travels take him south to Israel. 

   There he meets Raisa, a poor girl whose family struggles to make do with the little they have, yet still joyfully trusts in this God of theirs.  Shalin's experience with the gods of his land have made him bitter and doubtful that anything good can come of such devotion. 

  But this God is much more then an idol in a gilded temple, and Shalin begins to learn that not only does God care for him, He has been guiding his entire life.

City of Tyre

One of the characters

(all of these pictures I found on the internet.)

So, there you have it! I'm about 3/4 of the way through writing the first draft, and then I'll have lots of editing, but this is the closest I have ever been to writing an entire book, and it's pretty exciting!

Speaking of books…

  Becca and I have been invited to participate in a blog book tour for Aidyl at Noveltea. She has just had a book published through one of our favorite ministries, Answers in Genesis. 

   

  The tour will be stopping here on December 11th, but it starts on the 2nd. Here's the link to see the schedule. Be sure to check it out!