Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gnomes are Missing 6

Welcome friends, followers, and Weekend Writing Warriors!

I’ve decided to switch to something new and share snippets that I wrote during April for Camp Nanowrimo, from the first draft of “The Gnomes are Missing.” I hope you enjoy them. Kinwer and his pixie friend Trish are in the feast hall of the dwarfs’ Clan King.

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Kinwer let Trish lead the way to the foot of the dais. and did his best to bow respectfully to the Clan King.

“Thank you very much for your kind hospitality to a wandering pixie and a poor farmer’s son, your gracious majesty,” Trish said. “I have wandered far from my home in the Ruby Gardens, but half a moon ago I came to visit with a mound of gnomes, built in the lowlands next to a stream which they called the Morwi River.”

“Gnomes!” one of the dwarfs standing next to the King exclaimed, and was about to spit, except that the dwarf next to him, (who was about to be spit upon,) smacked him in the side.

“I know that there is not often harmony between the dwarfs and the gnomes,” Trish continued. “You are both good-hearted sons of the earth, but quarrel among each other like jealous brothers. But these gnomes never quarreled with anybody that I know of, or took ores or gems that a dwarf would bother to claim.”

“Three nights ago, disaster struck.”

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What’s Up Wednesday? Summer Solstice edition

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly blogfest to share the answers to a few simple questions… Join us! I’m glad to be back after spending a few weeks away at the Young Gunns workshop in Kansas.

What I’m reading:

Well, I finished “Dark Lord of Derkholm”, loved the ending, and I’ve been reading some Iron Druid, starting on “Trapped” and then going back to find “Two Ravens One Crow” because the author was referring to it and I wanted to follow what was going on. I’ve also read a cool story from a January 2013 edition of Analog, courtesy of my local library’s Zinio program, and finished off another Buffy season 9 graphic novel.

For audio books, I think I’m getting close to the end of “I’ve got your number,” and I’ve been able to listen to some more of “Skin Game.”

What I’m writing:

Still making some progress with the new draft for “Magic Milkshake”, and I finished a partial revision of “TimeBubble Blues:” it should be on its way out to the critters.org critiquers any minute now! I’ve also been working on giving critiques; I sent one in to critters.org yesterday because my ratio was slipping dangerously low, and I’ve got a lot of novel excerpts yet to critique for “The Never-Ending Odyssey” workshop.

What inspires me right now:

Stories with strong romantic and adventure plots, especially where the couple are able to work together to beat the bad guy or reach the prize, instead of getting bogged down in angst.

What else I’ve been up to:

Gearing up for Camp Nanowrimo in July! Looks like my local writers will be able to get together for some write-ins in July, and I’ve also got a pretty cool cabin on the Camp Nano website.

What about you? Click here to join the hop or check in with some other great writers.

Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gnomes are Missing 5

Welcome friends, followers, and Weekend Writing Warriors!

I’ve decided to switch to something new and share snippets that I wrote during April for Camp Nanowrimo, from the first draft of “The Gnomes are Missing.” I hope you enjoy them. Kinwer and his pixie friend Trish are in the feast hall of the dwarfs’ Clan King.

Snippet 1 Snippet 2 Snippet 3 Snippet 4

Now that Kinwer knew what was in store, (and couldn’t focus all of his attention on the food,) the big stone men appeared to spend a long time in conversation with the Clan King and the dozen other dwarfs that stood in a wide semi-circle around his throne. Eventually the the stone men strode out of the hall, laughing with big voices that boomed around the hall, and some of the dwarfs began to sing softly, a song that Kinwer couldn’t hear under the laughter.

“I guess that went well,” he whispered to Trish as the kobolds dithered over what order they should go in.

“Don’t let the high spirits fool you,” Trish said. “Those were trolls; they demanded a tribute from the dwarfs, and the Clan King refused to pay. There might be war with the mountain trolls.”

“Uh-oh,” Kinwer muttered. “If the dwarfs have trolls to worry about, they won’t help us against the goblins, will they?”

Visit the other Weekend Writing Warriors at http://www.wewriwa.com/

What’s Up Wednesday? Back from Kansas

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly blogfest to share the answers to a few simple questions… Join us! I’m glad to be back after spending a few weeks away at the Young Gunns workshop in Kansas.

What I’m reading:

Wow, what haven’t I been reading? 😉 I’m about half-way through the audible version of Jim Butcher’s “Skin Game”, and also been listening to Sophie Kinsella’s “I’ve got your number” as a pre-loaded audiobook from the local library.

I read three books while I was in Kansas, and enjoyed them all: Diana Wynne Jones’ “Cart and Cwidder”, Ben Bova’s “The Silent War”, and “Magic Burns” from the Kate Daniels series. I’m still working on “Dark Lord of Derkholm” (also by Wynne Jones,) started the new Veronica Mars book “Thousand Dollar Tan Line”, and Elizabeth Moon’s “Command Decision.” Oh, and since I got back I’ve finished the first Angel&Faith graphic novel, “Live Through This.”

What I’m writing:

Umm, well. I revose another draft of “TimeBubble Blues” while I was in Kansas. I want to work more on revising all three stories I took to the workshop, and I’ve started to write something based on my Magic Milkshake idea from April. But I’ve been taking a little break from writing while I recover from the two weeks of breathing writing and spending time with nobody but writers!

What inspires me right now:

Spending two weeks of breathing writing and spending time with nobody but writers! Also Storywonk talking about Cabin in the Woods–I need to make sure to make time to listen to their commentary track over the weekend.

What else I’ve been up to:

Getting used to being back in Ontario, going to work every day, and preparing a lecture for the TNEO workshop. Yeah, my first time going back after Odyssey, and Jeanne asked me to teach a class! I’m excited and really nervous all at once. Need to decide on a title for my lesson and send it out by tomorrow.

What about you? Click here to join the hop or check in with some other great writers.

Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gnomes are Missing 4

Welcome friends, followers, and Weekend Writing Warriors!

I’ve decided to switch to something new and share snippets that I wrote during April for Camp Nanowrimo, from the first draft of “The Gnomes are Missing.” I hope you enjoy them. Kinwer and his pixie friend Trish are in the feast hall of the dwarfs’ Clan King.

Snippet 1 Snippet 2 Snippet 3

“Oh, he’s hearing people already?” Kinwer said, craning his head to get a look. Sure enough, the throne up on the dais was full of an extravagantly bearded dwarf.

“We didn’t get long,” one of the fairies said, flying close across the table, and Kinwer realized that he’d forgotten to mumble properly. “Though I suppose I can’t complain, as we got the trade deal we asked for. But this Dwarf King isn’t much for long talk.”

“So we’d better make every word count,” Trish said. “I’m Trish, originally of the Ruby Garden Pixies.”

“You’ve wandered far, cousin.”

Visit the other Weekend Writing Warriors at http://www.wewriwa.com/

Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gnomes are Missing 3

Welcome friends, followers, and Weekend Writing Warriors!

I’ve decided to switch to something new and share snippets that I wrote during April for Camp Nanowrimo, from the first draft of “The Gnomes are Missing.” I hope you enjoy them. Kinwer and his pixie friend Trish are in the feast hall of the dwarfs’ Clan King.

Snippet 1 Snippet 2

“What are goblins doing in the dwarf Clanhold?” Kinwer asked.

Trish got up off the table and flew over to stand on his shoulder. “The dwarfs at the next table can hear you when you talk like that. They’re not goblins. If the goblins had sent envoys we’d have to be much more careful how we made our case to the Clan King. They’re kobolds, who are almost as nasty, but I suppose they may have some kind of legitimate business with the dwarfs. Come on, relax, try the roast goat.”

The goat was spicier than the way Mother made it at home, and Kinwer let Trish talk him into trying a half-dozen other things.

Visit the other Weekend Writing Warriors at http://www.wewriwa.com/

Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gnomes are Missing 2

Welcome friends, followers, and Weekend Writing Warriors!

I’ve decided to switch to something new and share snippets that I wrote during April for Camp Nanowrimo, from the first draft of “The Gnomes are Missing.” I hope you enjoy them. Kinwer and his pixie friend Trish have just reached the entrance to the dwarf Clanhold..

Snippet 1

The Clan King was already feasting when they got to the Great Hall, so Hammer, who had led them down from the tunnel door, brought them to a short table on the far side of the hall. “Rest here, eat, and when the Clan King has finished his main courses, he will hold audience with the petitioners and envoys in the order that they arrived. Since you just got here, you’ll be last, but you will be heard.”

“Thank you,” Trish said, and settled to a graceful seat on the tabletop, since if she perched on any part of the chair she wouldn’t be able to reach to the table. Kinwer looked at the chairs, some of which seemed much too large for even his father, never mind the dwarfs. He found one that was just about the right size for him.

Then he looked around, in the red torchlight, and realized that they’d been left at some kind of table for non-dwarf outsiders. There were no other humans, or gnomes, but a few other short winged people who were probably fairies if not pixies like Trish, and two giant stone men with grim faces, and a kind of a tall tree-men and a few short green creatures who just might be…

Visit the other Weekend Writing Warriors at http://www.wewriwa.com/