OK, Wednesday again! I chose this snippet last Wednesday while I was editing (and having a great day with it, I might add!). Seventeen lines (in WordPress, on my computer) for our first entry in the seventh month. 1+7= 17… in WIPpet math. 😉
Rowan is getting ready for a party with a whole bunch of mer-women (who are currently wearing legs, I should add), and she’s trying to enjoy herself in spite of the fact that she’s having mixed feelings about how things are going in other areas of her life. She’s lost confidence in herself, but it’s hard to be un-cheered when you’re surrounded by new friends like these. 🙂
–
The mer women were calling for me to come back and find a dress and have my hair done, and to admire the beautiful mother-of-pearl necklace that Niari wore. I’d never enjoyed dressing up and going to parties; I always felt like I had to impress someone, but no one here seemed particularly concerned about that. They were excited to have an excuse to wear beautiful clothes and to make themselves look good, but there was no sense of competition, of deciding who looked the best. It seemed impossible; in my world there was always a competition, always someone wondering who you were good enough to marry. I decided to go along with it, to try to set my sadness aside for a while and have fun with my new friends.
I joined in admiring what everyone else was wearing. When Dianna said a dress looked beautiful on me I said “thank you” instead of deflecting the compliment like I normally would. When I looked in the full-length mirror, I saw that she wasn’t wrong; the strapless dress was an incredible peacock blue color that flashed green when I moved. It ignited the normally dull red undertones in my hair, and added a blue tint to my grey eyes. The fabric wrapped tight at my waist and fell straight from my hips to the floor in folds of rich color. Even before Niari found me a pair of gold shoes that matched the stitching in my dress and swept my hair back in a sapphire and emerald comb, I felt more beautiful than I ever had before. The girl in the mirror looked like some princess I’d never met, until I smiled and recognized myself.
–
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stop and see what the other WIPpeteers are offering today at this link. Big thanks to the fantabulatastic KL Schwengel for hosting this carnival of crazies! If you’d like to join in, just post a section of a work in progress that relates in some way to the day’s date, then add your own link to the list. Don’t have a WIP? Start one!
–
Mmmkay, ROW80 update.
I got nuthin’ as far as writing goes, because I was a fool (a FOOL, I tells ya!) and picked up this book*. what was I thinking? This one kept me awake way too late two nights in a row. I guess this counts as my book for the week, so there’s one goal accomplished. On the other hand, I was so tired this morning that I forgot about the oatmeal on the stove, and this happened.
Burned oatmeal =/= one of my goals. Not for this round, anyway.
But yeah, loved the book. After I’ve finished two other first-in-trilogy books recently, I’ve said “yeah, I’ll pick up the next one some day.” With this one I’m going “WHY DON’T I HAVE IT NOW?!!” in that really whiny voice you should all be glad you can’t hear.
So that’s my update. Need to get back to writing, but big old check-mark on the book for this week. DONE.
–
*If you’re not feeling clicky, I’ll tell you that it’s Unwind by Neal Schusterman
disregard the prologue 
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:47 am
Damn, that sounds like a gorgeous dress! I’m a bit jealous of Rowan getting to wear it. 😉
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:37 am
Me, too. I need to stop writing clothes and food that make me drool.
Also, men. 😉
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:39 am
Heeeee! 😀
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:15 am
I love the sense of camaraderie conveyed in the scene. And the dress sounds absolutely gorgeous. 🙂
July 3rd, 2013 at 10:07 am
Your WIPpet totally shows how being surrounded by the right people can do so much for you.
Want to feel better about the oatmeal? I once was boiling and egg… Forgot it completely. Water boiled away. Egg burnt. Pot caught fire. Not joking. Daughter (5 at the time, 7 now) doesn’t trust me cooking after seeing that.
July 3rd, 2013 at 10:10 am
Wow. I mean, that’s scary, but also really impressive. I thought about something like that happening with the oatmeal; we were planning to go out, and I wondered if it would have caught fire if I’d forgotten about it completely. The heat was on very low, but still…
July 3rd, 2013 at 10:23 am
Love this scene. And of course the clothes!!! Beautiful colors! I also love the lack of competition.
Yeah, Neal is great, isn’t he? Glad you read that.
July 3rd, 2013 at 11:16 am
I’m so glad I picked that one up. I saw it back around Christmas and didn’t have the money, so I got it with my Mother’s day money. SO FREAKING GOOD. 🙂
July 3rd, 2013 at 11:44 am
Just beautiful – the scene and the dress. Love the way Rowan sees just how pretty she is in it and accepts a compliment.
July 3rd, 2013 at 12:08 pm
I love the gorgeous descriptions of the dress, Kate, and how Rowan is feeling about herself. I’ve been in similar situations when I’ve been all dressed up and thinking ‘actually I don’t look half bad’.
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:01 pm
Me, too, though the last time may have been at my wedding 10 years ago… 😉
July 3rd, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Lovely blog. I’m half mermaid.
~Just Jill
July 3rd, 2013 at 2:51 pm
I know how Rowan feels. I hate dressing up and had to go through the whole nine yards as matron of honor for my niece’s wedding a few weekends ago. I doubt I looked half as fabulous as Rowan, though.
July 3rd, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Good luck getting the oatmeal out of the pot… Glad you found a book you liked; sometimes that’s what you need to get yourself moving on other goals.
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:02 pm
I got it out, thanks. Soaking with baking soda and dish soap did wonders for the mess. 🙂
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Great descriptions. I wouldn’t mind a dress like that… Mermen wearing legs. That’s interesting.
July 5th, 2013 at 7:10 pm
I love how she looks so beautiful on the outside, but her internal feelings are so at odds. Funny how you can look so great when you’re not really that fussed, but if you’re trying to make an effort it rarely goes so well. Loving the sounds of those non-competitive mer-women.
July 7th, 2013 at 2:06 pm
I’m so sorry I missed this WIPpet this Wednesday. It’s sweet–so glad that Rowan is getting a chance to see how lovely she can be without feeling pressured by her insecurities and the competitive streaks of others.
Oh, burnt by a good book… Been there. It’s bittersweet, but wonderful too when it happens, Kate. Glad you got a chance to enjoy it and still save the pot. 😀