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.

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“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/

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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/

Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gnomes are Missing 1

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..

 

The dwarf guard with the hammer dropped it to his side, but the other one wrinkled up his bushy eyebrows and glared at them both ferociously. “You’re a fairy, ain’t ya, little thing?”

“I’m a pixie, thank you very much!”

“So what are a pixie and a man-child doing up in these mountains?” he asked, and Trish hesitated. “You’ve come to ask some boon of the Clan King, haven’t you?”

“Well. . .” Trish hesitated. “We have news for the Clan King, regarding the perfidies of goblins.”

“And you want him to do something about them?” Hammer pushed, stepping forward.

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

Six Sentence Sunday: The Gnomes are Missing, 10

It’s the last Six Sentence Sunday ever from sixsunday.com . I’d like to thank everybody who’s ever given me feedback, and the admins at sixsunday.com for helping me meet so many fellow writers and bloggers.

Last time, Kinwer accidentally mentioned Gibbs, his missing gnome friend, in front of his sister’s fiancee.

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“I told you that you shouldn’t be spending time with those folk, Kinwer,” Father said. “You’ve got enough to keep you busy…”

“I don’t have any other friends!” Kinwer exclaimed. “Not since you pulled me out of school. As long as I get the work done, what’s it to you if I talk to a gnome? He’s the only one who understands me at all – and he didn’t come out of the mound this morning and I’m worried that something horrible happened to him.”

Thank you for your feedback, and I hope to see you all around the blogosphere sometime!

 

Six Sentence Sunday: The Gnomes are Missing, 9

Happy Six Sentence Sunday, everybody! Next week will be the last SSS under the current dynasty. I’ve been posting sixes on Sunday for more than a year now, and it’ll be like the ending of an era.

Last time, Kinwer accidentally mentioned Gibbs, his missing gnome friend, in front of his family and his sister’s fiancee. Just to warn you, I’ve been revising this part recently, so I might have repeated or tweaked something.

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Father turned and glared at Kinwer, and mother muttered something to him under her breath. Father didn’t like Kinwer talking to the gnomes about anybody, even family – and Zaffaran was ‘almost family.’ Zaffaran seemed to be a little upset too, but he forced a wide and friendly smile on his face. “Yes, what’s wrong with your gnome friend?”

“Umm, it doesn’t matter.”

“Are you sure?” Zaffaran said, and looked around at the rest of the family.

Thank you so much for reading. Even though it’s months yet to Easter, I’ll be handing out chocolate eggs to anybody who leaves feedback this week. 🙂

Six Sentence Sunday: The Gnomes are Missing, 8

Happy Sunday, everybody! I guess this is the third-to-last official Six Sentence Sunday, though I’ve already raised my hand for the Skye Warren unofficial version.

Kinwer is getting very concerned about his gnome friend, but has been stuck working all day in the fields…

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Kinwer was feeling very tired when he got back into the house, and saw that the rest of the family was gathered around the hearth, drinking something from a tall bottle. Mother was sitting next to father, and Hope had her hand demurely in Zaffaran’s. Kinwer liked Zaffaran a little, but he still had a hard time imagining his big sister getting married and moving to Zaffaran’s little candle shop in the village.

“Good evening, Kinwer!” Zaffaran said, waving to him with his free hand. “How was your day?”

“I’m doing alright, but I’m a little worried about Gibbs,” Kinwer said before he thought about it.

Thank you for leaving any feedback, and if you don’t want SSS to end in January, raise your hand at Skye Warren’s page too!

Looking for my Gnomes in new places

Well, I finally got around to reading through some of the critiques I got back in December for the first sample chapter of “The Gnomes are Missing.” There were some very nice things said in all those emails I got from critterfolk, and a few problems raised that I have to agree with.

I took a little while to think about it, and decided that I needed to turn the project around at this point. When I started with ‘Gnomes’ in late November, I really hadn’t planned it at all beyond ‘Hey, this will be a great thing to write now that I’m done with “Snow Job,” and maybe I can send it to CSSF novels.’ I took maybe 15 minutes to organize a few character thoughts at a local write-in and then dived into the first scene.

So, now, I’m going back to the drawing board. Based on what I’ve discovered about the Gnomes and their friends in Nanowrimo, and what people have said via critters and Six Sentence Sunday, I’ve started a new list of characters, changing around some of the personalities and relationships I began with in Discovery. Next I’m planning to do the five-page plot synopsis, (or as many pages as I can wring out of myself,) and then go back to rewrite the sample chapters with a clearer idea of where I want the story to go.

It’s going to be hard to put some elements of my trial run aside, but I’m also excited!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Gnomes are Missing, 7

Happy 2013, everybody! Six Sentence Sunday continues on, though the end is drawing near.

At this point, Kinwer is worried about his gnome friend, but not sure what he can do to help…

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He went straight out to the fields to begin pruning, and Father came out to look for him after he’d finished one row. “Boy! Come in for a bite before you keel over.”

The slice of bread and bowl of vegetable soup did help him feel a bit stronger, and his mind was buzzing with possibilities as he went back out to the field, thinking about the gnomes. He’d probably woken up too late to meet with Gibbs. Gibbs had a father, too, who was always nagging him about something or other. 

Maybe Kinwer could get out to the mound before dinner, if he got the pruning done quickly.

Thanks for all your comments and feedback!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Gnomes are Missing, 6

Happy Holidays and Merry Six Sentence Sunday to you all. It looks like I’ll get up to ten snippets for “The Gnomes are missing” before the SSS list goes down at the end of January 2013.

I’m going to skip ahead out of the flashback at this point:

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The school bell started to ring, and for a second Kinwer was startled, because that wasn’t the way the memory went. And then he shook himself, and went back to the present. He had to get to the schoolhouse NOW. He wouldn’t be able to meet Gibbs this morning. So he ran the long way around the family farm. He’d be late to school, but he could tell the schoolmarm that he was doing chores, and Father wouldn’t know that he’d been out to the gnome mound.

Happy Boxing Week, and here’s wishing you all a happy New Year!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Gnomes are Missing, 5

Happy Holidays and Merry Six Sentence Sunday to you all. After this week, it looks to me like we have five Six-Sundays before they end – January 27, 2013 will be the last SSS.

We’re still in a flashback, with my main character, Kinwer, meeting his first Gnome friend:

“So if you’re eleven… how long until you’re full grown? They say that men don’t live as long as we do.”

“I might be as tall as I’m going to get by the time I’m seventeen.” Kinwer counted on his fingers. “I’ll be a man by law once I’m fourteen.”

“Gosh,” Gibbs repeated.

Thank you very much for reading! I’ll try to send out Xmas presents or cards to everybody who comments!