Been working, mostly. Three days in snow country with no computer. But that was by design. I love printing out my manuscript and marking it all to hell. I've come up with some brilliant ideas. Some I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to incorporate without a complete re-write. Then, in the middle of the night, I had a Blair Warner moment. Problem solved. And ooh, is it good. Sadly, I've too many non-writing related things to do after being gone a few days. The most important of which is to watch the season premier of Lost. No spoilers please. I'll not be reading your comments until after.
Just to keep you interested, here's a Thursday Teaser. I know, most people do Tuesday Teasers. I tease on Thursday. A writing friend commented that she liked the name Skully initially, but then thought it sounded like an old man. Until she read how he got his nickname. Here it is...
Pirates. Perfect. Less than human, with missing limbs and bloody entrails, as Admiral Ironskull had described them. The night just kept getting better.
"So, ya got a name then?" asked Barney the Hook.
"His name is Alistair," answered Mad Grave.
Defender of the people. Except he wasn't.
"No," he said. "Don't ever call me that."
"Just as well," said Barney. "Sounds a bit sissy, that. Got a last name?"
"Ironskull."
"Like the admiral?" Barney glanced sideways at Mad Grave. So, Barney knew his grandfather too. "Hard headed that one. Most of these blokes'll hang if he ever catches 'em. Could be a problem. We'll just call ya...Skully. Sounds cool. Piratey."
Whatever. As far as he was concerned, Alistair died with his mother. Might as well be Skully the pirate.
10 comments:
Nice! Writing in dialect is one of the hardest things for me, due to punctuation.
Have you read Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD? On paper, his writing looks so simple, but imagine having to write that?!
Good teaser, but make the next one twice as long, I double dog dare ya.
How cute! I love the excerpt.
I'm going to print out a manuscript for the first time when I complete my current WIP. Do you go to an office supply store like Staples? I don't like my P.O.S printer can handle it.
I hate when you get ideas, but no time to implement them.
Great excerpt.
Jon - Thanks. Twice as long? I didn't even like putting this bit out. In my earliest drafts Barney was all dialect. Cockney, to be exact. Rookie mistake. It's cleaned up alot.
KM - My wife prints my MS at work before anyone else comes in. My printer couldn't handle it either.
Patti - Thanks. It's nice to think somebody likes it.
And I just finished Lost. Spoil away!
I still like skully :-)
Who does Tuesday Teasers? I don't do Tuesday Teasers. Perhaps I'll start.
And Alistair is a perfectly respectable name, I know two of them....although it IS true they hate being called that, and both go by Ali. This is common in Scotland.
Skully is fine :)
I like Skully too. After 5 years of Schmitty I'm now training myself to think Skully. They say that's how you learn a new language too.
Sierra - Alistair has a friend who calls him Al. I'm still hoping she makes the next cut.
Welcome Jester!
Great bit! I like the name Skully, very cool and like you said piratey ;o)
Glad it's going well for ya!
I agree. Very piratey. I got a little scared when they recognized his last name...like maybe they were going to make him walk the plank.
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