Sunday's Dwarfed Snippet

Both Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday provide writers with different interests and talents to shared writing snippets and advice. The rules for both groups are simple. Post a snippet from, in my case, work-in-progress. After posting, I get to read the snippets the other participants have posted. It's a sweet deal! 

Last week I had several first time visitors, or at least first  time commentators so I'm doing a short set up.

DWARFED is a YA manuscript featuring 16 year old Grace, who temporarily finds herself living on a working hog farm in Michigan, Luke Searc, who works for the farm, and Spēs, a newborn piglet who needs a little extra care. Grace has a big heart and a stubborn nature. She also has a genetic condition called achondroplasia dwarfisam.

A collection of snippets from DWARFED can be found here. And now, this week's snippet.

          “Grace.” Luke hesitates. He looks like he wants to say something but is having a difficult time finding the right words.

            My teeth sink into my lip and silently willing him to not mention our near kiss. My brain has turned to mush, important components have shorted out, until I get it sorted out there’s no way I can talk about what nearly happened.

I hug the little pig more closely my breastbone. She sighs and rests her chin on shoulder. I should be grateful, she saved me from making a huge mistake. Still, a part of my head, a part that must have sustained the most damage, feels disappointed.

I forgot to mention it, but I want to give a big shout out to one of my favorite youth organizations, 4-H. If you weren’t a part of the 4-H scene while you were a kid, you have no idea what you missed out on. If you have kids, you should get them involved, you’ll be glad you did!

 

Source: flohe-images.de via cookkooc_de on Pinterest

Aftermath-weWriWa Sunday Snippet

I'm joining an enormous group of extremely talented writers for Sunday Snippet and Weekend Writing Warriors. The rules for both groups are simple. Post a snippet from, in my case, work-in-progress. After posting, I get to read the snippets the other participants have posted.

Last week, the snippet I posted ended in the middle of a paragraph. This week I'm starting in the middle of the same paragraph.

Last week I had several first time visitors, or at least first  time commentators so I'm doing a short set up.

DWARFED is a YA manuscript featuring 16 year old Grace, who temporarily finds herself living on a working hog farm in Michigan, Luke Searc, who works for the farm, and Spēs, a newborn piglet who needs a little extra care. Grace has a big heart and a stubborn nature. She also has a genetic condition called achondroplasia dwarfisam.

A collection of snippets from DWARFED can be found here. And now, this week's snippet.

His strong, calloused fingers wrap around my palm and wrist. He digs his heels into the ground and pulls me to my feet. “I guess she was worried about you.”

“It seems so,” I mutter.

I keep my head bent to hide my bright red cheeks as I take my new pig from him, and cuddle her against my chest. The solid feel of her weight against my heart doesn’t stop way stomach jumps around as I peer up at Luke through my eyelashes.

Had I really almost kissed him?

Source: Uploaded by user via Antonio on Pinterest

Some Romance, Alot of Creative Editing, and a Cute Piglet Rolled into a Single Sunday Snippet

I can't thank everyone enough for your wonderful advice last week regarding my snippet. You're a wonderful group of people, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

For anyone who might  be stopping by for the first time. I post snippets from my YA work-in-progress titled Dwarfed which features the antics of Grace, Luke and a precocious piglet. It's set on a working hog farm. Be sure to check out the talented writers who have posted writing samples this week. Links to their sits can be found at the Weekend Writing Warrior website or the Facebook group.

This week's snippet picks up where last week's drops off. I confess, I had to use some creative editing and comma placement in order to stick to the #WeWriWa sentence restrictions. Still, I think it works. You wouldn't have like the natural stopping point ;D

             I can't breathe, it feels like my entire body has been squished flat and now matter how much I try, my lungs refuse to inflate. Luke uses the same elbow that sent me sprawling to lever his upper body away from mine, I sense him looking down at me.

             “Are you okay,” he asks, his voice shaking a little,“Grace?”

  Fingertips brush my cheek, prompting me to open my watering eyes, my response dies in my throat as my heart slams against my ribs in an unfamiliar but glorious rhythm. Unbidden, my gaze slides down his face, pausing at his mouth, and I wonder if his lips can really be as soft as they look.

Straw pokes at the back of my neck as Luke's slide under the back of my skull, my eyes close and I shift closer to Luke, lifting my face to his.

            Something wet latches onto my chin, sucking with enough force, I clap one hand across the front of my face. pressing my fingertips and palm against my cheeks, hoping to prevent the skin from getting Hoovered off, while using my free hand to blindly shove at the strangely shaped object.

            Luke’s laughter fills the small room as he presses his fingers against the corner of the piglet's jaw, disengaging it from my chin before scooping her up and cradling her against his chest with one hand, and reaching for me with the other. 

 

  

Source: destructoid.com via Fran 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

Six Sentence Sunday 1/6/13

Yikes, problems with Blogger has me running way late with this weeks Six Sentence Sunday. After a two week holiday hiatus which I spent with family I'm back with another snippet from my YA manuscript DWARFED. Thanks for taking the time to read it!  

            “Grace.”

Startled, I spin in a ninety degree turn, and find myself staring at a small rip in Luke’s t-shirt that provides tantalizing glimpses of his navel. Swallowing, I tip my chin up and look into his eyes.

     “I'll show you where the milk replacer and all the stuff you're going to need is. We’re also going to have to come up with some place to put your pig.” He glances over his shoulder at the nursery crate where the sow grunts softly as her piglets swarm around her belly,  knocking the littlest baby aside as they fought for a teat.