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| wordcrafter |
I think that all artists, regardless of degree of talent, are a painful, paradoxical combination of certainty and uncertainty, of arrogance and humility, constantly in need of reassurance, and yet with a stubborn streak of faith in their own validity no matter what.
- madeleine l'engle
With something like 15,000 words between myself and the last snippets post, I thought now would be a good time to throw out a few pieces from the last several months. Cheers!
I made myself tea and hunkered down to my
own work at my desk, and for a little time—an hour, perhaps longer—a
library stillness settled over the flat. Ethan’s fingers chinked
against the handle of his mug. I pushed a page aside and hiked
backwards on the stool, blue jeans scraping at the torn vinyl covering;
my hand went unconsciously to my tea, porcelain shuffling on wood, and I
sniffed softly against the chill in my nose.
- wordcrafter
Ethan, I noted resentfully, could be devilishly cutting when he had a mind to be.
- wordcrafter
Then, because I had not the least idea where we were going, she took the lead, tugging me past tourist shops and vaguely Parisian tenements and across roads in the teeth of traffic (“The crossing signs are just suggestions,” she said).
- wordcrafter
With the grace of a horse surging off its haunches Ethan bore up again, eyes opening in a flare of white and grey, right hand falling back and leaving, in the secret hollows at the inner slopes of his nose, two pale oval patches that bloomed for a moment and disappeared. They were telling, those patches.
- wordcrafter
“You’re looking quite the Jacobite,” I added.
Her eyelids slanted coyly, bold black against white cheekbones. “I take that as a compliment.”
- wordcrafter
I saw [Jamie's] hand reach for the dial, the bangles chink and slide on her wrist as she turned up the volume. When we left the suburbs behind and merged with the other glittering headlights on M8 she cracked her window, propping her elbow on the door and straining to put her face up into the wind. It boomed against the glass and whipped at the pheasant feathers, filling the car with the damp, electric smell of the storm, and over the music and the engine, I heard thunder.
- wordcrafter
His face sparked in piqued pride and that grip on my arm suddenly hurt like a devil’s. “You’re my friend,” he said coldly, “and I don’t play games with friends."
- wordcrafter
I dumped my armload into the sink, barely remembered to fish out the book before opening the tap and plunging elbow-deep into the wash-up. The edge of the plate banged recklessly against the sides; a wedge of porcelain sang on the stainless steel and my finger caught for a moment in the new notch. Tera! Prince! This was not Roman Holiday, for God’s sake! I hurled the rinsed plate into the drainer and reached for the next, crumbs of toast shimmering across the counter.
- wordcrafter
(Chortles) I love that third one. ^_^
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting reading your work in first-person; this is the first time you've written from that perspective, yes? It's interesting and takes a different course in my mind, but... but I think I like it.
And as for that quote. Gingersnaps. It's too much "yes!" for me to process.
Yes, indeed, this is my first extended foray into first-person. It is very different: the extent of the difference startles me sometimes when I sit back and take stock of what I've written. Of course, part of that can also be chalked up to the setting: I don't generally write contemporary. But I, too, think I like it.
DeleteMirriam posted that quote on her Facebook wall some while ago, and while I don't always agree with Madeleine L'Engle, this was appropriate. Yes. Very yes. We're a crazy contradictory bunch. XD
These are cool. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad you enjoyed them.
DeleteHis face sparked in piqued pride and that grip on my arm suddenly hurt like a devil’s. “You’re my friend,” he said coldly, “and I don’t play games with friends."
ReplyDeleteI suspect strongly that this is Ethan? It sounds like him. :D Good ol' Ethan.
You know these characters. ^.^
DeleteThat sixth one—the description is so vivid! I can smell that thunderstorm myself. And #3 gave me a chuckle too.
ReplyDeleteParenthetical comments for the win!
DeleteI am so happy you are getting along happily with the rewrites for Wordcrafter; these are such lovely snippets and they have gotten me excited to go and pick up my pen to write too =). This quote by Madeleine L'Engle really fits well with my emotions of writing!
ReplyDeleteYou know what, Abigail? I think I actually really like your writing Wordcrafter in first person POV! The snippets of character, observation and describtion are so much more alive and vivid than ever, and I think connecting with Justin on a more intimate closer level will make all the other characters - Ethan, Jamie, Copper more three-dimensional and grounded :)). It definitely adds a contemporary tenor to your generally classic writing which befits the novel and its setting beautifully. (I have often been tempted to write in first person with A Love that Never Fails to break off my rather old-fashioned writing rythme).
But these snippets of writing are so good! They are so full of colorful description and witty observations, like Justin's resenting of Ethan being 'devilishly cutting', or the careless humour of "the crossing signs are only suggestions". That surely made me chuckle! I think my favorites are the 2nd, 3rd and the last. That last one was simply smashing, with the Roman Holiday reference!
By the by, as you know I am hosting a special blog-party (for Fullness of Joy's 3rd birthday) throughout the week. It will be a week long tag series, with every day or so I'll be making different literary-themed topic tags, about different genres such as the classics, fantasy, mystery, children's, etc . . which everyone can join in with. And I am dearly hoping you would - it would thrill me very much and also it should prove some fun, I think :)
DeleteToday's topic is "Historical Classics" :)
http://joy-live4jesus.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/through-looking-glass-blog-birthday.html?m=1
Happy birthday [to the blog]! Three years. I hadn't realized it's been so long!
DeleteI'm glad you like this new format for Wordcrafter. I do feel that the first person lends it a more contemporary feel (what is it with everyone nowadays and writing in first person?), as well as hinting that it could be memoir (which is what drove me toward first person to begin with). It is more difficult to grasp the other characters, though. I think that was a critique I heard of the Hunger Games books: the narrowness of Katniss' perspectives made it hard for the reader to come to know the other characters. This is something I am consciously trying to avoid. It's good to know you think Jamie and Ethan are still three-dimensional in the rewrite!
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ReplyDeleteAbigail, I think Wordcrafter is well on its way to becoming my favorite of your novels. I like the way you handle a modern setting with your own uniquely classic flair. I've always felt awkward with contemporary dialogue, but yours makes for pleasant, fluid reading without the sensation of being jolted too heavily into one era or another. The atmosphere, Ethan's fierceness in general, and Jamie—! "The crossing signs are just suggestions." Very well done. I want to read this book. ^_^
ReplyDeleteAnd I want to read Rifles in the South Field (which is an excellent title, by the way: just rolls off the tongue). One of these days we will send our books out into the world in an absolute orgy of publishing.
DeleteContemporary dialogue actually makes a nice change from historical fiction: I no longer have to research idioms to see when they came into usage! I can say whatever I want! BOO. YAH.
I approve of the Roman Holiday reference. ^.^ Also, these make me smile lots.
ReplyDeleteAnother plus of writing contemporary: I can make reference to classic films. <3
DeleteThe third-to-last is most definitely my favorite. <3
ReplyDeleteLovely snippets, Abigail!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! I don't quite see, though, how it connects to my Wordcrafter snippets. Was this perhaps meant to be posted on "Make It Strong"?
DeleteYes, I am so sorry! I do not know how I ended up on the wrong post. Please accept my apologies! Thank you, Abigail.
ReplyDelete