Tag Archives: work in progress

WIPpet Wednesday: Crime Scene

Hi again! It’s time again for me to stumble into the WIPpet Wednesday party and wander around greeting everyone, pretending I have some idea of what’s going on with the folks who post serial-style.

Dropping in every few weeks means missing a lot. O.o

WIPpet Wednesday is, of course, the day when the WIPpeteers post a snippet of a work-in-progress that relates in some way to the day’s date. As Sworn is still with its first readers and I probably won’t get back to it until we’re at least somewhat settled in a new home, we’re sampling from the vampires again today.

The good news is that I got beat sheets done for the whole series yesterday (though #5 still needs work), which means that I can get down to scene outlines soon if I can find time around house stuff.

The better news is that this is going to be SO MUCH FUN to write that I’m shaking a little.

You may be a writer if this makes you do a happy dance.

Today we’ll do our snippet from chapter nine of Resurrection (2+7 for the 27th). Shivva and Daniel are at a crime scene, which we’ve seen a few of on Wippet Wednesdays past. Shivva’s job is just to see what she can figure out without direction. Kind of a test, and an important one.

The kitchen is a mess, with uncapped soda bottles all over the table next to stacks of plastic cups, some of which are tipped and scattered across the floor. Bowls of chips and party mix sit on the counters, along with an array of cheap booze. The sharp stink of it would be enough to mask the scent of blood if we were limited to living senses. Not for us, though. Underneath our stylish-yet-understated clothing, Daniel and I are monsters. Even spoiled, dead blood calls to us.

I move toward the basement door without any direction from Daniel, and he follows a few steps behind. This is my show now.

Death chokes the air down here, as though its heaviness has dragged it all underground. The basement is finished and separated into a rec room and a few smaller, enclosed rooms off of it. Probably a furnace room, maybe a bathroom. The walls look solid, but the carpet is cheap. Couches upholstered in worn cloth in clashing patterns cluster around a big TV in the corner, and the tables between them are scattered with plates of half-eaten pizza. In the open space in the centre of the room lies an empty wine bottle. I pull on gloves before I pick it up, even though our investigation should be over. No point sending the human police on a snipe hunt if they do show up.

I hold it out to Daniel. “Spin the bottle?”

He shrugs. “We thought maybe. I didn’t know kids these days still did that.”

I didn’t think they did, either. “You’d think there would be an app for that.”

I’m guessing high schoolers. Old enough that someone’s parents left them home alone, and they had friends over. More than a few, judging by the number of cups scattered over the floor. Maybe college age kids acting goofy, but I’d like to think that anyone who can legally drink would have better taste than what’s indicated by the open bar upstairs.

So there we go. Yeah, cutting it off before the gore again. I don’t think anyone stumbling on my blog for the first time is going to want to see what these two are dealing with. *waves*

And I’d say that’s it for me for a while regarding WIPpet Wednesday. I’ll still be blogging, still doing the Bound A-Z series on Thursdays, but I likely won’t be posting on Wednesdays until I’m back to work and have a lot more new material to share. I’ll still pop in on other WIPpeteers’ posts when I can. If you’d like to do the same, you can find them here.

Big thanks as always to our host KL Schwengel, who just alpha read Sworn for me and is either making notes or plotting my death. I’m not scared. Nope.

*shiver*

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WIPpet Wednesday: Welcome Back, Vampires

Yep.

Sworn is off to alpha readers, which means two things.

One: I feel like puking (a lot), because sending a story out to be critiqued for the first time is terrifying. Actually, sending it out for the last time is also terrifying.

Two: Yes, I’m supposed to be focusing on getting ready to move (more on that another day), but I still need something writing-related to work on so I don’t go crazy. This means I blew the dust off of Resurrection (an urban fantasy project that some of you may remember), printed it out, and will be reading it over this week.

It got rave reviews from readers before… I just have to decide whether I’m still happy with it, and what comes next. It’s a novella. A satisfying story on its own, but definitely leading into more. I have plans for the series. I’m just not 100% sure what they are yet, whether we’re looking at a 4-5 book story arc or something more episodic like Nancy Drew Sookie Stackhouse. Either way, 5 books max.

Released at 2-3 month intervals.

YAY.

I’ve got planning to do.

Anyway, it’s officially a work in progress again, and WIPpet Wednesday is when we share a snippet from a WIP. It has to relate in some way to today’s date. I was going to give you something from chapter 13, but there is no chapter 13.

I’m not superstitious, it’s just that compact.

So let’s go with chapter 4 (1+3), 5 paragraphs for the 5th month.

Trixie, Shivva, and Daniel just came back from a tough crime scene involving slaughtered humans and rogue vampires, and Daniel’s not talking to anyone*. This snippet gives a reasonable idea of how they feel about us.

All scenes in this one are from Shivva’s POV. Weird…

“I don’t know what crawled up his ass,” Trixie says. She squeezes a lemon wedge, watching the juice roll off her fingers into her tea. “He’s not just being overprotective, either. He was fine until right before we left. Maybe he didn’t get a good feed in.”

I flop back on the bed. “Maybe he’s sick of my issues.”

“Probably. You’ve got to let it go, Shivva. We’re not human. It’s not our job to protect them.”

“But we need them.”

“We need our stock,” she clarifies, and stirs her tea with a dainty silver teaspoon. “The feeders. That’s it. Even then, one’s pretty much like any other. It’s no big loss if something happens to one of them. But keeping them safe gives them incentive to trust us and saves us trouble.”

Nice, eh?

For more WIPpet Wednesday fun, click this here link. To join in, just post on your own blog space, link back there, and stop by to comment on everyone else’s posts. Easy peasy, and a great way to meet some wonderful writer-type peoples. Big thanks to our host, KL Schwengel!

Hope you’re all having a great week!

*Daniel is Shivva and Trixie’s trainer. He’s… eh, you’ll have to read it.


WIPpet Wednesday: It’s Love… Really

Welcome to WIPpet Wednesday, when the WIPpeteers share a quick snippet for a work in progress. It may be raw, it may be first-draftish, but it’s usually entertaining.

I actually have a bit of first draft today from Sworn. Though the book is on its third draft, I’m adding a few scenes to round out subplots and character development and help make the story flow more smoothly… at least, that’s the plan.

Possible spoilers if you haven’t read Torn, but I think I’ve edited out any big bombshells.

Eight paragraphs (2+2+4 for 4/22) from Nox’s POV. She and Aren are trying to figure out a way for her to keep Sorcerers out of her thoughts even though she has no magic to protect herself with. The first attempt didn’t go so well, but they’re having some good bonding moments.

 

“You’re not going to hug me, are you?” I asked.

His hands flexed again, but stayed resting at his sides. “No. Wasn’t thinking of it. Shall we give it another try?”

“Give me a minute.” I imagined a heavy stone wall in my mind, blocking my thoughts and emotions in, presenting a nearly blank facade to Aren. “Go.”

My wall shattered.

“Gods damn it, Aren, go easy.”

“No one else is going to hold back if they attack you. If you’re going to learn this, you’re going to do it properly. There was some resistance there, though. It was a good effort.”

I glared at him, though without real ill-will. “Don’t patronize me, you condescending ass.”

He grinned wider than I’d seen in far too long. “Then don’t complain when I treat you as an equal, you vile, heartless harpy.”

 

I do love good-natured insult wars. Actually, friendly banter is one of my favourite things to write. Sometimes insults give more insight into a relationships than outright declarations of love.

And that’s my deep thought for the day.

For more WIPpet madness, click here! Big thanks to our host KL Schwengel for wrangling all of us every week. If you’d like to join in on your own blog and link back, feel free! Visit the others, say hello, and they’ll try to do the same for you. They’re a good bunch. Really. Just make sure your work in progress snippet relates to today’s date, and you’re good to go.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you’re all having a fantastic week.

 


WIPpet Wednesday: Goodbye

Now it’s time to say goodbyyyye…

Yes, that’s how I’m figuring out my math this week for WIPpet Wednesday. This is the last week that Torn is officially a work in progress. Tomorrow I upload the final version to Amazon, and that’s it. And because WIPpet Wednesday demands that we match our snippet to the day’s calendar/date in some way, I’m going to give you a goodbye… well, it’s almost goodbye.

Chapter 4, Rowan’s POV.

“I’m going to miss you,” I whispered.

I kissed him hard, fiercely, trying to force every word we hadn’t spoken, every opportunity we’d been denied, and everything we’d miss after he left into a single gesture and moment.

His magic surrounded me, cold and dark, as familiar to me as my own. I always noticed it in these moments, when our bodies and hearts entwined. He said mine was like sunshine, bright and warm and filled with promise. I found his no less beautiful for its chill, and wished I could keep it with me after he left.

*sniffles*

For more WIPpet fun, click here to see what the other WIPpeteers are up to. Thanks to out heaust with the meaust, KL Schwengel for facilitating the festivities!

And with that, I leave you. It’s time to get back to work, to finish the last-minute touch-ups. I’m really enjoying this read-through. Less than two weeks until everyone else can do the same!

What are you all up to this week?

 

 


WIPpet Wednesday: How is it even Wednesday again? edition

Man, Wednesdays are getting SNEAKY. Didn’t we just have one?

*checks calendar*

Huh. Seven days ago. I need a second opinion.

Oh, well. I have good and brief writing-related things to share this today.

 

WIPpet Wednesday

Simple WIPpet math today: Two sentences for the 11th (1+1). From Torn, no context because I like to make people guess and squirm. I’m mean like that.

But at least I’m honest about it.

 

“You didn’t think about what your little adventure would do to anyone here, did you? You just met tall, dark and evil and followed him out of the country, not once considering the consequences.”

 

Ruh-roh!

To see more of what the WIPpeteers are up to (you know, that fun and fabulous group of writers sharing a quick snippet of a work in progress every Wednesday, relating it in some way to the date), visit this link. Thanks to KL Schwengel for hosting! And if you’d like to join in on your own blog, go ahead! We’ll probably be gentle with the initiation.

*evil laugh*

But seriously, there might be cookies.

ROW80

Wednesday also means an update on my goals for A Round of Words in 80 Days, which is fun (goal post here). Not much to say except…

MASSIVE EDITS/REVISIONS/REWRITES ARE DONE.

I’m in the process of going through again and trying to catch the little things I screwed up while I was fixing bigger issues. It’s gone well so far, though I’m just approaching the hard part (ie the entire second half of the book) now. So far I’ve been catching little things–sentences that could flow better, characters repeating actions, redundant explanations, but with the amount of stuff I changed in the back half, I’m a little on edge over what I’m about to find.

It's this kind of morning.

It’s this kind of morning.

Wish me luck.

That said, I’m hoping to get this thing done and out to my 2nd round beta readers on Friday evening.

Then they can tell me what I missed AGAIN. And then I fix that, then copy edits/proofing.

It’s a long process. *weeps about not rushing art, in a terribly dramatic fashion*

Oh, and for anyone who missed the post on Monday, check this out! Not a ROW80 goal, but having my book in a box set with fifteen other amazing authors… including Mercedes Lackey… well, it’s a little cool. I am somewhat excited.

Actually… I used to pass this horse farm when I drove to work, where these gorgeous horses would race through the fields, all grace and power and flowing manes.

And behind them, every time, trotted a wee donkey, head held high, doing his best to keep up.

I AM THAT DONKEY. And proud to be a part of this temporary herd. 🙂

There. Do you see how short and non-painful all of that was this week?

Be sure to stick around. Next week (on Monday, unless I forget that Monday is coming), we’re going to have a post about cover art, maybe a wee teaser of… well, you know. A cover for something. Cover reveal sign-ups, too! Please please please.

This is all getting so close.

Deep breaths, Sparkles. Deep breaths.

 


WIPpet Wednesday – Awkward Spoiler Avoidance Edition (and a lesson learned)

WIP it… (duh nuh nuh nuh)… W-WIP it real good!

Sorry, I was tired of getting Devo stuck in my head every time WIPpet Wednesday rolled around. Thought I’d try Salt n’ Peppa. You know, instead of “Push It”.

It’s not actually better. Live and learn. *sigh*

WIPpet Wednesday is the day where we post a snippet from a work in progress that relates in some way to the day’s date. I’ve been having a lot of trouble participating lately, because a) I’m busy, and I don’t post if I know I can’t get around to comment (though I sometimes miss a few who post late–sorry! I’ll try harder!), and b) I’m seriously running out of spoiler-free snippets from Torn.

Like… even saying who’s in it is a spoiler, aside from the obvious suspects.

So here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to share a big snippet, and I’m not going to say who’s in it. The POV character (herein referred to as “I”) is female and a Potioner, and that’s all I’m saying. The other party in the conversation is a dude, and… we’ll call him Y here.

Warning: If you’ve read Bound and really don’t want to know whether certain species are going to show up again, skip it. You’ll probably guess. I doubt anyone will be disappointed, but there you have it. 🙂

Okay, it’s super obvious. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

19 (short) paragraphs. WIPpet math: 1+1+8+2+0+1+5 = 18, plus one to grow on.

I’d only need one more ingredient. I brought out one of the daggers that my unfortunate soldier friend had left behind.

“Can I help?” Y’s voice drifted from the trees behind me.

“You’re getting quieter,” I observed. “I barely heard you coming.”

Y stood up straighter. “I’m working on it. I don’t think I’ll ever be as graceful on land as I am in [awkward redaction], though. What are you doing?”

“Trying to be prepared. You might not want to see this.”

The shadows covered much of his face, but I caught the concerned furrow of his brow. “Do you want me to leave? Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

The firm set of his jaw and the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t lying. I wondered what he’d seen in his life. Such a strange man. I couldn’t deny I was glad to have his assistance, and his company. Something about him calmed my mind, even as his presence tended to do the opposite to my body. I could ignore that, though.

“You can stay, if you want to,” I said. “Hold the bowl for me.”

He stepped into the clearing and cupped the bowl in his hands, holding it out from his body. “Like this?”

“Perfect.” I slipped off my cloak, then tried to roll up my sleeves. They were too tight. The whole thing would have to go. I thought about asking Y to close his eyes. We didn’t need to complicate things further.

Don’t be silly, I told myself. You’re both adults. He’s seen more, and probably prettier.

Y’s eyes widened as I unbuttoned my shirt, then swallowed hard as I slipped it off, leaving me in a thin under-shirt in the cold woods.

I waited for his gaze to return to mine. “Don’t [oh, so very redacted] go around naked most of the time?”

“Yes.”

I raised my eyebrows, and fought back a smile when his eyes wandered again.

“It’s just different with you,” he said. “It’s fine. Carry on. Please.”

I took a deep breath and traced the tip of the dagger over the skin of my arm, trying to decide on the best spot to get what I needed while doing the smallest possible amount of damage. I settled on the top of my forearm and stroked the tip of the dagger gently over my skin once, twice, three times, building my nerve.

“Use my blood, if you want,” Y said.

“No. Thank you. I’ve had worse injuries.”

“So have I.”

Well, my work here is done. Smoothly done, Sparkes. SMOOOOTHLY DONE.

O.o

For more and probably less awkward WIPpet Wednesday fun, scoot on over here to the linkie, and feel free to join in on your own blog. Thanks to KL Schwengel for hosting!

But seriously, guys, I think I’m out for a few weeks.

ROW80 Update

On the only goal that matters at the moment: Still editing. I think I have about eight chapters left to go, only two of which are full rewrites.

*cough*

Yes, it makes things harder. Yes, it’s more work than I thought I’d be doing two months shy of the projected publication date. It’s going to be worth it, though.

I’m done stressing about dates. Some people might be irritated if things are delayed by a week, but once the book’s out, no one will care. As I’ve said before, I’m not half-assing anything to meet a deadline.

My readers deserve my best. No shortcuts.

For the record, there will be no promises, speculation, or hints about the next book’s release date until after edits (professional, not self-edits). We’re looking at the same kind of space between books as we were this time, but beyond that, my lips are sealed.

Having a deadline is motivating, but it’s useless when it stresses you out too much to do anything.

Consider that a lesson learned.

ROW80 posts or to learn about the event, click here

 


WIPpet Wednesday: All Trussed Up and No Place to Go

So… yeah. This character and I are getting along famously. I don’t know whether anyone else will love her as much as I do, but things are just peachy.

I mean, the plot needs work, but the character is there.

Catalen is at a wealthy person’s house, and someone’s been getting her dressed up for a fancy dinner. Cat is a little out of her element, but she handles these things pretty well. At least, she has so far. She’s on a mission, and her self-confidence has yet to take a beating.

WIPpet math: 2 + 6 + 1 + 1=10 sentences. First draft warnings apply.

By the time Madam Hat is done with me, I’m trussed up like a hen ready for roasting. My waist looks waspish under this striped blue corset, and my tits are squished nearly up to my chin. I could eat off of them. I swear there’s room to balance a plate, maybe a cup and some cutlery.

But when I look in the mirror, I realize that I’m the one who looks like a feast. The full blue skirt puffs out so you can’t tell what’s dress and what’s me, and it’s long enough that I seem to be floating when I tiptoe across the floor. I’m all curves in this thing—not that I wasn’t damn fetching before, but now I look like the girls in movies.

Feck that. I look better than them. Definitely more fun and more capable, and less likely to blow away in a stiff breeze.

You know what they say goeth before a fall, right? We’ll just leave her to enjoy this moment for now.

For more WIPpet Wednesday fun, click here. If you want to join in, the only rule is that you post a snippet from a current work in progress that relates in some way to today’s date. And it’s not a rule, but being a good neighbour is encouraged. Get out there, read some! Comment some! We all love it, and tend to return the favour.  🙂

Many thanks as always to the Flying Monkey-Master (or is that Flying-Monkey Master?) KL Schwengel, who hosts WIPpet Wednesday every week.

ROW80 UPDATE

Okay. I’m still trying to win NaNoWriMo, because all of my friends are getting pretty dragon badges, and I WANT ONE.

It’s the little things, you know?

So here’s the plan. If I can write 5,000 words today and 5,000 tomorrow, I’ll have done it. Three separate projects this month, but 50,000 new words. I’m not going to have access to my computer(s) after tomorrow, so this is it.

Wish me luck.

Oh, and as far as goals after that go… I do have this Bound-related short story back from my editor that I’d love to share with you all before Torn comes out, but I haven’t even read over the notes/corrections yet. So I guess that’s what comes next.

Other updates:

Reading— I did some this week! I read Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking* by Malcolm Gladwell, and it was fascinating. I read that thing in less than 24 hours. These days, most books take me weeks. Interesting information, and well-written. I’ll be looking for more of his stuff.

I also finished Broken Aro (The Broken Ones Book 1)* by Jen Wylie just last night. I enjoyed this book, too, and look forward to seeing what happens as the characters’ adventures continue.

It’s never too late to join in on ROW80 if you feel the need for some creative accountability. Here’s the link.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you’re having a great Wednesday, whatever you’re up to.

*Affiliate links. These cost you nothing extra, but if you buy after clicking, they help me out. I feel skeevy not mentioning it, though…


WIPpet Wednesday: Ick

I know, I know. I said I ran out of non-spoilery stuff.

That’s not a complete lie. Today’s snippet gives something away, but it’s not anything I’m particularly concerned with keeping a secret. If you’ve been following my WIPpet posts for a few months, you already know. But fair warning, okay? Stop here if you don’t want to know anything.

Because this week’s snippet isn’t from Aren or Rowan.

Ooooooooooooh.

In honour of Halloween (yes, that’s my tenuous connection to the date), we have a Potioner poking through someone else’s supply store-room, trying to solve a problem to pass a test that’s REALLY important to her. It’s for Halloween because… well, you’ll see. Long one today. Sorry. I’ve been good and posted short snippets lately. 🙂

Insert first draft disclaimer here. This part of the scene might be cut, or at least cut down. If not, it’ll need work. I had fun writing it, though, and it says a lot about this character.

The room has already been described. Picture a storeroom with shelves covering every wall, and shelves forming aisles through the middle, all covered in jars, bottles, baskets, boxes, and STUFF. For this character, it’s like being a kid in a candy store, but far less fattening. Also a bit more stressful at this point…

I continued through the room, reaching places we hadn’t seen the day before. She had everything organized by type of ingredient—flowering plants in one area, whole and in parts. Reeds in another. Catalysts. Null items that would nonetheless help in certain instances. Sands, waters, metals, slabs of stone, chunks of wood. Within each section, items were shelved by the region they’d come from, and seemed to be set out roughly in order of how powerful the magic within them was before interference from us. Simple enough, if one knew what she was looking for. Less helpful for me, who hadn’t the first clue.

At the rear of the room I came upon the animal ingredients. I’d never liked using them, but sometimes it couldn’t be avoided if one wanted a specific and reliable result. Eye of newt always impressed folk when they heard we’d included it. I preferred salamander myself, though I found the fiery little buggers difficult to come by. Bundles of feathers covered one shelf, labeled with hanging tags: red parrot was new to me. Eagle. Robin. Harpy. Aeyer.

I shuddered at that last. I refused to ask people to consume anything remotely human, and the Aeyer were far too close. Besides, where would one get the ingredients save for from a dead body? And to desecrate those… no. Even the harpy deserved better.

I pulled the curtain back on another section and leaned closer to read the labels, gasped, and let the curtain fall. Several deep breaths later, I pulled it back again. One jar of eyeballs had been labelled “human,” the other “human- MU.” The dried and stacked strips of skin had to be the same. Vials of dark liquid didn’t invite closer scrutiny, and I didn’t dare look closer at the shapes floating in the bottles at the back. I moved on, hoping my answer didn’t lie there.

On a higher shelf I found several small jars of gold-tinted liquid labeled “mer tears.” I didn’t try to imagine how they’d acquired those. In my admittedly limited experience with merfolk, I hadn’t found them overly keen on giving them up.

At least there were no eyeballs on that shelf.

Focus. I passed by those shelves and searched higher. Dragon scales in a rainbow of hues, radiating protective power. Unicorn tail-hairs and horn shavings. Horrid. A unicorn never shed its horn. The only way to obtain that would be to kill the beast. I turned away, but the jar’s contents called to me. I couldn’t help looking back, reaching out, and opening the dark glass lid. This would help. A unicorn’s deep magic would [redacted for spoilers–it would solve several of her problems]. It was the absolute simplest solution, and I hadn’t thought of it before because I’d never had access to the ingredients.

It’s here anyway. If the unicorn is dead, it’s dead. Just use it. Make the potion.

I reached my fingers into the jar. Even before I touched the thick slices of nacre-like horn, they glowed softly. The scent of an autumn wood reached my nostrils, thick and rich with moss and mushroom and rotting leaves. Pleasant, to be sure, and I felt my mind relax into it. There was a wildness to the magic, carried on the scent of the wind. I closed my eyes and found myself racing along the crest of a mountain ridge in the moonlight. The world was at my feet, and all of its magic coursed through my veins…

I snapped the hinged lid of the jar closed, and the experience vanished with the scent. A tear slipped from my eye. I’d seen a unicorn’s memory, felt her magic, and known she wasn’t a part of the world anymore. Stupid, perhaps. Sentimental. And yet I set the jar back on the shelf.

There had to be another way.

Hey, look. That came out to eleven paragraphs. It’s the 29th. 9+2=11. MATH.

For more (and hopefully shorter, I SAID I WAS SORRY) WIPpet fun, click here. If you’d like to join in on your own blog, post a snippet from your work in progress that relates in some way to the day’s date. Share there, link back, and be sure to visit the others. If you’re like our host KL Schwengel, you’ll have to choose just one of your multitude of WIPs to share. If you’re like me… well, it’s easier to decide.

ROW80 Update

Is anyone even reading this far?

*crickets*

I know, it makes for a long post. And hey, let’s make it longer! I’m procrastinating, you see. I have this battle scene to write, and I kind of haven’t done that on this scale before, and… well, you know. Why do now what you can put off until after the blog post?

Ugh. Fine.

Word counts have been pretty good, except for yesterday, because battle scene:

Wednesday: 3,199
Thursday: 5,293
Friday: ~3000
Saturday: ~3000
Sunday: 0 (family day, migraine, good times)
Monday: 4,014
Tuesday: 1129

This puts the manuscript over 108,000 words, and we’re not even climaxing yet.

Pretend I said that in a way that’s less creepy.

Beta reading is all finished up, and I don’t think anyone hates me. WOO! Listened to one writing podcast. Mostly, I’ve been wording with the words. And the wording has been swell. So… here’s hoping that next week’s update features a big, relieved announcement and me saying I’m back to pre-editor edits on Torn.

Glack.

If you’re curious about what the heck ROW80 is, check it out here.

And… that’s it. No big conclusion. Sorry. I gotta go do some research.

20141029-153026.jpg

Um… not at all like this.


WIPpet Wednesday: So Difficult

HELLOOOOOO, and welcome to WIPpet Wednesday!

Before we start, I’d like to welcome anyone who has joined us recently. Make yourselves comfortable. Join in on conversations if it suits you, lurk if you’re more of a skulking type. Everyone’s welcome.

Two more announcements… I’m doing a Goodreads giveaway for a signed paperback copy of Bound! Here’s the link for that. The other thing is that Bound (the e-book version) goes up to regular price next Wednesday, or whenever various retailers decide to comply with the change. The intro sale has lasted two months, and it’s been fantastic. Regular price is still a great deal, but if you know anyone who’s been putting off picking up their copy, now would be a good time for them to do it if they want to save a few dollars.  Fair warning. 🙂

For anyone unfamiliar with the game blog hop, WIPpet Wednesday is where we share a quick snippet from a Work In Progress (get it?) that relates in some way to the day’s date. We get a little creative with the math sometimes, to the point where it’s basically a Cloud Cuckoo Land of do as you please, but it’s good fun, and I’m so glad to have the WIPpeteers in my life.

 

That said… guys. I’m trying to avoid spoilers, but it’s becoming impossible. Even revealing who’s in scenes is difficult sometimes. Like this one, for example. I’ll tell you that the first speaker is Rowan, the second is a rather unlikely and occasionally pants-crappingly terrifying teacher she’s found to help her with… um… *sigh*

I’m cutting this to avoid spoilers, so I apologize for the lack of stuff. Also, this isn’t the beginning of a scene. I swear there’s set-up.

I’m going to have to start a new project just so I have things to share.

WIPpet math: 20-8  = 12 paragraphs

“Did I do that?” I whispered, and reached up to touch the pendant that hung around my neck. I couldn’t have chosen a less likely guardian.

“You did,” he said. “Never doubt it.”

“You did that on purpose? To provoke me?”

“Obviously.”

My legs began to tremble, and I sat on the bed again. “It was beautiful.”

“It was acceptable. You’ll do better. How did that feel? What were you thinking when it happened?”

“I was afraid you were going to hit me. Mostly angry, though.” I looked up and met his eyes as the reality of it sank in. “You’re horrible.”

“I know. It worked, though. You’ve been allowing emotions to hold you back when you should be using them, using your passion to direct and propel your magic. I was certain that if threatened, you would respond appropriately.”

“And if I hadn’t?”

“Then you’d be in pain now. Does it matter? It worked.”

Rage still seethed within me. “Your methods are reprehensible.”

“I know. But you can’t argue with those results.”

 

Yeah, that wasn’t helpful, was it? That’s it. Next week I start writing zombierotica or something just so I can post here.

Actually… next week I should be starting book 3. NGUH.

For more WIPpet Wednesday fun, click here and visit the other WIPpeteers. Special thanks to our host KL Schwengel, thanks to whom I can never eat chicken McNuggets again. Feel free to join in on your own blog and link back, too– just be sure to visit others if you want them to come see you. Community, and all of that. 🙂


Wednesday Shenanigans

It looks like it’s Wednesday again! For anyone just joining us (hello, there!), this means two things: a ROW80 update, and WIPpet Wednesday. Both are blog events that are open to all. One’s a great help for procuctivity/accountability (both of which I’m in desperate need of at the moment), and one is just buckets of fun.

Let’s start with the fun, shall we?

WIPpet Wednesday

Let’s see… math. WIPpet Wednesday is when we share a snippet of a work in progress that relates somehow to the day’s date. I have to be careful about what I share right now (spoilers!), but I think I’ve got something that will work, if I can make it fit…

I’m taking the 16th and chopping it in half… because this is from book 2 of the Bound Trilogy, and because I said so. I’ve been teasing a little with short WIPpets lately, so here’s something a little longer. Eight paragraphs.

This character was abducted (well… more like conscripted) by a group of soldiers, and while she was trying to figure out how to escape, someone set off a dragon flare in the woods that attracted a big, flying fire-breather. It helped her escape, but she’s none too pleased with the methods these strangers used to rescue her…

 

“That was incredibly stupid,” I said to the three of them, who had just caught up with me. The woman led them, a stunning creature with clear skin the color of my morning’s tea with just a drop or two of cream in it. She didn’t speak, but kept her gray-green eyes trained on me without fear or concern for propriety. A huntress, and certainly not from the northern provinces.

I slowed my horse to a walk and patted his neck. He was beautiful, a fine traveling companion and better quality than any nag we’d had when I was growing up. The woman rode ahead of me, the men behind. “Did you not know what that stick was before you lit it?” I asked. “Or was it your mission to kill us all?”

My voice remained smooth and level, though inwardly I trembled with apprehension. The soldiers had been bad, but at least I knew what they wanted.

One of the men rode up beside me. He appeared healthy, in spite of his pale complexion, and was handsome enough in a pampered sort of way. Not someone who spent his life toiling outdoors, then. But he appeared strong, if lean, and rode with the same proper form as the soldiers. He could have been one of them, had he the right weapons and uniform. “We knew what it was,” he said. “We needed a distraction.”

“I’d say you got what you wanted, then.” I let out a little laugh, as though the whole situation amused me. Best to not show fear, or how frustrated I was becoming with the whole damned day.

He glared at me. “It worked. I don’t see any ropes binding your wrists or soldiers chasing you.”

He seemed to expect some show of gratitude. I wasn’t going to show anything until I found out what he and his friends wanted with me. People don’t try to help unless they want something. “I would have been fine without you. I’m quite capable of handling myself.”

The muscles in his firm jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth. May a windwyvern piss on my head if you ever find me a joy to converse with, I thought. His very presence irritated me for reasons that seemed just beyond my mind’s reach.

 

Ho-ho.

*cracks knuckles*

Check out what the rest of the WIPpeteers are up to here, and if you have a blog and a work in progress, join in! Super special thanks to KL Schwengel for hosting.

ROW80 Update

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a writing challenge that lets you set your own goals. I set mine here. Time to check in.

I stalled for a few days, but I think I’ve figured out what the problem was. Sometimes a scene is intimidating because it has to do so much, and it has to make it all look effortless. I’m working on one of those scenes right now. Planning is what I needed, and it’s what I’m doing.

It’s gonna be goooood. There were a few hiccups in the last draft, a few things that fell flat or might have disappointed people, but I’m SO ON IT NOW.

So the goals have not changed. Third draft revisions on Torn continue. Time is the biggest challenge right now. I need to average two scenes a day if I’m going to have this thing ready to go to beta readers in September, and right now that’s just not happening. Most scenes need partial or full rewrites, and between the kids being home and… well, the kids being home, I’m not getting the time I need.

Still working on the whole “getting up early” thing. I slept right through my alarm this morning because the fan drowned it out. Note to self: turn up the ringer volume on the my phone tonight.

Going to try for a few hours this afternoon if I can find something to keep the boys occupied, and I AM going to get up and work tomorrow.

Just need to get that momentum going again.

(And guys? This one’s going to be so good…)


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