As I mentioned before, I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this month. Not going for the ultimate prize at 50K words, just trying to replace the words I lost when I cut the last several chapters of Hidden Souls in the editing process in May. So, I have a measly goal of 15K words.
So far, I'm almost up to 4K. Keeping mostly on track, falling behind every now and then, but not too bad. Word sprints are about the only thing keeping me up with my word counts, so I guess I can thank Twitter for something :)
Anyway, since I've written some more, I figured it's only fair to give you another teaser.
~*~
Brushing off her hands and knees, she moved to the door and wiggled the handle. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. Shaking her head, she pulled the screwdriver out of her sock gingerly pressed her ear to the door, and only heard the soft breathing and grunting of the guard who had been sitting there before. Her hand shaking, she slowly worked the screwdriver into the small hole on the lever knob, pulling the knob casing off the door. Smiling, she worked the screwdriver into the gap between the door and the trim of the handle, sliding it off and revealing the screws underneath.
~*~
My, my, what is 'she' up to? I admit, Sophia surprised me with this skill. I'm gonna have to go back and investigate just how she figured out how to remove a door handle where there are no visible screws. I also might end up trashing this scene, at least in part, because I'm not sure how it would make logistical sense--if she's really locked in the room, 1) is she going to be able to remove the door handle, especially with a guard just on the other side of the door, and 2) would that really help her?
Food for thought.
Showing posts with label Teaser Tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaser Tuesday. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Cruising Along
Well, I think I got the climax of Hidden Souls re-written. I think. This is my third or fourth time working on it, so we'll see if it stands the test of time. Now I just have to link up to where I edited the rough draft with the climax and I'll be all set. My manuscript, including the bad ending, was sitting at 52K words, which makes me think that I should probably add in a subplot or two. But we'll see how it looks when I've tidied up the ending and added in some descriptions in other places.
Still debating whether or not to pursue publication, so I guess that would make a difference one way or the other.
I also found a place for Zach. I definitely think he'll be making a reappearance in Reclaimed Souls, but I tweaked him a bit and added him back in to Hidden Souls. So I can still have fun with him!
I got my schedule for the next year (July-June), and it turns out I have an easy July, and a moderately easy August, so maybe I'll join in Camp NaNo this year. At least for the word sprints and motivation to help me get parts of this book written. Or maybe to write Reclaimed Souls (possibly from scratch. We'll see).
As a thanks for sticking with me, I give you a very short teaser from the ending to Hidden Souls.
~*~
Sophia took a few slow, deep breaths and slowly pushed herself into a seated position. The ropes no longer bound her to the ground and she shakily rose to her feet, struggling to see anything in the room around her. "Hello?" She called out, tentatively moving her foot forward.
~*~
Sadly, any more than that and I'd give away some major plot points. Maybe next week, I'll give you another outtake. Or some background. Or something. I should probably get back to writing before I promise anything else :)
Still debating whether or not to pursue publication, so I guess that would make a difference one way or the other.
I also found a place for Zach. I definitely think he'll be making a reappearance in Reclaimed Souls, but I tweaked him a bit and added him back in to Hidden Souls. So I can still have fun with him!
I got my schedule for the next year (July-June), and it turns out I have an easy July, and a moderately easy August, so maybe I'll join in Camp NaNo this year. At least for the word sprints and motivation to help me get parts of this book written. Or maybe to write Reclaimed Souls (possibly from scratch. We'll see).
As a thanks for sticking with me, I give you a very short teaser from the ending to Hidden Souls.
~*~
Sophia took a few slow, deep breaths and slowly pushed herself into a seated position. The ropes no longer bound her to the ground and she shakily rose to her feet, struggling to see anything in the room around her. "Hello?" She called out, tentatively moving her foot forward.
~*~
Sadly, any more than that and I'd give away some major plot points. Maybe next week, I'll give you another outtake. Or some background. Or something. I should probably get back to writing before I promise anything else :)
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Rewriting + Deleted Scene!
Rewriting is really hard. After much deliberation and torture on my part, I've decided to rewrite the last 50 pages of Hidden Souls. Part of this is because I took the plot in a different direction while writing flashbacks in Reclaimed Souls last November, and part of it comes from the fact that I never really liked the ending anyway.
And with rewriting comes writer's block. So that's where I'm stuck now. I also just need to get back in the groove of writing. Unfortunately, that's a little challenging when you have 5 projects in progress. Editing is not the fun part of this process, but it is the most vital.
But, I did find very interesting scene I wrote with a character named Zach. I completely forgot about Zach until I was flipping through the last bits of the print-out, trying to figure out where I took the ending initially. Clearly, he wasn't that important of a character if I don't remember him at all. Maybe I'll recycle him in book 2. For now, though, you get a deleted scene while I continue to work out how the heck I'm going to make the leap from what I have to what I want out of the ending. Wish me luck!
~*~
“There's got to be something here...” Sophia muttered, flipping through the pages of a rather large book.
“I didn't think anyone knew how to look things up in books now.”
Sophia jumped and glanced up at the intruder. He was tall, with blonde hair and a tan giving a slight glow to his skin. He was wearing a simple t-shirt with some intricate design and a pair of dark jeans. “I've found books to be slightly more reliable than the internet,” she responded.
He slid into the chair across the table from her. “But the internet contains much more up-to-date information.”
She shook her head. “Some books may be outdated, but that doesn't mean that the vast majority of the information on the internet is current.”
He reached over and lifted her book slowly so that he could see the cover. “History of Millsville. Reading up on our fine city's history, then?”
She shrugged and ran her finger down the page again. “I saw something downtown that peaked my interest, so I thought I'd do a little extra reading.”
He laughed softly. “A girl like you really shouldn't stay cooped up in the library like this.”
Sophia raised her eyebrow and set her pen down. “And what kind of girl am I?” she asked, the corner of her mouth going upwards slightly. She saw a glimmer out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Michael walking over.
The man didn't notice and shrugged at her question, leaning back in the chair and stretching his legs out under the table. “Pretty. Witty. Spunky.”
“Real original one, he is,” Michael deadpanned, staring at the intruder.
Sophia laughed softly. “Spunky, huh? Don't think anyone's called me that in years. I'm Sophia,” she said, extending her hand.
The man grinned and leaned forward, kissing her hand gently. “Enchante, madamoiselle. I'm Zach.”
“Seriously? He's laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?” Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the table.
“Nice to meet you, Zach,” Sophia said, blushing slightly and pulling her hand back.
“Is there anything I can help you find?” he asked, leaning over the table.
“Actually, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, so I don't know how you can help,” she said apologetically.
“Yeah, you heard her... back off bud.” Michael leaned forward on the table toward Zach. Sophia turned slightly and raised her eyebrow at him, causing Zach to frown and look around in confusion.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
She turned back to him and smiled. “No, no... I just thought I saw someone in the corner. Trick of the light, I suppose.”
~*~
I didn't say it was a good deleted scene, mind you. Plus, you get it in its unedited form. Those always suck more. *nods*
And with rewriting comes writer's block. So that's where I'm stuck now. I also just need to get back in the groove of writing. Unfortunately, that's a little challenging when you have 5 projects in progress. Editing is not the fun part of this process, but it is the most vital.
But, I did find very interesting scene I wrote with a character named Zach. I completely forgot about Zach until I was flipping through the last bits of the print-out, trying to figure out where I took the ending initially. Clearly, he wasn't that important of a character if I don't remember him at all. Maybe I'll recycle him in book 2. For now, though, you get a deleted scene while I continue to work out how the heck I'm going to make the leap from what I have to what I want out of the ending. Wish me luck!
~*~
“There's got to be something here...” Sophia muttered, flipping through the pages of a rather large book.
“I didn't think anyone knew how to look things up in books now.”
Sophia jumped and glanced up at the intruder. He was tall, with blonde hair and a tan giving a slight glow to his skin. He was wearing a simple t-shirt with some intricate design and a pair of dark jeans. “I've found books to be slightly more reliable than the internet,” she responded.
He slid into the chair across the table from her. “But the internet contains much more up-to-date information.”
She shook her head. “Some books may be outdated, but that doesn't mean that the vast majority of the information on the internet is current.”
He reached over and lifted her book slowly so that he could see the cover. “History of Millsville. Reading up on our fine city's history, then?”
She shrugged and ran her finger down the page again. “I saw something downtown that peaked my interest, so I thought I'd do a little extra reading.”
He laughed softly. “A girl like you really shouldn't stay cooped up in the library like this.”
Sophia raised her eyebrow and set her pen down. “And what kind of girl am I?” she asked, the corner of her mouth going upwards slightly. She saw a glimmer out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Michael walking over.
The man didn't notice and shrugged at her question, leaning back in the chair and stretching his legs out under the table. “Pretty. Witty. Spunky.”
“Real original one, he is,” Michael deadpanned, staring at the intruder.
Sophia laughed softly. “Spunky, huh? Don't think anyone's called me that in years. I'm Sophia,” she said, extending her hand.
The man grinned and leaned forward, kissing her hand gently. “Enchante, madamoiselle. I'm Zach.”
“Seriously? He's laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?” Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the table.
“Nice to meet you, Zach,” Sophia said, blushing slightly and pulling her hand back.
“Is there anything I can help you find?” he asked, leaning over the table.
“Actually, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, so I don't know how you can help,” she said apologetically.
“Yeah, you heard her... back off bud.” Michael leaned forward on the table toward Zach. Sophia turned slightly and raised her eyebrow at him, causing Zach to frown and look around in confusion.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
She turned back to him and smiled. “No, no... I just thought I saw someone in the corner. Trick of the light, I suppose.”
~*~
I didn't say it was a good deleted scene, mind you. Plus, you get it in its unedited form. Those always suck more. *nods*
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Teaser Tuesday
I'm working on the editing! Up to page 114 of 164 (of the original manuscript. I'm up to page 125 of 175 in the edited version). Unfortunately, I now hit a point where I'm going to be doing major rewrites, so not entirely looking forward to that. But it's still possible for me to be done by graduation. Especially if I have some productive days.
Here's today's teaser:
~*~
She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “What would you have me do, Michael? Sit around and watch as they make Grace sicker and sicker? As she gets more and more angry at me for not helping her? I can't just sit and do nothing.”
“That's exactly what you have to do. You can't get involved in this, it's far too dangerous for a girl like you,” Michael said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“What's that supposed to mean? I was given these abilities for some reason, Michael. It would be wasteful not to do something with them,” she said as she tried to step around him again.
He moved and blocked her again. “So call the police with your suspicions. Let them handle it on their own. That's what they're trained to do.”
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know that, but I'm in a unique place to help. I can't let that go to waste either.” Gathering her courage, she stepped around him once again.
~*~
Short, I know! But I don't want to give away too much of what's going on! Once I get the first draft revised, I'll post some of the chopped scenes. Something to look forward to!
Here's today's teaser:
~*~
She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “What would you have me do, Michael? Sit around and watch as they make Grace sicker and sicker? As she gets more and more angry at me for not helping her? I can't just sit and do nothing.”
“That's exactly what you have to do. You can't get involved in this, it's far too dangerous for a girl like you,” Michael said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“What's that supposed to mean? I was given these abilities for some reason, Michael. It would be wasteful not to do something with them,” she said as she tried to step around him again.
He moved and blocked her again. “So call the police with your suspicions. Let them handle it on their own. That's what they're trained to do.”
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know that, but I'm in a unique place to help. I can't let that go to waste either.” Gathering her courage, she stepped around him once again.
~*~
Short, I know! But I don't want to give away too much of what's going on! Once I get the first draft revised, I'll post some of the chopped scenes. Something to look forward to!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Teaser Tuesday
As a part of my frantic dash to edit Hidden Souls so that I have some idea how it ends before I begin the sequel, I've decided to share a bit of my edits for today. Chances are, especially with my strong negative feelings about editing, that I won't be anywhere near finishing, but so long as I got general motivations and can work from there, I think it will be okay.
~*~
Light filled the room with a faint yellow glow. Silver shapes danced across the wall, reflections from the passersby below. Sophia brushed her hair out of her face and rolled over in bed, blinking to bring her clock into focus. Twelve-thirty. At least Kate had listened and left her alone. Sitting up slowly, she stretched and rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes. She still didn't feel rested, but she did feel much calmer. Guilt over the way she had treated both Michael and Kate pressed against her chest, but she shook those thoughts away. She would apologize to them later, but for now, she had work to do. Grace was still in trouble, and the police were no closer to finding her than they were a week ago.
She stood and walked to the window, scanning the few people crossing the courtyard on the way to class. She could try to contact Grace, but how much good would that do? She needed more information—clues that would lead her to where Grace was being kept. Once she figured that out, getting Grace home should be relatively easy. Filled with new resolve, she laid on her bed and closed her eyes. She imagined the dark room forming around her, feeling her body grow more weightless with each breath. She opened her eyes, only to find herself staring at the ceiling in her room. She huffed in irritation, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. She imagined Grace in her dank room. The large warehouse, oil drums stacked against the walls. The faint light coming from the lights far above her head. She focused on every detail she could remember, even the way she felt when she had encountered Michael. Once again, when she opened her eyes, she was staring at her own white ceiling.
~*~
Looks like our heroine is having some issues. I know it's short, but I'm working on it, I swear! I'm reaching the point where I really do need to figure out why the characters are doing what they're doing, why Grace was kidnapped in the first place, and what the final conflict is going to be. Cause what I wrote the first time makes no sense.
Once NaNo starts (10 days!), I'll introduce you to at least one new character from the second book. Should be interesting ;)
Oh, and fun fact: I originally wrote this scene on NaNo day 14, two years ago. I was reading over some of the excerpts I posted on my blog back then, and I have no idea where some of these ideas came from. I apparently have a character named Zach coming up at some point. Don't remember a thing about him. Yup... editing will be fun.
~*~
Light filled the room with a faint yellow glow. Silver shapes danced across the wall, reflections from the passersby below. Sophia brushed her hair out of her face and rolled over in bed, blinking to bring her clock into focus. Twelve-thirty. At least Kate had listened and left her alone. Sitting up slowly, she stretched and rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes. She still didn't feel rested, but she did feel much calmer. Guilt over the way she had treated both Michael and Kate pressed against her chest, but she shook those thoughts away. She would apologize to them later, but for now, she had work to do. Grace was still in trouble, and the police were no closer to finding her than they were a week ago.
She stood and walked to the window, scanning the few people crossing the courtyard on the way to class. She could try to contact Grace, but how much good would that do? She needed more information—clues that would lead her to where Grace was being kept. Once she figured that out, getting Grace home should be relatively easy. Filled with new resolve, she laid on her bed and closed her eyes. She imagined the dark room forming around her, feeling her body grow more weightless with each breath. She opened her eyes, only to find herself staring at the ceiling in her room. She huffed in irritation, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. She imagined Grace in her dank room. The large warehouse, oil drums stacked against the walls. The faint light coming from the lights far above her head. She focused on every detail she could remember, even the way she felt when she had encountered Michael. Once again, when she opened her eyes, she was staring at her own white ceiling.
~*~
Looks like our heroine is having some issues. I know it's short, but I'm working on it, I swear! I'm reaching the point where I really do need to figure out why the characters are doing what they're doing, why Grace was kidnapped in the first place, and what the final conflict is going to be. Cause what I wrote the first time makes no sense.
Once NaNo starts (10 days!), I'll introduce you to at least one new character from the second book. Should be interesting ;)
Oh, and fun fact: I originally wrote this scene on NaNo day 14, two years ago. I was reading over some of the excerpts I posted on my blog back then, and I have no idea where some of these ideas came from. I apparently have a character named Zach coming up at some point. Don't remember a thing about him. Yup... editing will be fun.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Teaser Tuesday
I'm baaaack.
Well, ish. I haven't done much editing in the past month, but I did promise previews, and I haven't updated you all in the past month, so I figured it was time to actually get going and post something. But first, a story :)
I went in about a month ago to have a meeting with one of the higher-ups at my school. Well, not necessarily in the entire school, but someone important for my career. She is the head of the Pediatrics residency program at my school. Anyway, she agreed to write me a letter of recommendation, and wanted to have a meeting to get to know me a little better outside of the clinical setting. I wasn't sure what to expect when I went in, but at some point during this grilling exercise, I mentioned that I wrote. And then proceeded to tell her about the two novels I've written since medical school started, Hidden Souls and Found. She was so impressed that I think they're going to be talked about in my letter of recommendation. Which means I should really figure out what I'm going to say about my novels before I start interviews in October...
Anywho, here's today's excerpt:
~*~
The overlook was empty, and the city below was just starting to come alive, the sounds of traffic becoming progressively louder in the distance. She sat down, dangling her feet over the edge of the cliff.
“Would you be careful!?” Michael demanded behind her.
“Afraid of heights? It's not like I can fall and die in this form.”
“You don't know that. You haven't exactly tested the limits of your abilities, have you?”
Sophia rolled her eyes and stood. “I supposed not. And that's one experiment I really don't care to try.” She walked over and sat on an exposed tree root a little further away the cliff.
~*~
A short teaser, I admit, but I don't want to give away too much about the plot, especially when I haven't exactly figured out how I want to edit the ending of this monster.
Still hoping to be done by the end of September. I'm on a really easy rotation next month, so here's hoping :)
Well, ish. I haven't done much editing in the past month, but I did promise previews, and I haven't updated you all in the past month, so I figured it was time to actually get going and post something. But first, a story :)
I went in about a month ago to have a meeting with one of the higher-ups at my school. Well, not necessarily in the entire school, but someone important for my career. She is the head of the Pediatrics residency program at my school. Anyway, she agreed to write me a letter of recommendation, and wanted to have a meeting to get to know me a little better outside of the clinical setting. I wasn't sure what to expect when I went in, but at some point during this grilling exercise, I mentioned that I wrote. And then proceeded to tell her about the two novels I've written since medical school started, Hidden Souls and Found. She was so impressed that I think they're going to be talked about in my letter of recommendation. Which means I should really figure out what I'm going to say about my novels before I start interviews in October...
Anywho, here's today's excerpt:
~*~
The overlook was empty, and the city below was just starting to come alive, the sounds of traffic becoming progressively louder in the distance. She sat down, dangling her feet over the edge of the cliff.
“Would you be careful!?” Michael demanded behind her.
“Afraid of heights? It's not like I can fall and die in this form.”
“You don't know that. You haven't exactly tested the limits of your abilities, have you?”
Sophia rolled her eyes and stood. “I supposed not. And that's one experiment I really don't care to try.” She walked over and sat on an exposed tree root a little further away the cliff.
~*~
A short teaser, I admit, but I don't want to give away too much about the plot, especially when I haven't exactly figured out how I want to edit the ending of this monster.
Still hoping to be done by the end of September. I'm on a really easy rotation next month, so here's hoping :)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Teaser Tuesday (NaNo Day 27)
It's almost over. Almost. I can just about taste it.
All I have to say is that I'm really glad that I: 1) had Thanksgiving break this month, otherwise I would not have been able to survive, and 2) have been on Family Medicine and thus have had time (during lunch!) to actually do this. I have a little less than 6,000 words to write to finish this thing up, and it's going to be tough. I'm eating dinner at a friend's house every night this week (I'm a guest chef on Friday), plus I have choir practice tomorrow night. Thankfully, my Fridays are half days, so I should have a few hours to get caught up before making a mad dash to the finish by midnight.
I hope that my word count isn't too far off the NaNo validator's word count. I'm not sure how many extra words I'll be able to squeeze out before midnight Friday.
At any rate, here's a teaser for this week. This is one of the first intersections of the paths of the characters that did not previously know each other. The others come in a little later.
“Can I help you?” Dawn asked, putting on her business smile.
The woman turned and a look of surprise graced her face. “Sorry, I was admiring this beautiful wheel from outside and wanted to get a closer look.”
Dawn smiled. “It belongs to my grandmother. An old family heirloom that she's rather proud of.”
The woman smiled and gestured towards it. “May I?”
“Of course,” Dawn replied, taking a step towards the window. The woman stepped up to the display and ran her fingers over the wheel, turning it a bit back and forth. She followed the thread back to the spindle and glided her fingers over the tip of the spindle.
“You say this is an old family heirloom. How long has it been in your family?” the woman asked.
Dawn shrugged. “Generations. Nana hasn't told me all that much about it. She keeps telling me that one day she'll tell me the story behind it.”
“Are you not curious to know the history now?” the woman asked, raising her eyebrow.
“It's been a while since I've thought about it. The display just adds a nice touch to the shop.”
The bell jingled again, and Dawn turned to see Rowan stepping into the shop. He glanced at the woman suspiciously and gave her a wide breadth as he walked over to Dawn. “Who is she?” he asked softly in Dawn's ear.
She smacked his shoulder lightly. “Don't be rude. She's a customer. Or rather, she saw the wheel outside and wanted a closer look.”
He continued to watch the woman wearily. “Something's off about her,” he muttered.
Hope you enjoyed it. I'll post again on Friday or Saturday with a final teaser for you, as well as my final word count. Wish me luck!
All I have to say is that I'm really glad that I: 1) had Thanksgiving break this month, otherwise I would not have been able to survive, and 2) have been on Family Medicine and thus have had time (during lunch!) to actually do this. I have a little less than 6,000 words to write to finish this thing up, and it's going to be tough. I'm eating dinner at a friend's house every night this week (I'm a guest chef on Friday), plus I have choir practice tomorrow night. Thankfully, my Fridays are half days, so I should have a few hours to get caught up before making a mad dash to the finish by midnight.
I hope that my word count isn't too far off the NaNo validator's word count. I'm not sure how many extra words I'll be able to squeeze out before midnight Friday.
At any rate, here's a teaser for this week. This is one of the first intersections of the paths of the characters that did not previously know each other. The others come in a little later.
“Can I help you?” Dawn asked, putting on her business smile.
The woman turned and a look of surprise graced her face. “Sorry, I was admiring this beautiful wheel from outside and wanted to get a closer look.”
Dawn smiled. “It belongs to my grandmother. An old family heirloom that she's rather proud of.”
The woman smiled and gestured towards it. “May I?”
“Of course,” Dawn replied, taking a step towards the window. The woman stepped up to the display and ran her fingers over the wheel, turning it a bit back and forth. She followed the thread back to the spindle and glided her fingers over the tip of the spindle.
“You say this is an old family heirloom. How long has it been in your family?” the woman asked.
Dawn shrugged. “Generations. Nana hasn't told me all that much about it. She keeps telling me that one day she'll tell me the story behind it.”
“Are you not curious to know the history now?” the woman asked, raising her eyebrow.
“It's been a while since I've thought about it. The display just adds a nice touch to the shop.”
The bell jingled again, and Dawn turned to see Rowan stepping into the shop. He glanced at the woman suspiciously and gave her a wide breadth as he walked over to Dawn. “Who is she?” he asked softly in Dawn's ear.
She smacked his shoulder lightly. “Don't be rude. She's a customer. Or rather, she saw the wheel outside and wanted a closer look.”
He continued to watch the woman wearily. “Something's off about her,” he muttered.
Hope you enjoyed it. I'll post again on Friday or Saturday with a final teaser for you, as well as my final word count. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Teaser Tuesday (NaNo Day 20)
Well, ladies and gents, I've almost managed to catch back up from last week's no writing fiasco. I'm up to yesterday's word count goal, which means all I need to do is write about 3000 words tomorrow and I'll be all caught up again.
Shouldn't be too hard, right?
It's a good thing I'm on break all this week. If I try really, really hard, I might even be able to finish completely before going back to school Monday. Stranger things have happened...
Of course, now I've reached the turning point in the novel, and I'm having to go back and explain some things that I've come to realize I need to let the readers in on earlier in the novel.
Which is where today's excerpt comes from. Previously, I have talked about how Aileen is a horse whisperer of sorts. But it seems as if she's having a bit of an off day now. Poor thing. I just keep doing mean things to her. To all my characters, really. But it's okay, they'll bounce back just fine in the end.
When she arrived, she found David calming down her horse. She approached slowly, and the horse neighed loudly, dancing away from her. Frowning, she sat down against the fence and waited until David put the horse back into its stall. He came out and handed her a bottle of water, sitting down beside her.
"I was worried when he showed up without you. What happened?"
She took a generous gulp of water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Something is up with him today. He was a bit skittish when I was getting him saddled up, but I figured he was just antsy about getting out, since I haven't been by in a few days. But he kept tugging at the reins the whole time I had him canter, so I tried to stop him. He didn't like that very much... he threw me off and ran back here. I managed to jump off so I didn't land on my back, but I twisted my ankle when I landed, so it took me a little while to get moving again."
David shook his head and took a swig from his own bottle. "Wonder what's up. You don't usually have any problems with the horses, and he seemed perfectly content to let me put him back in the stall."
She shrugged and tugged off her boot. "Maybe it's me, then. I must be having an off day." She pulled off her sock and winced at the black and blue splotches covering her ankle.
He whistled. "Looks like it hurts. You sure you don't need me to bring you anywhere? I mean, I know you're superwoman and managed to walk back up the trail by yourself, but it's only going to get worse now that your boot is off."
She squeezed her ankle slowly, her breath catching every so often from the pain. "I'll be okay, I think. Just need to get home and get some ice on it." She made to stand and quickly lost her balance.
"Oh, no you don't," David said, catching her arms. "We'll get you set up in the office until the swelling goes down. Then we'll wrap you up. You're not going to be able to make it from the car to your place with how it is now."
Thanks for reading!
Follow my NaNo progress:
Shouldn't be too hard, right?
It's a good thing I'm on break all this week. If I try really, really hard, I might even be able to finish completely before going back to school Monday. Stranger things have happened...
Of course, now I've reached the turning point in the novel, and I'm having to go back and explain some things that I've come to realize I need to let the readers in on earlier in the novel.
Which is where today's excerpt comes from. Previously, I have talked about how Aileen is a horse whisperer of sorts. But it seems as if she's having a bit of an off day now. Poor thing. I just keep doing mean things to her. To all my characters, really. But it's okay, they'll bounce back just fine in the end.
When she arrived, she found David calming down her horse. She approached slowly, and the horse neighed loudly, dancing away from her. Frowning, she sat down against the fence and waited until David put the horse back into its stall. He came out and handed her a bottle of water, sitting down beside her.
"I was worried when he showed up without you. What happened?"
She took a generous gulp of water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Something is up with him today. He was a bit skittish when I was getting him saddled up, but I figured he was just antsy about getting out, since I haven't been by in a few days. But he kept tugging at the reins the whole time I had him canter, so I tried to stop him. He didn't like that very much... he threw me off and ran back here. I managed to jump off so I didn't land on my back, but I twisted my ankle when I landed, so it took me a little while to get moving again."
David shook his head and took a swig from his own bottle. "Wonder what's up. You don't usually have any problems with the horses, and he seemed perfectly content to let me put him back in the stall."
She shrugged and tugged off her boot. "Maybe it's me, then. I must be having an off day." She pulled off her sock and winced at the black and blue splotches covering her ankle.
He whistled. "Looks like it hurts. You sure you don't need me to bring you anywhere? I mean, I know you're superwoman and managed to walk back up the trail by yourself, but it's only going to get worse now that your boot is off."
She squeezed her ankle slowly, her breath catching every so often from the pain. "I'll be okay, I think. Just need to get home and get some ice on it." She made to stand and quickly lost her balance.
"Oh, no you don't," David said, catching her arms. "We'll get you set up in the office until the swelling goes down. Then we'll wrap you up. You're not going to be able to make it from the car to your place with how it is now."
Thanks for reading!
Follow my NaNo progress:
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Teaser Tuesday (NaNo Day 6)
Hope you all have been enjoying the little tidbits so far. I'm starting to hit a bit of a wall in writing myself, not because I'm not sure what to write, exactly, but because I'm not sure how I want to write it. I know the basic events I want to happen, but I need something to happen in between them, and I'm not sure how much of each character I should be writing.
At any rate...
Today you get a bit of a larger sample. Not too much, mind, but more than the 6 sentences you got on Sunday.
In this bit, you get to meet another character, Jason. Jason is near and dear to my heart, because he represents the frustration with my own schooling at the moment. But things will work out for him just like they're working out for me. Just as a quick background, this takes place at Jason's parents' home, where he goes for weekly dinners. He's just come from his work... he is a doctor-in-training, more commonly known as a resident.
Jason scoffed. “Just because I didn't want to spend my entire day in the library trying to cram information into my head during undergrad and medical school doesn't mean that I'm not driven. I am a doctor, after all. I'd wager that it's much more difficult to become one now than it was when you were in school.”
His mother placed her hand on his arm lightly. “Come now, there's no need to be upset. We're here to enjoy a nice family dinner, not to bicker. Harold, our son has done quite well with his life. Jason, we don't expect you to be the same person as your father.”
Jason rolled his eyes and Harold took another sip of his drink. “No, indeed. I've long given up on that expectation.”
Frustrated, Jason stood and left the room, seeking out refuge in the library. He wondered now why he insisted on putting himself through the torture of coming to this weekly dinner. Running his hand through his hair, he glanced around the room, taking in the large volume of books that filled the shelves. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shimmer. Frowning in confusion, he turned to get a better look. After scanning the area for a moment, he saw a cloth tucked between two books. Slowly, he walked over and fingered the cloth gently, then gave it a sharp tug. One of the books it rested between shifted and fell to the floor, leaving him holding a piece of silvery cloth about the size of a handkerchief. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers and it seemed to shimmer more intensely, leaving a slight tingling feeling on his fingertips. Curious, he turned the cloth over, inspecting it closely.
The doorknob rattled, signaling the arrival of another person. Acting quickly, he shoved the cloth into his pocket and turned towards the door, forcing a smile as his mother walked into the room.
“Dear, I'm sorry about your father. He seems to be in one of those moods tonight,” she said, grasping his hand in her own.
He shrugged. “He's always been that way. I shouldn't expect him to change. I do have to get going, though. Got a busy day tomorrow, and I like to try to read up on my patients a little bit before I see them.”
She smiled beautifully and kissed his cheek lightly. “Of course, dear. Will you come back next week?”
“It is our tradition, isn't it?” he responded, giving her a small hug. Once she returned the hug, he pulled back and took his things from the butler. “I'll see you next week, Mom.”
She smiled and walked with him to the door, waving as he slid into his car and pulled away.
What is the cloth, you ask? He doesn't even know yet, so why should you :P Stay tuned for more!
At any rate...
Today you get a bit of a larger sample. Not too much, mind, but more than the 6 sentences you got on Sunday.
In this bit, you get to meet another character, Jason. Jason is near and dear to my heart, because he represents the frustration with my own schooling at the moment. But things will work out for him just like they're working out for me. Just as a quick background, this takes place at Jason's parents' home, where he goes for weekly dinners. He's just come from his work... he is a doctor-in-training, more commonly known as a resident.
Jason scoffed. “Just because I didn't want to spend my entire day in the library trying to cram information into my head during undergrad and medical school doesn't mean that I'm not driven. I am a doctor, after all. I'd wager that it's much more difficult to become one now than it was when you were in school.”
His mother placed her hand on his arm lightly. “Come now, there's no need to be upset. We're here to enjoy a nice family dinner, not to bicker. Harold, our son has done quite well with his life. Jason, we don't expect you to be the same person as your father.”
Jason rolled his eyes and Harold took another sip of his drink. “No, indeed. I've long given up on that expectation.”
Frustrated, Jason stood and left the room, seeking out refuge in the library. He wondered now why he insisted on putting himself through the torture of coming to this weekly dinner. Running his hand through his hair, he glanced around the room, taking in the large volume of books that filled the shelves. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shimmer. Frowning in confusion, he turned to get a better look. After scanning the area for a moment, he saw a cloth tucked between two books. Slowly, he walked over and fingered the cloth gently, then gave it a sharp tug. One of the books it rested between shifted and fell to the floor, leaving him holding a piece of silvery cloth about the size of a handkerchief. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers and it seemed to shimmer more intensely, leaving a slight tingling feeling on his fingertips. Curious, he turned the cloth over, inspecting it closely.
The doorknob rattled, signaling the arrival of another person. Acting quickly, he shoved the cloth into his pocket and turned towards the door, forcing a smile as his mother walked into the room.
“Dear, I'm sorry about your father. He seems to be in one of those moods tonight,” she said, grasping his hand in her own.
He shrugged. “He's always been that way. I shouldn't expect him to change. I do have to get going, though. Got a busy day tomorrow, and I like to try to read up on my patients a little bit before I see them.”
She smiled beautifully and kissed his cheek lightly. “Of course, dear. Will you come back next week?”
“It is our tradition, isn't it?” he responded, giving her a small hug. Once she returned the hug, he pulled back and took his things from the butler. “I'll see you next week, Mom.”
She smiled and walked with him to the door, waving as he slid into his car and pulled away.
What is the cloth, you ask? He doesn't even know yet, so why should you :P Stay tuned for more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)