Spring Cleaning Writing Tag

So I'm not exactly sure where I got tagged (I read Claire's post first, and thought hmm, this might be fun, and then I read Christine's post afterward, and decided I definitely wanted to do this...and they both left it open).  But in any case, Deborah O'Carroll created this tag recently, and it seemed pretty fun!

But somehow I didn't get this ready for publishing until May????  #whoops

The Rules

1. Link back to the person who tagged you

2. Share the picture
 3. Answer the questions, or even pick and choose which ones you answer
 3.5. Tag 3 other writers and inform them that you tagged them

1. Dust-bunnies and Plot-bunnies: Reorganize Your Writing Goals

(Or Make New Ones)

My writing goals were very simple coming into 2018.  They were:

Hopefully this is readable...

 So far, I'm pretty much on track, but really only because it's not that hard to get too far off a list that vague, lol

I went over my Camp NaNo goal in April, too, so I'm pretty thrilled about that.

2. Which Stage Are You At? Expound!

a. Remodeling layouts (planning the story)
 b. Painting the walls in colorful hues (writing)
 c. Polishing the windows and scrubbing the floors and putting flowers in vases (editing)
 d. Blueprints (not to the cleaning or remodeling yet… just drawing up plans for the very beginning inklings of a story)
 e. Some combination of those things (cleaning out a closet)

I'm currently at c: polishing the windows and whatnot...  In the early stages of editing, and it's also going fairly well...once I figured out what in the world I'm doing, that is.  It's been so long since I've edited stuff, I kinda panicked all of January and had no clue where to start.  Once I got the MSP (Modified Stationary Panic) over with, I was able to sit right back down and get to work.

I'm also in d: blueprints as I gather ideas for a little short story I've been thinking about.  Might hear more about that in the coming months.

3. Treasure From the Back of the Closet

(Share one to three snippets you love!)

From Level One: No Suit Left Behind

Technically this is from a story I am co-writing with Evangeline.  But I love this snippet, and she said I could share.  These are both her characters, so the credit goes to her.  (Also forgive any poor writing, this was originally handwritten in a notebook, and has not been edited in any way)

Background:  The team is investigating a plant which is secretly creating life-like robots.  We now join two of the members, Jill and Luca, as they carry out their part of the mission.

Jill and Luca were in the building now, far in the back.  They had managed to sneak into the shipping and receiving area, and were in the process of taking notes of where the boxes were going.

"There seem to be a lot coming from Phoenix.  Let's open one up and see what's inside."

Luca slid one of the boxes behind a pallet stacked with simliar boxes, and opened it.  "Well, need a hand?"  He held up two metallic hands, a mad grin stretching over his face.

"Now that's weird!" Jill said, taking one and looking it over.  She winced.  "Creepy."

Luca ripped the tape off another box, this one larger, and opened the flaps.  "Heads or trails?"

"What?" Jill gave him an odd face.

"Well, here's a head." Luca tossed a skull at her, which she caught.

"Well, you better give me another.  Two heads are better then one."

Luca opened a third box.  "These are in here pretty tight.  Do me a favor and pull a leg, will you?"

Jill chuckled and helped him to remove one portion of a leg from the box.  They rifled through the contents, looking for a packing slip, and Jill suddenly sat up straighter.  "Do you have a weapon on you?"

"Uh, only the taser that I got from the store manager.  Why?"

"Because I hear someone coming!"

"Well of course someone's heard us!  With the amount of your laughing I'm surprised we're not locked out already!"

"Shh!  Seriously!  Luca - oh!" she stopped as a man appeared and gave a cry.  But before he could alert the guards, Luca delivered a powerfup zap to the man with the taser.

"And what would that be, beloved?"

"That would be a stunning blow if I ever saw one."

"Or a shocking blow," he offered.  "Let's take care of this guy..."

Together they pulled him behind the pallet and bound him with dental floss.  "Quite handy stuff," as Jill pointed out.  "He'll be tied up for a while."  She continued to laugh as she read the contents of the next box.  "Do you have any money on you?"

"Uh, yeah.  I have some change from when I took James for Sushi during the ComicCon."

"Will you pay me to drop this box?"

Luca raised an eyebrow.  "Sure, I'll give you a nickel."

Jill dropped the box, which fell to the ground, smashing whatever was contained in it.  "I'm breaking people's kneecaps for money!"

"Shut up, you!" he laughed, and grabbed a packing tape dispenser.  "We should patch these back up and get out as soon as we can.  I'm not sure how long it will take to get back out."

"Not too long, I should think.  At least, faster than it took to get in."

"How do you know?"

"Because the RV is parked at the bottom of a hill, and-"

"-and going down is always easier than going up!  I like it!" he grinned.  "Let's snap a couple pics of this stuff and get out!"

"Right."

From Betrayal and Bravery: Words of Peace

This is a section from the last book in my trilogy, written over last NaNoWriMo.

Background:  It is the middle of winter.  News of a Rochen attack on Ristor has just reached the ears of Marywyn Windborne.  She takes a fast horse and rides out into a coming snowstorm to warn the Royal City.

Night enveloped us, and still Ness pushed forward.  No doubt she knew that there would be rest and food once we reached the city.  My bones ached for sleep, and my fingers and toes were numb and senseless.  If only we could come across someone with a roaring fire!  But here, in the middle of the woods, there would be no one for miles.

As Ness trotted on, I thought about Father and Caven, exploring these lands together as young men, protecting travelers along the road.  How many times had they been caught in the snow?  How many times had they pressed on through cold and pain and weariness to get to their destination?  How many times had Duren braved these snowy paths himself, attempting to bring news to a worried husband and wife?  How many times had I braved a long journey to warn of approaching danger?

Herald of War, that’s what I was.  If we were at peace, I would be a nobody.  I would just be another villager, content to live with my crops and animals and simple ways.  But since we were at war, I took action, doing what I could to save the land and people I loved so dearly.
How many days would it be to reach the city?  I wasn’t sure.  Hopefully it wouldn’t be that long.  Hopefully there would be a place for shelter, or at least a bit of sleep.  Everything ached, and Ness surely didn’t feel much better than I did.

But we pushed on as the snowstorm grew worse.

From Rauladin

Background:  I like to think this excerpt speaks for itself.

“How do I pray?”

 Berend knelt down, and she copied the movement.  Then she listened as Berend spoke more than she had ever heard him say before, as he slowly poured out his heart to someone he had never seen before.  He spoke of fear and pain, of great sorrows.  Worry for the armies that were separated, for the city that was unsuspecting.  For those who would die, or receive great injury.  For families that would be separated.  For a world that would be in danger if Muirn began to conquer kingdom after kingdom.  He gave thanks for Mayra’s help, for the opportunity they have to defeat Muirn, for this chance given them.  He prayed for confidence, boldness, and more faith.  But he mostly prayed for this chance for the One to stop this man, who hated Him so.  He prayed that they would win the war, that the One would be praised for the victory, that His name and faithfulness would be spread abroad.

 Then his words gave Mayra chills.

 “And I pray that if my death means that many more may live, then I ask you would take my life.  Help me save lives, to protect these people.  Give me courage.”

3.5. Bonus: Do Some Actual Spring Cleaning of Your Writer Self!

(and share a picture!)

So I reorganized my Bullet Journal, did the monthly back-up onto my flash drive, exchanged my winter for my summer clothes, prepped my horse trailer for the coming months of trail riding, and cleaned off my bookshelf and dresser.

Voila!!

The Re-Tag

Since I'm so behind on this, I'm not going to tag anyone.  But if you want to get motivated and do some Spring cleaning (before summer fully arrives) consider yourself tagged!!!