VNTD LYT ? Years 25

 

2009 Shawna: IDK, I  know this probably wouldn't happen IRL but lets do like a modern day cult. It  exists within society, it's been around for a long time, there's like money tied up and it's generational and there's like some sex stuff, blackmail and branding. A young blonde girl escapes. I know crazy:

2020: 

 

 

When I wrote United Light my only cult reference points were some MSNBC documentaries aboutu Jonestown and some research on Branch Davidians. I had a hard time imagining a cult existing in modern times and ex-members lives.  One day, not anytime soon, I'd like to sit down and re-imagine United Light, maybe even go more psychological thriller ? But I also like the post-UL women's fic stuff. 

IDK, UL really got off the rails...speaking of serials going off the rails:

Years 24

Most of what is fueling Years is that I wanted to hit some plot points in the Vice!Verse, including Charlotte and Rias' death.  I think if I wasn't trying to hit some of those points and get Nova to the age he is in in Nova, this serial would have ended at the wedding.

Recap

It's 4 months after Rias' death and Christmas 2019 doesn't go exactly as Haley plans. It ends with Luce in a mental hospital and Nova spending 30 days in juvenile detention because he attempts to apologize to his friend Brixton and ends up getting arrested on a probation violation...

Years 25

Playlist

-1- 

One Touch by Jesse Gline

CANDY by BAD CHILD 

-2-

This Will Be by Natalie Cole

Diddy Bop by Louis the Child

Falling For You by Peachy! 

Analog Frog (Years 24)

I can't believe how many of you picked up on my mention of the nail polish color Analog Frog. In chapter 23 Mavrick randomly picks it up while looking around Haley's room. It is a real polish from Smith & Cult (I forgot the company name in the comment section). There is a little story behind why it shows up:

 

There is a deleted scene in Nova where Nova explains that the chipped sparkly purple nail polish he is wearing is from when his Dad painted his (Nova's) nails the day before he died. Nova hasn't taken it off in three months and been looking for where it went off to and gets upset when Sara says she found the bottle but it's dried out and Luce gets upset with him for yelling at Sara.

I needed a name for the nail polish so I think I just went to a random "too cool for school" makeup brand website and picked a purple color. The scene got deleted because it seemed like there was too much fighting in the scene but I always kept that name in the back of my head.

What's Next ?

I've sort of avoided talking about what is next because I don't have much. And unlike last time I did an exit I'm 100% at peace with this. In the last 12 months I wrote most of Sunshine, Release, Little Miracles, Nova and all the three AUs so I think...I may have burned myself out.

I think when I finish Years I'll TDOSH the rest of The Lost Sentinel and share what I had wanted that to be.

I have plans to write an 8-10K Extended Epilogue of Years that directly ties to SWM.  And I have an idea for a quickie short story  in the Harrison High world from Nova's POV. Then I'll probably send Lucely & co into retirement.

I'm going to let the cat out the bag and say a chapter of Years is going to be told completely through non-narrative story telling devices. It will be all in texts, transcripts and documents. It's taking a lot of my "creative energy"  (blergh, that sounds pretentious) to put it together in a narrative form so I really haven't had the time to work on anything else.

Recap  

Haley's brother dies in prison and he and his sister Isla reunite in California to bury him. Nova goes back to Chicago with Isla for two weeks because of his behavior  and his parents have some fun. After an intense session at a club, Haley reconnects with Maverick over karaoke. But they are interrupted by Nova having anxiety nightmares. 

Almost exactly a year later Charlotte and Rias are in a  fatal plane accident.

This chapter is going to pick up at Christmas time, about 4 months after the accident and there will be some intentional head hopping...

Years 24

Playlist Playlist (I've reached the general mood round of playlists.)

-1-  Dancing on My Own by Thomas Loof

-2- My Only Wish by Britney Spears

-3-  You Know It by Colony House

Are You Bored Yet by Wallows

 As I'll Ever Be by Chaz Cardigan