First things first.
I'm working on a flexible writing schedule. Yup. The girl who can't sick to a schedule is going to make a huge one for her writing life. We'll see how that goes.
Actually, I've been on a pretty good schedule lately that has worked well (the reason I'm considering this full out schedule deal). I try to write 1,000 words a day and it's been working well.
The only problem is I can't find the extra planner I wanted to schedule my writing stuff into.
Such is life.
I really believe a schedule would be good for me, though. It's nice to at least have a visual representation of stuff I want to get done. Makes it easier to actually get it done eventuall (if not on the scheduled times).
Cool. So, teaser time.
This teaser comes from Eventide (as usual).
This tease follows pretty closely with the last one. It's a bit later in time (not more than a day). We see Natura, Haro, and Christiana still in the Grand Icarthian City. The Ascensian Academy Trials are going on in the next few days, and there is a celebration for all the competitors the evening before it begins. Christiana drags Natura to the party, which is full of eating and dancing (typical of an Icarthian celebration).
The Tease
Natura stood on the edge of the open space, straining her eyes to find her friend. If Christiana was anywhere, she would be in the dance.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Erik standing beside her, a small smile on his lips. “May I have this dance, Miss?” he asked, holding out his hand.
“Oh, I don’t dance,” Natura said, pushing his hand down. Ever since Alger Penn dumped her in the fountain at a celebration in Parcel when she was seven, Natura did her best to avoid festive gatherings. And since Christiana repaid poor Alger with a black eye and a broken hand, she wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms to the festivities she so desperately wanted to attend.
“Not much for a celebration?” Erik asked.
“No,” Natura said. Coming from a village where the girls married young, and the young men frequented the tavern, a celebration was the last place Natura desired to be. Though, her father pushed her to attend as much as she could; wishing to settle her with a man as soon as he could.
“Neither am I,” Erik said. “So we’ll be good for each other.” He smiled at her, showing off impressively white teeth for an Icarthian man. He held his hand out again. “Come on.”
“No, really I’m content here watching,” she insisted.
“Come on.” He grabbed at her hand and pulled her across the open space. He pulled her to him, one hand clutching her at the waist and the other holding her hand. When a space opened in the group around the fire, he pulled her in with him to the dance. She held his shoulder tightly, her arms tense, as they spun around the fire.
“See, it isn’t so bad,” Erik said, smiling down at her.
Natura clenched her teeth together and focused on her hand at his shoulder. She closed her eyes and held her breath as they spun quickly and started moving back in the opposite direction they had been going.
“Switch!” someone yelled in the crowd, with echoes of the same word erupting from other dancers around the fire.
Natura let out a long breath. If she was quick enough, she could work her way out of the circle of dancers before another young man claimed her as a partner.
Erik’s hands let her go, letting her spin away from him. She opened her eyes as she spun, and the world spun around her. Her foot caught itself under her, and her body lurched forward.
A pair of strong hands caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her up and into the dance again.
“The opening ceremonies are for competitors only, you know.” Rigel laughed, his lips caught up in a crooked smile. He held her around the waist, spinning smoothly with her around the fire. His calloused hand was warm around hers.
“Are you feeling alright?” he asked. “You look a little green.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll be alright.”
“It didn’t look like you were doing too well with Erik,” he said. “Or without him, for that matter. You were headed right for the ground there.”
“I’m not much for dancing,” she said, meeting his eyes with her own.
Rigel shrugged. “You’re doing alright, now.” He lifted her up and they spun in time with the group.
“I guess so,” she said, smiling a little.
“So will you be watching the Trials tomorrow?” Rigel asked as they spun again.
“We’ll be leaving back for my village tomorrow,” Natura said. “I don’t like to be away for long.”
“Homesick?” he asked. “Or do you have a fellow missing you back home?” He laughed as they turned and switched directions.
“My father is ill,” Natura said. “My family needs me.”
Rigel stopped laughing and frowned sympathetically. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t know.”
End Tease
I'm not entirely pleased with the mechanics or the dialogue in this section. I'm itching to completely rewrite it and let it make more sense to a reader. But the effect I want it to have is there, hidden amongst the smut.
I need this scene to draw a subtle contrast between Erik and Rigel. They're cousins, so of the same bloodline, and not entirely different (they aren't opposites or anything). I need the reader to pick up on the act that Erik is rough and a little unstable, while Rigel is strong and compassionate. I just don't want to make it entirely obvious. It's important for a very big shift in the relationships between Natura and these two young men.
Luckily I can make this all better in endless revision. Yay revision!
'Till next time!
-Lauren-
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