#gbas admin

Hey folks! I'm proud to announce that I am putting Grey Blinds and Sunflowers out for its third round of beta reading!

Basics

Word count: 85k (estimated) | WIP Introduction | Playlist | Genre(s): crime fic, dystopian, new adult, sci fi, fantasy

Trigger warnings: homophobia/transphobia, minor ableism hints, systemic violence/injustice/antagonism to one group of people, unjust imprisonment, violence (guns, fist fights, bomb mentions, knives), brainwashing/hypnotism, depiction of sensory overload, slightly creepy Eldritch entities, terrorism mentions, scarring, mild excess of alcohol mention, mild sexual themes (all consensual), references to death, funerals and grief (none explicitly depicted)

Expectations

The document will go out on the 7th of August. The deadline for reading would be the 31st of October.

If you have the spoons to comment as you read, I'd love that so much! But there will be a feedback form afterwards

I need to know if this is good enough to send to query. I'm hoping that the last two rounds caught my major structural issues, but the number of sideplots may still be a problem. I'm looking for people willing to pick me up on grammar, sentence structure, and the nitty gritty of how I'm writing, as well as people to check over the overall plot!

If you feel like volunteering and want something to read over the latter part of summer, apply here!

Applications open until the 20th of August

Taglist: @thelaughingstag, @naps-tries-writing​

Even if you can’t read, PLEASE boost !!!!

But Low, I don't want to click on the WIP intro! Gimme a summary here! (Of course, check below the cut)

Grey Blinds and Sunflowers: Beta Reading Call

I am officially putting out a call for beta-readers for my recently finished novel, Grey Blinds and Sunflowers! This is a project I worked on for NaNoWriMo 2020. It went through a first round of beta-reading over summer 2021, and I am now putting out for a second round for the second draft, recently finished!

Basic Stats

Word Count: 75k | WIP Introduction | Playlist | Genre: crime fic, new adult, sci fi, fantasy, dystopian

Trigger Warnings: homophobia/transphobia, very, very minor racism/ableism, very mild implied suicide reference, unjust imprisonment, capitalist control, mild violence (guns, fist fights, bomb mentions, knives, brief combat involving fire), brainwashing/hypnotism in a very Winter Soldier manner, depiction of sensory overload, slightly creepy eldritch entities (but they’re actually nice), mental ill health references, terrorism mentions, scarring, mild excess of alcohol mention, mild sexual themes (all consensual), depiction of sensory overload, parental death references

So what is it even about?

I’m glad you asked! Grey Blinds and Sunflowers is about a group of detectives, initially set on a missing persons case, who gradually begin to uncover deeper and deeper corruption within the society they live in. They all have different reactions to this, according to their own life experiences. 

One of their biggest aims is to keep the team together, but this is hard when: Liesl is a Dustie (someone who can see colour without having to look at a screen), and can’t tell Darren because he hates all Dusties; Faith wants to go and be the team’s person on the inside, while Liesl is desperate to protect her sister; Darren might be applying to join the very group they’re fighting against; and Jacob is going a little Feral. Throw in a Brainwashed Buddy, a creature that seems to be able to turn people into Dusties, and a bounty on their heads, and tensions quickly begin to rise!

In the end, the question is this: Will they, and will you, choose to see the beauty in the sunflowers? Or will they keep looking at the world through the grey blinds?

Sounds interesting? Apply to read it Here

Doc will go out on the 15th of February, but there will still be applications open until the 20th! Get those forms in!!

Deadline for finishing reading would be April 30th

[Image Description: two images edited together with text over the top. On the left are bright yellow sunflower petals, laid over the top of each other in a line. On the right is a semicircle of skyscrapers extending up to the sky, seen from the ground and tinted grey. In the centre, a patch of darker yellow blends the two pictures. In the top left corner is the words “GREY BLINDS” in grey writing, and in the bottom right is the words “AND SUNFLOWERS” in a yellowish brown, both written in hard block capitals. In the centre, in curly black calligraphy, is the words “A Novel By Low’s Lore”]

Title: Grey Blinds and Sunflowers

Current Word Count: 59k     Intended Word Count: 75k

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adult (Contemporary vibes I think), New Adult, Dystopian, Crime Fiction

Status: Editing to create draft 2

Tropes: Found Family, romance/relationships, capitalist villains, tough guy expectation subversion, reluctant heroes, Object Of Power (but it’s a creature?? Of some sort?? Very eldritch and mysterious), Orphans, redemption arcs, convoluted plans, fake capture, stake outs, prophetic dreams, ordinary lives made extraordinary, detectives/spies,

Synopsis: In a world in which most people only see in grey (except when staring at a screen), Liesl stands out. She’s a Dustie (or, to some, a Blindie), someone who can see in multiple colours, and this could put her in danger - Blindies are labelled with inherent criminality at best, and Liesl feels she has to hide it. She tries her best not to stand out in any way. But when developments occur in her Missing Persons case which might reveal the reason Dusties exist, Liesl can’t help but continue to pursue it - even as, gradually, her normal life is taken away from her; her home, her family, and maybe her freedom. With the help of her team, Liesl must find out what is really happening behind the society she lives in, while trying to keep everyone together - even when one person is determined that only they can be the team’s person on the inside, despite the danger, and there’s one person on the team who doesn’t know she’s a Dustie because he hates them.

Playlist

[image id in alt text]

Name: Faith Simmons

Pronouns: she/her (transgender) | Sexuality: Lesbian | Age: 19

Occupation: Scientist at the Sneak Peek (forensics department)

Cinnamon Roll Alignment: Looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll, but has the knowledge to kill you

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Appearance: Long, extremely curly red hair, usually wacky make up, alternative sense of fashion, green eyes, freckles, interesting shaped sunglasses (she doesn’t wear glasses anymore so those picrews are slightly outdated, but meh)

Strengths: amazing memory, commitment to Doing The Right Thing, Truly Galaxy Brained

Weaknesses: temptation to study stuff she probably shouldn’t, can be impulsive, tends not to recognise the full consequences of stuff

Relationships:

Liesl Simmons (Sister): Liesl can be intensely overprotective of Faith, but Faith adores her sister and appreciates her support. She just wishes Liesl would give her a little more space and freedom.

Jacob Simmons (Brother-In-Law): Faith was initially resistant to Jacob’s addition to the family, fearing being pushed out; but she came around to him quickly, and while he isn’t as involved in her life as Liesl is, his support and care is invaluable to Faith.

She wouldn’t necessarily consider herself friends with Darren and Joe, but they would consider her a friend.

Facts:

Faith is autistic! She’s very much a cooler version of me and very much based as well on one of my irl friends whom I adore. She also cannot see in colour!

She’s the real hero of the story tbh. She figures everything out and gives them the last pieces of the puzzle to put in place. Truly the MVP and the Only Galaxy Brained Person in the world.

She’s my favourite character can you tell

She loves the colour pink!

Aesthetics: fishnets, Paloma Faith, black coffee, infodumps, test tubes, tie dye, lab coats, miniskirts, sleeping at the lab, Elle Woods, motivational quotes, girlbossing but in its actually valid format, stars, frantic scribbled notes, sleep deprived because “I’M SO CLOSE I CAN’T SLEEP”, being yourself in the face of everything.

GBaS Taglist (ask to be added or removed): @thelaughingstag​, @naps-tries-writing​

[Image ID in Alt. Text]

Name: Liesl Simmons Pronouns: she/her (cisgender) | Sexuality: Biromantic asexual | Age: 25 Occupation: Detective at the Sneak Peek: Field Work Department Cinnamon Roll Alignment: Looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you Alignment: Lawful neutral Appearance: Short blonde bob, glasses, freckles, bangs, blue eyes, light skin

Strengths: analytical, strong fighter, sneaky sneak extraordinaire, family loyalty

Weaknesses: overly protective/control freak, overly emotional, refuses to stand up for her beliefs

Relationships:

Jacob Simmons (Husband): Liesl and Jacob have an incredibly soft and communicative relationship. Liesl does get a little annoyed that Jacob refuses to let any negative emotions out, but they are absolutely in love.

Faith Simmons (Sister): Liesl can be incredibly overprotective over Faith, but she wants what is best for her sister, and has done her best to look after and support her throughout her life.

Joe Smith (Friend): Liesl and Joe have been friends for a long time, and he was also friends with Lana. The three of them bonded strongly in secondary school, and Joe and Liesl remain close today.

Lana O’Connor [Deceased?] (Friend): The Giver’s daughter, Lana was close friends with Liesl and Joe, until she was supposedly killed while attempting to carry out a terrorist attack.

Darren Raymond (Boss/Friend?): Darren and Liesl have a contentious relationship, but a lot of mutual respect for each other.

Facts:

Liesl is a Dustie - someone who can see colour in the world around her. She chooses to hide this and doesn’t want to draw attention to herself for fear of unveiling this.

For those sections in which TWITRD becomes more of a 3rd omniscient narrative voice, Liesl is generally our POV and Main character.

She has been solving cases from when she was very young, from the first eraser that went missing to the One She Couldn’t Solve near the end of Secondary School: the mysterious disappearance and rumoured death of her friend.

Aesthetics: A single spot of yellow amidst a grey world, an unassuming head ducking as it passes a skyscraper, a flame which is quickly dampened but keeps on glowing, the person whose face you can never properly picture, practiced blandness, hiding in plain sight, passing unnoticed

GBaS Taglist (ask to be added or removed): @thelaughingstag​, @naps-tries-writing​

[Image ID in Alt. Text]

Name: Jacob Simmons [aka the Token Cishet]

Pronouns: he/him (cisgender) | Sexuality: Heterosexual | Age: 23

Occupation: Criminal Psychologist at the Sneak Peek

Cinnamon Roll Alignment: Looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll

Alignment: Neutral good

Appearance: Dark curly hair, dark eyes (ignore those eyes in the top left), freckles, light skin, always to be found in a thick jumper

Strengths: passionate, communicative, caring, community driven

Weaknesses: feels guilt about showing negative emotion, abandonment issues, has to be useful

Relationships:

Liesl Simmons (Wife): Liesl and Jacob have an incredibly soft and communicative relationship. Jacob wants to support his wife as best he can and is Very In Love.

Faith Simmons (Sister-in-law): Jacob and Faith bounce off each other well. Jacob generally leaves her care to Liesl for fear of treading on her toes, but the two are close and enjoy joking together.

Joe Smith (Friend and colleague): Jacob and Joe enjoy bouncing their theories off each other, and their minds work together well.

Facts:

Jacob is soft and gentle, but has an inner feral side which he hides and represses, mostly to his detriment. He refuses to express or present what he perceives as negative emotions for fear of burdening others or affecting their own psychological issues.

He is very supportive and communicative. He is not a Dustie, but knows that Liesl is, and fully supports and even admires that in her.

He doesn’t like his job; his passion resides in community psychology and Arts Therapy of a variety of forms, but unfortunately funding for that is not exactly abounding in current society.

Aesthetics: A cat curled up in the sun, a stack of warm jumpers, a hot drink held in two hands as they gaze out of the window, a ready smile, knowing everyone by name and knowing about their lives, cottagecore, when birds do that thing and make love hearts with their necks

GBaS Taglist (ask to be added or removed): @thelaughingstag​, @naps-tries-writing​

The second draft of Grey Blinds and Sunflowers is finished!!

Clocking in at 75988 words, this is my biggest project yet! (I'm a severe underwriter) I'm super proud of myself!