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Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 29

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wewriwa

Time for another Weekend Writing Warriors snippet. Every Sunday, I join a bunch of writers through a blog hop and post an 8-10 sentence snippet of my current project. You can click on the link to see what everyone else is up to.

Oh man. NaNoWriMo brings me to one of my favorite parts of the novel—meeting Wren, Bear, Fox, and Ape. These are Yildirim soldiers working on a large ship under Reuben’s command, but only half-heartedly. In a time where Ilsi feels alone and misused, these characters give her something to smile about. Guaranteed some of my favorite characters to write about—besides Reshma!

“Quick, Wren,” Bear said, nudging him, “say something to get her to like us.”

“What, you don’t think you’re charming enough on your own?” Wren rolled his eyes. He reverted his attention to Ilsi and said, “This may sound weird coming from us, but being friends with the crew is probably your best move.”

“Best move for what?” Ilsi said. It was then she noticed that not a single crew member was wearing a red amulet. She wasn’t forced to wear one, either.

“I assume you’re not staring at my chest because it’s hairy,” Wren said, as if reading her mind; Ilsi blushed in reply. “There’s no need for mind control on this ship—we’re the defects.”

“Wait,” Ilsi said, putting her spoon down, “you’re rebels?”

Check out other snippets here. You can also learn more about the novel, Destiny Seeker, here. Don’t forget to comment below if you’ve got a snippet to share as well! Compliments and constructive insight are equally welcome.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 27

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wewriwa

Time for another Weekend Writing Warriors snippet. Every Sunday, I join a bunch of writers through a blog hop and post an 8-10 sentence snippet of my current project. You can click on the link to see what everyone else is up to.

This week was another blessed hack-and-slash session in regards to my novel. There’s something exciting about finally cutting out useless scenes that don’t further the plot and replacing them with things that do. Decluttering at its finest. So in a way, this snippet represents the surviving parts that I kept this week.

At this point, Ilsi’s objective is to find Giselle, who is so old and powerful, no one really knows the extent of her abilities; they just feel like having someone like that on their side is better than having her for an enemy. Ilsi tries to encourage her to see things her way, and we see Giselle’s friendly and grandma-like facade finally crack away a bit.

“It’s funny you’re asking an old lady like me to be a soldier,” Giselle shook her head and laughed.

“I’m asking if you’re willing to be an ally,” Ilsi explained. “We really need your help if we’re ever going to win this war.”

“Whatever it is you think you need from me, it won’t be enough.”

“But they threatened to find you,” Ilsi emphasized. “Why let them win and terrorize and—”

“Because I’m tired of fighting other people’s battles!” Giselle roared, spitting harshly. After Giselle coughed harshly for a bit and wiped her lips with her sleeve, she rattled, “If you want to fight Ladala’s fight, I can’t stop you, dear child. But I’m done. I’ve done enough fighting.”

Check out other snippets here. You can also learn more about the novel, Destiny Seeker, here. Don’t forget to comment below if you’ve got a snippet to share as well! Compliments and constructive insight are equally welcome.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 26

· 6 Comments

wewriwa

Time for another Weekend Writing Warriors snippet. Every Sunday, I join a bunch of writers through a blog hop and post an 8-10 sentence snippet of my current project. You can click on the link to see what everyone else is up to.

Oh my days. This week, I somehow managed to combine materials from three chapters into one this week! It was mainly because I’ve killed some darlings in previous chapters and had to keep taking out more that didn’t apply to the story anymore. I did get to revisit a favorite passage of mine, just because the scene came super clear in my mind so I was able to write what I wanted.

In this passage, Ilsi overhears a Yildirim commander talking with another high-ranking gent about their progress in searching for Ilsi and her friends. Ilsi rightfully questions their abilities as soldiers after they talk, search the area, and move on without finding the girls.

“Now gather everyone, and we’ll leave immediately. This search is getting more and more absurd,” the commander announced, muttering the last sentiment more to himself.

The sound of marching feet soon died away. Ilsi bit her lip as she shook her head furiously.

Those men didn’t come anywhere near us. They are either dimwits and don’t know how to properly find two young girls, or they knew how close they were hiding and talked loud enough for them to hear.

Is it a trap? Was all of that a show for us?

Ilsi’s gets the feeling during this passage that these soldiers think that looking for Ilsi and her new friend, Gilly, is a fool’s errand. Orders are orders, right? However, Ilsi has to act fast to get a step or two ahead of these soldiers.

Check out other snippets here. You can also learn more about the novel, Destiny Seeker, here. Don’t forget to comment below if you’ve got a snippet to share as well! Compliments and constructive insight are equally welcome.

TESTIMONIALS

Whitney McGruder has created a vast and imaginative world in Destiny Seeker with surprises to delight the reader at every turn. Readers can settle in to devour the diverse and ingenious magic Destiny Seeker has to offer. I highly recommend it.
Jessica Frazier
I won a contest via Wit & Travesty in the summer of 2017. The prize was a professional edit of the first 100 pages of a WIP. My middle grade fantasy was only 90 pages, so she read the entire manuscript. She was communicative and positive about the project. Her edits markedly polished up my manuscript and were easy to understand.
Rachel Barnard
Whitney did a copy-edit on my third novel, Checkmate. She was a pleasure to work with, and helped me give my novel that final polish that it needed before publication. Put her on your list for editors that help your work shine!
Angelika Offenwanger
Whitney and I worked together in a writing feedback group some years ago and have remained in touch since then. From the beginning, I was struck by her absolute responsibility as an editor. Even in the capacity of a group member, not even being employed or contracted by me to edit my work, Whitney was unerringly punctual, thorough, and accurate with her feedback. Her advice is genuinely insightful and I believe the marketability of my work was noticeably increased due to her guidance. I so value her skills that I still turn to her as a resource after three years of working with her in-person have passed.
Jonathan Baker
Whitney helped me with two short projects written for children, and she was very pleasant to work with. She has an eye for detail, helping me with small grammar errors as well as insights about adding scenes that would enhance my story. Her turnaround time was extremely quick, which I really appreciated when on a deadline!
Brittany Olsen
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