Pig Kibble 2/23/14 WeWriWa Snippet

Welcome back for another week of great writing snippets! It's a marvelous experience.

My original plan was to post 8 sentences that follow my last WeWriWa post, which was selected from my YA WIP, Dwarfed, but I stumbled across
this particular snippet while editing the other day and it tickled my sense of humor, so I decided to post it instead. Some creative editing was required before it fit the 8 sentence limit.

Don't forget to visit the blogs of my fellow Sunday snippet and Weekend Writing Warriors participants as they post collections of sentences from their works in progresses and completed manuscripts. Every genre is represented.

If I get in the stall with the piglets, I won’t be trapped, but I also won’t be able to get out very quickly. Luke’s tall enough to jump over the side,  I’m not. I’ll be pig kibble.

I stare at the sow: her floppy ears jiggle and bounce as she leans into Luke’s touch. I swear she’s smiling.

“She's an old pro at this,” Luke says. “She knows humans aren't going to hurt her babies.”

“Will you keep scratching her?” Maybe, if his fingers keep her distracted, she won’t develop an impulsive hatred of redheaded teenagers. 

Funny, it looks like such a short little snippet, but I had to use some creative editing in order to meet the requirements and I still went one sentence over.

Snippet Sunday and #WeWriWa

It's Sunday again, which means Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday! Also, Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I spent last weekend and most of last week fighting with internet problems. As a result I was unable to visit as many blogs as I would have liked, hopefully I'll make up for that this week.

This week I found out that my YA manuscript, Dwarfed, made it to the Amazon Breakthrough Novelist quarterfinals! That's not quite the same thing as a publishing contract, but I'm a big believer in celebrating all accolades.  Amazon even posted a link to my excerpt (okay they posted all the quarter finalist's ) It served as a reminder that I've focused all of my snippets on Grace, Luke, and a piglet, but have somehow managed to ignore Grace's pet duck Adelaide. It's time to correct that oversight.

I crest the hill separating the house from the giant pond. Below me, ducks float on the pond, like a living Monet painting.

I let myself into the pen and walk to the shoreline. Standing on the slight decline, I’m careful to keep my feet well away from the disgusting clumps of algae, feather, soggy pieces of straw, and duck droppings congealing where water and land collide. Rippling V’s spread over the water, as the ducks turn and paddle to the far edge of the fenced in area.

“Adelaide.”  Several white ducks look at me.

            I ignore them and try again, gentling my voice. “Adelaide?”

Source: tammyferrenphotography.com via Soni on Pinterest

Sunday's Writing Snippet for #WeWriWa

This snippet from my YA manuscript picks up where last weeks concluded. To read the excellent snippets the talented writers participating in today's writing event you can check out the Weekend Writing Warriors list or the FaceBook group .

I'm not sure how many snippets I'll be able to read. I'm traveling, but I'll try to get to as many as I can.

         “Here,” Luke hands her to me. I cuddle her against my chest and coo meaningless words. She closes her eyes and presses her thin body against my sternum and sighs. 

            Luke steps out of the room for a second before reappearing with a small ladder. “The room is small. Hopefully that and the fact it’s still fairly warm outside will be enough to keep her warm, but I figured I’d hang this heat lamp just in case. It could get cool at night and she doesn’t have any littermates to snuggle with.

            Luke climbs to the top of the ladder and uses duct tape to attach the first of the lights to the ceiling.

Source: magicalnaturetour.tumblr.com via Jeannette on Pinterest

Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of in Books

The topic that the Broke and the Bookish came up with for this week's blog hop was hard. Looking through my own bookcase it was obvious how many great and varied settings authors have used. While I have found most of these settings in books I've read, I would like to see them show up more often.

1. Farms- I don't think authors understand just what they're missing out on. There's a million different types  of farms they could use, and so many different, entertaining people they could base characters on. Farming has been greatly underused in literature.
I think this would be a fantastic setting for both historical,
contemporary, and sci-fi novels.


2.Hockey games-I love hockey and feel more authors should right about it. The best thing about hockey showing up in more books will be the diverse cultures it would allow the author to use.

3. Chincoteque/Assateque Islands-Yep, O' Henry's fabulous Misty trilogy was set on these islands, as was a very badly researched episode of Bones, but I'd still like to see both islands in more books.

                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                               

4. Michigan's Upper Peninsula-I think I've read one, maybe two books that have even acknowledged the U.P., AND THAT'S JUST WRONG! The U.P. is a beautiful place full of wildlife, copper, mining, pasties, farming, water, and a million other things. Truthfully, I'd like to see Michigan in general appear in more books.

Source: Uploaded by user via Alison on Pinterest

5.County fairs-How come no one writes about a county fair? It's the perfect setting for YA books!

Source: deliciousindustries.blogspot.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

 6.The 1600's-I've been able to find very few books set in this time period, which doesn't make any sense to me. So much happened than, it should be a gold mine of possibilities.

7.  Mummy Crypt's-Mummies are slowly starting to show up in some books, and as far as I'm concerned this is a very good thing. I just want more mummy book, like, right now.

Source: imgur.com via Hudson on Pinterest

8. Pig farms-Okay, I'm a little biased. My WIP happens to be set on a pig farm, but that doesn't mean I don't want more books to come out with the same setting.As an added bonus, hands down hog farmers happen to be the nicest group of people I've ever met.

Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Lacey on Pinterest

9.Traveling Circuses-Sarah Gruen effectivly showed what a great setting this can be. I'm hoping more authors follow suit

10.  The World Fair-I don't think I've read a single book set at the World Fair.            

What about you? Do you have any settings you wish would show up more in the books you snuggle up with?

Six Sentence Sunday 12/16/12

Hi! Thanks for stopping by. This week's snippet is once again from my YA manuscript, DWARFED, and picks up right where last week's left off.

     “Thank you,” I whisper.
    “Humph,” Etna grunts. Her gaze oscillates from me, to Luke, to the piglet. I hold my breath, afraid she’s going to change her mind, and take the piglet. My body tenses, prepared to grab the tiny creature before she can, though I don’t know how I’ll get over the top of the nursery crate in time, it’s not like I can lean across it the way Luke and Etna do. Before I come  up with a plan, Etna snorts, spins on her heel, and lumbers through the threshold.

Be sure to check out the links of the talented writers participating in this week's Six Sentence Sunday blog hop!

Six Sentence Sunday 12/2/12

So, did everyone make it through NaNoWriMo? I did, though I’m not looking forward to the massive amount of editing I foresee in my future.

Now back to this week’s SSS post. I picked up where I left off a few weeks ago. If you’re new to my blog you can catch up by visiting this post right here. You should also check out the official Six Sentence Sunday list. There’s several very talented writers participating this week. You’ll enjoy reading their contributions.

Etna lumbers over to the nursery crate, and peers down at the piglet, who stares up at her. My nails dig little crescent shaped gouges into my palms. There’s nothing I won’t do to help it, even going toe to toe with my aunt.

She adjusts her eye patch and her heads swivels to face me. I should meet her eye, I want to, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t, the best I can do is staring at a small tear in her jacket. She shuffles closer and my knees shake.

Thank you for taking the time to read my little snippet. Any and all comments and criticisms are appreciated.