Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Weds ROW80 Check-in: Green lights and a WIPpet snippet . . .

A relatively good start to the week, not for overall productivity, for it's been too darn hot (we're facing 90+ for the next 7 days), but because I finally, finally made a breakthrough on the story line for Rivers of Stone. Oh, truly happy over here. I feel like a great green light is shining on me -- Go! Jump into the research and drafting! You have a map!

Writing: Goal 2,000 words for the week. 1,200 so far. Behind on writing blog posts. Spent a lot of time doodling and talking before the plot resolution.

Community/Marketing: Got caught up on NOVELS-L on the Internet Writing Workshop (finally!). The reward? 8 truly helpful critiques of Rivers of Stone, Chapter 1, not the least being laying out the premises for the conflict in Chapter 1 (easier to do now that I know the underlying conflict that shapes the book). 

Posted a giveaway for Book 2: Years of Stone on GoodReads and up to 105 entries! It's not too late to enter (ends August 4th). A lovely friend in Portland OR invited me down to visit her bookclub, the first for 2015 (had to plan around winter snows, really a chilling thought in hot July).

Weds WIPpet. Just a little excerpt built around the date, so July = 7 + 2 (from 2014) = 9 paragraphs from the WIP, Rivers of Stone

Blurb: Hired by the Hudson's Bay Company from the Orkneys in 1842, Cat, disguised as a boy, has traveled with Dougal to the York Factory in Upper Manitoba, to build a new life. 


“This one’s too scrawny to keep. Might as well sell him to the Indians. They’ll feed him dog and fatten him up.” 

Cat was grabbed from behind and twirled up onto a wooden crate.  “What am I gonna get for this hard working boy,” shouted a burly voyageur, his red hair caught up behind his head and decorated with feathers. A crowd gathered, and the men began to laugh.
“Jacques, that one just got off the boat. No fair,” cried another man with a bruised cheek and long straggly blonde hair, as he took a drink from a brown glass bottle. “Sacre bleu, he looks sweet enough to eat.”
Dougal turned around. “No rough housing with me brother.” He looked as if he were ready to fight. With his back to the wall of the store, he edged closer to Cat and lifted her off the crate. “I said to stay close, Cat.” He gave her another shake and turned away from the squabbling men, a roar of laughter following him.
Cat stomped beside him, her boots scrunching in a drift of snow on the north wall of the store.  "Don't you shake me, Dougal. I didn't do anything wrong."
“Hush. Are you all right, love?” asked Dougal. “Did he hurt you?”
“Don’t be worrying about that. I’ll learn how to get along.  Just don't be shoving me. It’s true I’m small.  But I can work, and I can fight.”
“That’s my girl.” Dougal winced. “I mean I'll miss you, Cat.” He hugged her for a moment, then pushed her away. “I don’t know how I'm going to remember you're me brother and not me wife. I'll try to get you into my barracks."

Cat stared at Dougal as if she could memorize his face now covered with a thick, curly beard, his hair pulled back; his eyes, the same she'd always known, looked at her with concern. She wanted to stay in the circle of his arms forever. She shivered. “That would be good, but we'll manage. Can we get something to eat?”


York Factory 1853 (Wikipedia)


And that's all, folks. May your writing week go well. May the turn from July to August bring you good words.
Why not check in with other ROW80 writers to offer words of encouragement? And here's that LINK to read those other writers sharing a snippet of their work in progress for WIPpet Wednesday, all facilitated by Kate Schwengel. Thank YOU.

12 comments:

  1. Congrats on your progress!

    Lot's on conflict in your snippet. Very intriguing!

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    1. Thank you, Ruth. I enjoyed reading your WIPpet (and the photos of Old Sarum) as well as those wonderful posts on indie publishing. For some reason, comments aren't enabled on your blog, so I'll just say here that I'm fascinated by your marketing and can't wait to learn more! Thank you!

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  2. The goals look like they're going well. 1200 words for the week so far isn't anything to sneeze at.

    Great excerpt. I was awfully worried about Cat there at the beginning. I honestly breathed a sigh of relief when Dougal rescued her.

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    1. Sigh away, but you already know that Dougal will leave her, really abandon her. That's the plot twist I've been struggling with. How do I forgive him??? This will keep Cat on her toes. Thank you for visiting . . . I still hope to make my word goal for the week. :)

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  3. Ooh, the way the men were so rough with Cat made me shudder. Can't have them find out her secret!

    I think writing breakthroughs are just about the best feeling ever. :)

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    1. Hello, Amy. You're absolutely right about those writing breakthroughs, even if they take their own sweet time. May your week go well.

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  4. Great progress! And I love your excerpt. Cat sure is walking a tightrope, isn't she?

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    1. Thank you, Kristen. Yep. The question is how realistic is it for Cat to successfully hide her identity in such primitive conditions -- 24/7? Tightropes ahead. No net.

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  5. yay for progress!! I get this image of this big big burly man and this tiny pixie girl lol it makes me giggle.

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    1. Pretty close to reality -- at least for these characters. Somehow I always think of a bear of a man when I think of Dougal. And Cat is short. Red-haired and feisty, but short. Luckily, Dougal plays the fiddle, for that's a redeeming trait.

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  6. I liked this a lot. You did really well with the distinct dialogue too! Sounds like a very interesting premise.

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