Author Journey: April 21, 2023 - Oh The Annoyance

 Welcome! You chose to take a moment to stroll along the scenic route with me and that makes my day better. Thanks for coming along on part of my journey. I've got a lot to share with you, from annoyance to satisfaction in different areas of my writing, a writing prompt, and a chapter from The Tale of Outh'n Durr. I better get started. It's going to rain all day today according to the weather folks. I don't want to miss posting this. 

Author Journey: Oh, The Annoyance! 

I have no progress to report on my Camp Nano project. To recap, I'm editing Surge, book three in my Children of Y'Dahnndrya series. Or rather, I'm supposed to be editing it. That hasn't gone at all according to plan. This is the first time I've gone more than a week without touching a Nano-related project. 

I'm beyond annoyed and I don't know how I'm going to catch up without letting something else go. Please pray for me to be able to have a couple of days of editing without interruption. I plan to use The Sherry Formula pomodoro timer deep focus study music playlist. I've used it as background writing music before, but never the timer. Hopefully, that'll remind me to get up and stretch, grab a quick snack, then get back to work. I actually like pomodoro timers, though it's more fun to do with a group.

Writer's Life: Oh, The Satisfaction!

There is nothing quite like having a veritable stranger say you've done a good job with your writing or art, or whatever. 

I'm part of a gaming server on Discord. What I like most about this server is that the creator fixed it up so the members could share their creative work. I shared a portion of a story there a couple of days ago and got an encouraging comment and several positive emojis. I also shared two covers I created because there was a discussion on the topic. I got good responses on those, particularly the cover for Surge. But that was verification to me. I know the cover for Outh'n's tale isn't as spectacular, but it was never meant to be. 

This positive feedback has really encouraged me to keep going. I've also realized the back cover blurb for Outh'n's story isn't so gripping as his story. I need to figure out how to say that in a way that grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go. And I think I just figured it out while typing this. 

A little update on Spartacus - He seems to be healing. I'm thanking God for that, and for my sister who suggested possible strategies. I'm also thanking God for every person who posted online about the things they tried on their own pets which worked. 

Just Keep Writing: Friday Fascicles

If this is your first time participating in this kind of writing exercise, you're in for a treat. If you've done this with me before, just keep scrolling for the prompt.

Rules:

1. You can use any/all of the words and/or the photo in the prompt below to create a unique written work. Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, even lyrics are acceptable.  
2. Please keep the material you write clean (ie. nothing R-rated or worse) if you wish to share the link to your work here, as well as if you link back to my site. I strive to keep my site free of such things. My readers know and expect this. I respect your right to write whatever you feel you need to write. And you're free to use my prompts. But if your material is graphic, I'd rather not view it, and most of my readers will not wish to. 
3. Have fun! This type of exercise is perfect for growing in the writing craft, or for helping through a rough patch in your current WIP. If you're looking to push your author limits and you normally write in nonfiction prose, try a whimsical collection of lyrics. If you normally write poems about real life events, try your hand at a fanfic. Give yourself some room to explore.

Don't forget to leave a link to your creation (unless you're writing graphic material) so my readers and I can check out your work. I'd appreciate a link back to this post to help me reach more readers, but it's not required. 

Think you can do something with these? I believe you can!

Just Keep Writing: Exerpt From "The Tale of Outh'n Durr"

I'm sorry but there won't be any notes this time. Just know that this is a section I pulled from the story that's going to be published very soon. You won't have the whole thing, but you'll have what I hope is a section which will have you wanting to know more. 

Alert

... 

“You’ve improved so much today, Outh’n,” Kol said with confidence, pulling him away from his wandering thoughts. “I actually wonder what took you so long.”

The genuine quality in his voice and the words put Outh’n at ease, so he answered honestly, keeping the details brief. “I don’t know. In my village, when I’d fight back, it made the fight last longer and meant more pain for me.” 

“You don’t have that luxury here, eik’it. You’ll need to stay alert, always be ready to fight back with everything you’ve got. This isn’t a scuffle between younglings. It’s a fight for your life and the life of your people.”

“I understand.” Outh’n looked Kol directly in the eye for a change. 

“Do you, Outh’n Durr? Do you really?” Skepticism tainted the words this time, and a scowl darkened the older man’s brow. 

Outh’n huffed and rose. “Look, iteik’I,” he gestured with one hand as he spoke, “You asked. I answered as honestly as I could. What more do you want from me?”

“The same thing Edrea wants from you.”

“And that is,” he left the thought dangling in the air between them.

“Loyalty. Honesty. Integrity. And your determination to put all of yourself into protecting our home, our benefactor, and our people.”

“You’ve got that, Kol. What else can I do to prove it to you?”

“Having witnessed your performance until now, you wish me to believe you’re committed after a couple of successful sparring sessions?”

Outh’n stared at him for a long while before daring to speak, the words burning on his tongue. He finally settled on the least offensive, having no desire to anger the man who’d felled him again and again, dawning after dawning. “I see your point.”

Kol nodded once. “Good. If you want to prove yourself, it takes more than that. It’s good to know you understand.”

*****

Outh’n had a lot to consider as he hiked back to his little cabin. With the light steadily fading, he drifted off the path without realizing it. By the time he noticed what he'd done, he was on some little-used trail. He chided himself for his lack of focus and wondered what to do. Did he dare try finding his way back to the main trail, or did he just stay put for the duration of the dusking? 

A rustling in the shrubs nearby had him shifting in the blink of an eye. His vision improved, and he thanked Tugansol for the wuveia’s special gift of seeing in the dark and their enhanced sense of smell. He scanned the trail, sniffed the ground in front of him, testing the new tools he hadn’t tried out yet. Turning about on the trail, he found he could retrace his steps easily. 

The underbrush shivered again, and this time, he caught sight of the reason. A thorny vine trapped a small burrower. The pull to attack was so strong, he was creeping toward it before he recognized what was happening. He shook his head, trotted over to the vine and nipped through it with his jaws, setting the smaller beast free with a mental apology. 

Shaking his shaggy head once more, he set back to work, finding his way home. Despite having found the main trail again, he still couldn’t shake the feeling of being followed. It was time to end this farce. 

Outh’n darted off the path through a small opening in the underbrush and doubled back down the trail. It wasn’t long before he scented something different. He’d never encountered such a strong, salty scent before now. It could’ve been because of his heightened sense of smell in his current form. The only other reason was he’d stumbled upon something he hadn’t yet seen on Yacan. 

Should he track this unknown being? Should he call for help? Maybe he should just go home. It had been a long dawning, and he was tired. There was no way to know if this thing was something he could handle on his own or not. And who knew if anyone would hear him out here?

A bubbly gurgle was the only warning he had before two slimy, webbed claws grabbed for his hind legs. If it hadn’t been for his quick reflexes, his life could’ve ended there. He spun, looking everywhere for the creature’s body, but the only thing he could see was a single pair of claws, opening and closing, extending and retracting. 

The movement intrigued him, and he watched closely, waiting for the next attack. Open and shut, forward and back, the slow drip of muck, all worked together to lull him into a state of half-sleep. 

When the attack came, Outh’n was in no shape to defend himself. Cold claws of death ringed his paws and dragged him under the leaf-strewn floor of the forest. He barely had the sense to howl before his snout went under.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Do you want to know more? I'll be announcing the release date soon here on the blog. 

Did you find something useful or helpful in today's post? If so, please share in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you. 

On Monday, I'll have a fresh writing prompt to share with you. I can hardly believe this month is more than halfway over. Crazy! 

Until next time,
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