What’s up Wednesday: Off and Nano-ing

What’s Up Wednesday is the weekly blogfest to share the answers to a few simple questions… Join us!

What I’m reading:

Got really into ‘Jumper Cable’ while I was at the convention this weekend, and I finished it yesterday. Also finished the first installment of ‘Lockstep’ from this issue of Analog magazine, and listening to ‘The Ringworld Throne’ on Audible.

What I’m writing:

Nanowrimo writing has begun! I finished off the incomplete draft of “The Witches of Arion” in the first few days, and I’ve started my sample chapters for “Alien Love on a Kitchen Scale.” The plot is very loose, but I’m catching hints of magic!

What inspires me right now:

Nanowrimo energy, my birthday coming up on the calendar, and all the fun I had geeking out with Doctor Who fans at Reversed Polarity.

What else I’ve been up to:

Well, I finished my revisions on ‘Return to Civilization’ and sent it off to Asimov’s, so fingers crossed.

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

How do I revise a short story

Yes, I’m still in ‘glide mode’ today, but I’m trying to get a bit more elevation above crash territory. I spent some time on the bus ride home critiquing a new critters.org story, and I’ve been thinking about the short stories I want to work with this month.

One is a ‘Not-really-rewrite’ of “Project Fast Track” – I’m not really using the same characters, the same plotline, or the same theme as that little contest tale I wrote nearly a year ago, but I’m going to go back to that vision of the future, specifically to TimeBubble Inc. I’ve got a new plot in mind and an idea for a main character and what his story’s about. Hope to talk it over with somebody before starting the first draft – maybe this weekend.

I also want to do a new revision – this going to be the fourth draft I guess, of “The Storm Mirror.” Some of what I want to do with it has been in my head ever since I left Kansas this summer, and some of it began to come clear while I was writing “The Witches of Arion” in August. (Which takes place earlier in the same universe.)

I like the idea of trying to apply some of the processes from the Holly Lisle “How to Revise your Novel” course to this short story, but I haven’t actually started with that yet. I should probably just dive in – work the worksheets, print out a copy of the third draft and start marking it up with colored pens. Onward! I can do this! (Those are the Holly Lisle taglines that she finishes every lesson with.)

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 9

I’m doing great on NaNoWriMo, but Six Sentence Sunday continues. Nashua just told her parents that she’s going to be a witch…

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Father dropped his cup. “What did you say, girl?” Mother burst into loud wails and sobs.

“Thank you very much, I enjoyed myself…”

“That’s – that’s a disgrace to our family at the best of times, but after seeing one of them humiliate your mother, and hearing how frightened she was? Do you hate her so much that you want to become one of her tormentors?”

Thanks in advance to anyone who comments.

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 8

Even NaNoWriMo can’t stop Six Sentence Sunday! Nashua and her mother got home from the fair, but all is not well in the town of Egya…

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By the end, when Mother told Father how Moon White had laid ‘the true name charm’ on her and forced her over to the fire, she was sniffling and crying just a little bit.

Father hummed over several bites, and turned to Nashua. “Well, girl, do you have anything to say to your mother?”

“Thank you very much for taking me to the fair, Mother. I’m going to be a witch someday!” The last part just sort of slipped out because she was so excited about it.

Thank you to everybody who comments!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 7

Welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday! We’re still at Fox’s Fair, but things are getting dicey between Nashua’s arrogant mother and the witch known as Moon White, so Auntie pleads on Mom’s behalf…

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“My sister was harsh and rude to you – but I apologize on her behalf. If you demand recompense or blood for her insult, then take it from me.”

Moon White stared at Lima for a moment, then snapped her fingers, and Mother sprang back from the fire, landing in a dusty heap, while some of the other fair-goers crowded near the pits laughed at her.

“I would not have let her hurt herself,” Moon White intoned. “I thank you for your apology, sister, and commend the courage of your offer. If I may do you a favor before I leave your town, come to me and ask – but for now, I must get back to my fortunes.”

Thanks to all who have given feedback, and I look forward to your comments! 🙂

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 6

Welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday.

Thanks to all who have read my sixes and/or given feedback. (Hopefully you haven’t given feedback without reading!) I’m going to skip ahead a little, to Nashua and her family meeting the witch from Fox’s Fair…

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“You should be more careful what you say around a witch – Lady Evelyn Berra Tirec.” Mother stiffened as the witch intoned her name. “Especially in a place like this – where there’s so many ways to hurt yourself.”

Mother got up stiffly from the table and walked around to the roasting pits. Nashua drew in a sharp breath when Mother bent down near to the largest fire.

“I beg you, Moon White – spare her,” Aunt Lima said, and the witch turned to look at her, as Mother stayed crouched down.

Thank you in advance for any comments!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 5

Welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday.

Thanks to all who’ve commented on my sixes for ‘The Witches of Arion.’ Young Nashua is at Fox’s Fair with her mother, and the mother is getting into a confrontation with the little boy calling for customers to get their fortunes told by the witch – who’s the boy’s mother.

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Mother’s cheeks wrinkled like she’d been stung by something little and nasty. “Listen, gutter boy, and listen well. My husband is on the Baron’s court – I can pay well if I’m pleased, or make life worse for your ‘mam’ if I’m not pleased. So when I say that I want to see the witch without going inside the tent, what do you answer me?”

Nashua saw the boy’s face go slightly pale after Mother said ‘make life worse’, and then he tried to hide it, but she new that Mother had spotted that too. “I’ll go have a talk with Mam and see if we can work something out,” he muttered.

This week, free ice cream to everybody who gives me feedback!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 4

Welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday.

Thanks to all who’ve commented on my sixes for ‘The Witches of Arion.’ Young Nashua is at Fox’s Fair with her mother, and the two of them got into a battle of wills over whether or not to visit the witch’s tent and get their fortune told.

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Mother looked around, then strode up to the calling boy. “Listen here – we’re not going into that little tent with the witch, hidden from sight where she can do anything she wants. Will there be a show somewhere else?”

“Listen, me mam likes her privacy,” the boy said. “She’s not going to be performing up on the stage like she’s an acrobat. You don’t wanta go in, fine – we’re doing good business without yah.”

Thanks very much for any feedback!

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 3

It’s Six Sentence Sunday again! (Well, not as I’m posting, because I’m trying to get a spot close to the beginning of the linky list this time around, but by the time you read, it’ll be Sunday morning at the earliest.)

Thanks to all who commented on this piece already. There’ll be lots of more excitement as a young girl who’s suddenly interested in witches visits Fox’s Fair with her family…

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“Please, please, can we?”

Mother looked around, and saw where Nashua was pointing. “You are a well-born young lady, and nobody in this family is going to have anything to do with witches if we can help it! For goodness’ sake, my child, why did we let the day-woman read you all those witch stories if you weren’t going to learn from them?”

Mother tried to lead the way off towards some other diversion, but Nashua was not prepared to move away yet. “Being well-born is rotten; nobody else seems scared of the witch.”

Carnival treats or games for everybody who gives feedback this week! 😀

Six Sentence Sunday: The Witches of Arion 2

Well, it’s Six Sentence Sunday again!

Last week, I started sharing from my raw Camp Nanowrimo fantasy manuscript, telling the story of how a little girl becomes a powerful witch…

The kids had been talking about the fair for weeks, ever since Jackalan had brought the first news. Jackalan’s father was the Baron’s Reveller, which apparently meant that he was always looking for fun things that the town of Egya could do.

School was let out for a week-long holiday, and Nashua went to the first day of the fair with Mother and Auntie Lima and Nashua’s cousin Peeyi. There were singing bards and jumping acrobats and lots of unfamiliar but delicious food. There were two knights that jousted, though Nashua was a little disappointed after watching them go three rounds that neither had seriously hurt the other.

But a shiver ran through her as Mother led the way past a tent where a little boy her own age was calling out “Come one, come all – have your fortune told by the witch!”

Thank you for your feedback and comments!