Dust It Off Bloghop #3: Reflections

Big thank you to Theresa Paolo & Cortney Pearson. You've hosted an awesome bloghop.

Dust it Off Bloghop Notes/Dates:

May 3rd: Post a 1-2 sentence pitch about the shelved WIP.  The second day, May 5th:  Post your favorite excerpt (300-350 words)The third day, May 7th: Post what you learned from this WIP.

    What have I learned from the Dust-it-Off Bloghop?

    Probably, the number one thing, to read instructions better. *Laughs*

I think if I had realized it would be best to snag a W.i.P that was really old, and really not looked at recently, I would have chosen the very first book I tried to write (the only one that wasn't recycled into something I actually wrote and finished – be it short story or novel). I shelved Knight for a few months, but I always knew I'd be going back to it to edit. Indeed, I have recently started editing it to become it's second draft form. Ah, if this means Knight doesn't count, that's ok, it was fun to share anyway.

    Secondly, I need to get back on my schedule. I'm letting my visit to NJ mess with me, when really, it's more my own nerves blocking my blogging and writing.

    Thirdly, man I missed Knight. It was only shelved for two or three months, but during that time I was trying to get through the first section of The Wandering Shadow. Which was torture. I've never loved an idea so much and had such a hard time writing it. Not like Knight, which I adored from beginning to end, despite a slight rough patch the last few chapters when it was, haha, right smack dab in the middle of another visit to NJ. (Are you sensing a pattern? K.S. does not do well with traveling! And she misses her apartment and boy like crazy.)

    It really helped to re-read Knight, to dive back into characters and scenes that moved fluidly and felt energetic and connected. It really helped to talk with those characters again, have a heart-to-heart with Erin, and start thinking about the next in the series (though that won't start being written until November, most likely).

    And lastly, I learned that the blogging community is awesome. They'll even post on people's blogs who are crazy, and feather-brained, and don't read instructions clearly enough. >.<

    Thanks for stepping into Erin's world for the past week. I can assure you, she was glad to show you around and introduce you to her friends.  

Dust it Off Bloghop Day 2, writing update

Bachelorette party for my sister successful! Busyness level back to manageable. Plans for the rest of the weekend include: 1. Continuing the Dust it Off Bloghop (created by the amazing Theresa Paolo & Cortney Pearson). 2. Actually tackling the many blogs and commenting I've been wanting to do. 3. Writing another chapter for my current W.i.P

Dust it Off Bloghop dates:

May 3rd: Post a 1-2 sentence pitch about the shelved WIP.  The second day, May 5th:  Post your favorite excerpt (300-350 words)The third day, May 7th: Post what you learned from this WIP.

 DUST IT OFF BLOGHOP EXCERPT

     
     “A dark stranger. A shadowy past. A suspicious conversation,” he continued. “Mist Walkers, mystery, murder-”

     “Woah,” Erin said, sitting up straighter.

     “Murder?” Jolene repeated in bewilderment.

     “Not one right now, but there could be. Any day. What if this Matthew fellow is a crazed killer? Mist Walkers all have to be a little off in the head. Being outside his natural habitat, he could snap at any moment.”

     It was how dead serious he sounded that made Erin gape for as long as she did. She sent a silent look, pleading for some understanding from Derrin, who until this point had been fairly silent. His long legs were stretched out, his head resting on his arms. Derrin had always been too tall for his own good, and his six feet five inches were even more apparent seeing him like this. In sharp contrast to Humphrey, Derrin kept his brown hair short, almost completely shaved. He gave Erin a small grin. He had a small scar on the left side of his chin that just reached his bottom lip, which Erin had given him their first day of school.

     “Well,” he said slowly. “He could be a murderer.”

     Humphrey and Derrin were both Guard Mages. Like her father, they guarded the farms, and so had the same bright yellow and orange uniforms. With two years under their belts, three for Humphrey, they were both considered standard Guard Mages instead of novices. Finishing school was how students marked their passage into adulthood. Moving past the novice level was how the actual adults marked another's adulthood. By that point, one would hopefully have gained more experience and maturity.

     'Obviously not the case with these two,' Erin grumbled in her head. Her magic slid up and into her fingertips, making them itch, telling her that it was happy to help her express her displeasure at any moment. Erin wished her magic really was a dog. She'd have given it a good scratch behind the ears.

Dust It Off Bloghop: The Pitch

Time for a new bloghop! Though I'm still reeling and trying to get my feet back under me from the last one! Haha. Details are:

The amazing Theresa Paolo & Cortney Pearson are having their first Bloghop!!! The Dust It Off Bloghop will be three days, May 3rd, 5th and 7th. 

"We've all had those manuscripts that we poured our heart into, fell in love with the characters and still think of them at random, but unfortunately had to shelf. Now it's time for a little spring cleaning. Take out those manuscripts and Dust It Off!" - Theresa Paolo 

The first day, May 3rd: Post a 1-2 sentence pitch about the shelved WIP.  The second day, May 5th:  Post your favorite excerpt (300-350 words)The third day, May 7th: Post what you learned from this WIP.

So, a little bit about my W.i.P! It's called Knight: Book 1 of the Mist Walkers series (planned to be four books). It's a YA fantasy. Set in a world shrouded by a chaotic fog called the Mist, and involving magic, mage vs. non-mage conflicts, mystery, and the strange Mist Walkers. I'm not sure how much we're allowed to give away, or should, so, onto the pitch!


Knight: The Pitch

Erin Langley is two years overdue on graduating, thanks to her magic, which acts like a pyromaniac puppy with a prankster's heart. When a caravan cuts through the dangerous Mist that blankets the world, bringing fascinating news and trinkets from other cities, they also bring the mysterious Matthew, and a heap of trouble that Erin will find herself smack dab in the middle of, faulty magic or no.

You should definitely look into the bloghop if you haven't yet. And then check out the one hosted by Kelley Lynn and Emily King - Oh, Those High School Dances Bloghop.