#w: burning of the apiary

[lasbrumas]

WTW GHOST GALA ; days 1-8

a review of all this week's prompts!

day 1; pumpkin carving ↳ You have to kill off a character; who do you choose?

Without getting into spoilers, certain characters die within Burning of the Apiary. Seems unfair to use them to answer this prompt, and not just because they’re spoilers, but because it just feels too easy. I already accounted for the impact of their deaths in the plot so…

That being said, if I had to make another character die or swap one death out for the other, it would be Camila. Out of all the side characters, she represents life the most. She is fun-loving, and generally optimistic, which would make her death all that more bleak. That and, out of all the characters, she is least invested in the actual plot and mystery, happy enough to keep out of the whole issue. It certainly would affect Dolores a lot, since she is doing her best throughout Burning of the Apiary to keep the rest of the convent school safe from whatever is slowly poisoning their minds and relationships.

day 2; raven ↳ Create a tagline for your WIP.

Love the sinner.

I couldn’t think of a tagline at first, but then I remembered the whole Christian saying of “love the sinner, hate the sin” or whatever it is. I grew up Catholic, though this was never explicitly said; just implied. And it made me reflect on some personal things where that sort of ideology was present and the disastrous effects it had years down the line, especially when it comes to love in all forms. I thought it would be fitting for Burning of the Apiary because, ultimately, it’s about love and its destructive nature when tied to ideologies like that. In world, the religion might not be Catholicism, but it’s still highly dogmatic and devotion based.

day 3; crystal ball ↳ Outline a scene, act, or your entire WIP.

Set up my new outline document and started filling it in. Enjoy this preview of what I’m calling the sections so I know what goes where. Will I actually have a 5-act structure? Probably not. But it helps get my thoughts in order before I fix it up.

Act 1: The Arrival Act 2: The Meeting Act 3: The Initiation Act 4: The Kiss Act 5: The Sacrifice

day 4; fallen leaves ↳ Create a playlist for your WIP.

A few select songs from the Burning of the Apiary playlist:

in the beginning, fahrenhaidt & alice merton ; bee dance, agnes obel ; the disappearance of the girl, phildel ; if the world falls to pieces, young summer ; destroyer, of monsters and men

day 5; jack o' lantern ↳ Share an interesting fact you found while doing research for your WIP.

While researching bees, I found out that there is a type of moth that acts as a predator/invasive species to bees. The wax moth, both lesser and greater, eats beeswax, pollen, remains of larval bees, and more. However, the most interesting fact is that they often only target hives that are already diseased or declining. They’re a great indicator of underlying problems in a bee colony.

I thought this was cool and they may or may not make an appearance in Burning of the Apiary.

day 6; vampire ↳ Tell us where you find your motivation and inspiration.

I find most of my inspiration from other types of media I consume, including movies, tv shows, and, of course, books. Even photos and the rare hike I take give me inspiration. I think part of being a creative person is finding inspiration anywhere and everywhere, and that’s very true with me.

Burning of the Apiary is one of those WIPs I’ve had on the backburner for a while, and I’ve tried writing it several times. The original inspiration was a mix of a few dreams I had written down and Coraline. Since then, it’s evolved to pull more inspiration from the classic gothic novels I read (and loved) in high school college, most notably Villette and Jane Eyre, along with Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak, mixed with whatever I find cool and want to throw in there.

day 7; skeleton ↳ Have a favorite plot structure? If not, share how you plot!

My way of plotting is sort of throwing things and seeing what sticks. I tend to get ideas very piecemeal and random –– a scene or piece of dialogue or character. This can make it difficult to plot sometimes, which is why my outlines tend to be written, rewritten, and then usually tweaked even during the writing process.

I’ve tried several plot structures, like the 3-Act, 7-Act, and Save the Cat method. None of them quite worked out for me, but I took pieces here and there to figure out a general plot, or at least plan major beats and fill in everything in between. Knowing the genre is always the most important for me, though, since certain plot points are “standard” for genres (and for good reason). Plus, the better I know the genre, the easier it is to choose what rules actually apply to my WIPs. For Burning of the Apiary, I definitely researched and read a lot of horror and mystery novels to familiarize myself with genre-plot conventions and beats (and also found some new favorites). It’s been fun and I’ll be using that to figure things out!

day 8; trick or treat ↳ Set some writing goals and milestones for your WIP.

the overall goal for Burning of the Apiary is about 80-90k, so I am trying to get at least half of that done during NaNoWriMo. we'll see.

[lasbrumas]

BURNING OF THE APIARY. a novel by @lasbrumas

or portrait of a lady on fire meets mexican gothic

genre. horror fantasy

featuring. cannibalism as love metaphors, sapphic romance, nature as horror, religious settings, fantasy!Catholicism, critiques of the Catholic Church

warnings. religious trauma, cannibalism, drug use, gore and blood

On the same day that the Valley’s eligible debutantes arrive for their first term at convent school, a young woman arrives begging to be taken as a novitiate prospect. Isolated and far from home, the young woman has no choice but to befriend the seemingly vapid group. But as she develops feelings for the top debutante, something dark lurks in the corners of the abbey. The Valley’s daughters have brought their world of secret societies with them, and soon, the novitiate may be forced to choose between destroying them or succumbing to the terrifying, yet seductive, realm of the elite.

taglist under the cut:

@seasteading @atelierwriting @sourrcandy @helioselene @serpentarii

@innocentlymacabre @eqqautor

[lasbrumas]

WTW PLANET PROMPTS – VENUS: POLITICS

theocracy ; 1. a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God's or deity's laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities 2. a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission 3. a commonwealth or state under such a form or system of government

Throughout the Age of Water, a theocracy rules over most of the Ibra river valley and the surrounding area. Despite it being an Age of Water, with the Mother in exaltation, male clergy still lead the Church. A council of 15 elder clergy members, normally one or two from surrounding regions, interpret divine messages spoken through the Vessel. This is normally a man, woman, or child who serves as a physical manifestation of the Age. During Burning of the Apiary, a Woman of the Faith currently acts as the Vessel.

These head clergy members take the Mother's messages (spoken through the Vessel) and use them to create the Doctrine, which dictates everything from marriage and modesty codes. Decrees are often sent out within a day of receiving a message, and all municipalities must comply as soon as possible.

[lasbrumas]

WTW PLANET PROMPTS – MERCURY: LOCATION

valle de soledad ; a narrow valley hemmed in on all sides by tall, craggy mountains, composed mostly of shale. the valley is also split by a river that disappears into the mountains to the south. there are a few isolated farming villages, but the dangerous terrain leading into the valley deters most visitors. heavy rains can also lead to severe flooding and the valley has seen several towns come and go over the years due to flash floods.

[lasbrumas]

W T W V A L E N T I N E S W E E K ; day three - eros ↳ dolores & cecilia

dolores did not intend to fall in love with anyone, especially at an abbey of all places. but alluring, mysterious cecilia is more than just anyone. the heiress to a wealthy fortune and a so-called prophet, she draws everyone in with her magnetism and grace. and when her attention lands on dolores, there is no escaping her love.

psd: @/notoriousaesthetics

[lasbrumas]

WRITEBLRGARDEN'S PUMPKIN PITCH ; burning of the apiary

❝ to love is to eat your lover whole ❞

comps ; portrait of a lady on fire meets mexican gothic

tropes ; cannibalism as love, secret societies, beauty is evil

On the same day that the Valley's eligible debutantes arrive for their first term at convent school, a young woman arrives begging to be taken as a novitiate prospect. Isolated and far from home, the young woman has no choice but to befriend the seemingly vapid group. But as she develops feelings for the top debutante, something dark lurks in the corners of the abbey. The Valley's daughters have brought their world of secret societies with them, and soon, the novitiate may be forced to choose between destroying them or succumbing to the terrifying, yet seductive, realm of the elite.

{ psd credit: cavalierfou }

[lasbrumas]

WTW’S PROMPT WEEK ; day three: foils ↳ ixora

Ixora is the shadow to Cecilia's light. Once the Prophet and Chosen One of the cult, she was cast aside after failing to live up to expectations. Now, she mostly remains behind the scenes, out of sight and out of mind, but always near. Unknown to everyone, she failed on purpose. Once she knew what would happen, she refused to be a puppet. It was her first, and only, act of rebellion.

[lasbrumas]

W T W V A L E N T I N E S W E E K ; day five - agape ↳ the mother

the mother is the supreme force of love and goodness in the world. she represents selfless love above all, giving so much of herself to keep her children safe and happy. at least that's what the books all say...

psd: @/notoriousaesthetics

[lasbrumas]

W T W V A L E N T I N E S W E E K ; day four - philautia ↳ camila

camila is the best example of having self-esteem without letting it get to her head. at least, mostly. it certainly has been more of a help than a hindrance. she makes friends easily wherever she goes and isn't afraid to keep her thoughts to herself.

psd: @/notoriousaesthetics

[lasbrumas]

W T W V A L E N T I N E S W E E K ; day two - storge ↳ abbess adriana and sor ana isabel

for ana isabel, adriana holds a special place in her heart as her mother. as a young girl, the abbess adopted her and trained her in the ways of the Mother until she was ready to pass on the torch and let ana isabel take over the abbey. like many mother-daughter relationships, however, the two women began to clash once ana isabel had grown up. this caused a rift between them that ultimately resulted in the abbess retreating into herself and allowing ana isabel to run the abbey as she saw fit.

psd: @/notoriousaesthetics

[lasbrumas]

FIRST BLOOM.

First Bloom, or the Day of First Bloom, marks the official start of the world's growing season. It is also celebrated as the day humans were first created by the Son. Every community has its own version, though they all share the veneration of the Son on this day through food and other earthly pleasures.

psd: @/traumaprimadonna

[lasbrumas]

W T W V A L E N T I N E S W E E K ; day one - philia ↳ ixora & camila, burning of the apiary

despite seemingly being the opposite of each other, ixora and camila are good friends. after ixora purposely failed her tests as the chosen one, she was shunned by almost all members of the group. camila was the only exception, choosing to talk to her instead and becoming a confidant to the former prophet.

psd: @notoriousaesthetics

[lasbrumas]

WTW’S PROMPT WEEK ; day one: protagonist & antagonist ↳ dolores & sor adriana

Dolores is passionate about her freedom. Sor Adriana is passionate about her religion and its doctrine. Naturally, the two do not get along whatsoever. More than that, Dolores sees Sor Adriana as the bitter, unmarried aunt character who tries living vicariously through young women such as the debutantes. Her devotion to the Faith is just a cudgel she wields so she can feel holier than everyone else and flaunt her piousness. Meanwhile, Sor Adriana views Dolores as a flaw in a plan she has worked so long to perfect. Admittedly, she sees some of herself in Dolores, but overall the young woman is nothing more than a problem to be ironed out before the end of the growing season. Adriana's only hope is that Dolores keeps to herself and out of the way.

[lasbrumas]

BURNING OF THE APIARY ; an introductory presentation

a pre-nanowrimo introduction to this wip! i'll be doing a more 'formal' introduction later this month, so keep an eye out! for now, consider this a quick overview! i'm also playing with the idea of revamping my taglist, so let me know if that's something y'all might want.

shout out to @serpentarii for the idea to use canva powerpoint templates for this!

[lasbrumas]

WINTER IN BURNING OF THE APIARY. ↳ TWG advent calendar day 13: winter moodboard

burning of the apiary takes place in spring, but if it did take place in winter, it would feature a lot more candles, more long walks in montane forests, and weird winter creatures.

[lasbrumas]

WTW’S PROMPT WEEK ; day two: side characters ↳ la abadesa ana isabel

If Dolores' mother and grandmother are the dead specters haunting the narrative, Abbess Ana Isabel is the living specter. She does her best to take care of the girls, but years of turmoil and trauma have caused her to retreat to her religious studies and surrender most of the abbey to Sor Adriana. Most days, she is only seen in passing glimpses in the halls and to provide cryptic advice. Hardly the helpful mother figure Dolores needs or is looking for, but the one she most definitely is drawn to.