In 2019 I wrote and illustrated a short children’s story as an Inktober project. I followed along with the official word prompt, provided by Jake Parker and everyday I added a few sentences and illustration to a story that was unrealized and unpolished. I posted the progress to Twitter and Instagram.
There was no story planning at all. What I had were the words from the prompt, a character I designed and a title:
“The Girl and the Daunt”
Day 1:
“The last of the great bells lay in ruin. It had one ring left to grant.”
Day 2
“Sands shook and shifted. Rendered mindless, the girl wandered out while the last great toll faded and the lost appeared.”
Day 3
“In the ghostly ruins the bait was placed upon the alter and the trap set.”
Day 4
“The trap was sprung and she could only freeze as the ferocious beastie gobbled down it’s prize.”
Day 5
“She set to work and began to build. The time was almost near.”
Day 6
“Too husky to fit aboard their craft the beastie shrunk to join the girl.”
Day 7
“The moment had come and the horizon broke, enchanted with light.”
Day 8
“The sky fell and their craft, feeble and frail, buckled amongst the might of the storm.”
Day 9
“Tangled amongst the ruins, all they could do was swing.”
Day 10
“The sky sand lay at their feet. The girl searched for a pattern in the stars which would lead them onward.”
Day 11
“The sky sand molded like snow and the urge to rest their journey and play was too great to deny.”
Day 12
“Little did they know, as they traveled on, that their tracks were being stalked by a terrible dragon.”
Day 13
“The terrible dragon kicked off from the ground, spraying sand and ash behind him as he shot off towards his prey.”
Day 14
“The arrival of the terrible dragon made for an interesting day, for the dragon discovered his foe to be quite overgrown and the beastie delighted in his prospect of having a new friend.”
Day 15
“And so they gathered around the glow of a warming star and the girl told them of the legend of the Daunt.”
Day 16
“With the legend of the Daunt fresh in their minds and their hearts full of dreams they bounded off further into the wild.”
Day 17
“The ornament stars called to them, each one full of potential and wonder, each calling for a champion to bring them home.”
Day 18
“The girl plucked the misfit star and cradled it in her hands. It called to her.”
Day 19
“They nestled the stars into the sling, packing them for the journey.”
Day 20
“The path they tread led them over the starless sand. They were nearing the barren wastes, where the great bells were forged and the Daunt had last been seen.”
Day 21
“In an instant the breath of the Daunt surged over them and their treasure was gone.”
Day 22
“The ghost of the great bells sounded all around them. The toll followed them as they searched for what the Daunt had stolen.”
Day 23
“In the distant the most noble and ancient of forges glowed. Here, the mysterious bells of old had been brought to life.”
Day 24
“Here, they found their treasures strangely left alone. Fumes from a bottle made them dizzy. Something was wrong.”
Day 25
“Unable to resist the prospect of something tasty the beastie snatched up the bottle and gulped it’s contents.”
Day 26
“In an instant there was only dark. Then a breath surged around them. The Daunt had arrived.”
Day 27
“Now the Daunt could not be seen. But it’s breath was warm and oddly comforting as it circled them all, lifting the girl from beneath her coat.”
Day 28
“Onward they floated and soared and continued to ride the gentle breath that kept them safe and warm.”
Day 29
“They were returned to the girl’s home, all three happy and none of them injured.”
Day 30
“High above them the magic began and the Daunt took hold of their stars and began to forge them into great new bells. They waited below in wonder, their arms outstretched and ready to catch their precious treasures.”
Day 31
“And then at last they found rest. The Beastie showed Dragon the book he’d carried the whole journey long and the girl looked up to smile at the new bells that hung above, ripe with many new wishes to grant.”
The end.
