On Writing & Publishing by Robin D. Owens

Personal notes on writing techniques, writing a novel, my writing career and threading your way through publishing a book.

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Location: Denver, United States

RITA Award Winning Author -- that's like the Oscar, folks! Futuristic/Fantasy Romance and Fantasy with Romantic Subplots.

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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Excerpt from Sorceress of Faith

At Improvocation at Mile Hi Con we did an exercise that I used in Sorceress of Faith, so here it is:
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"Next test," Bossgond said, raising his hands, palms vertical again.

Marian didn't think she could twitch a finger, but managed to tilt her hands up from her wrists.

"To see how well we will do as Circlet and Apprentice," Bossgond said.

Marian suppressed a grimace. She knew the word "apprentice." It made her feel like she was ten again – maybe younger, just starting elementary school– though, she was a beginner at magic.

She didn't even have the basic socialization of any child brought up in this culture – what constituted rules of magic.

But Alexa seemed to have managed a position of high status, and in a relatively short a time, if Marian's recollection of the coat Alexa had worn in the vision was right. It was last winter's jacket, so she would have purchased it no earlier than the fall . . .

A sting against her palms brought her back to find her teacher frowning at her from under silver eyebrows. Her cheeks flamed. She'd let her attention wander! Oh yes, just like a kindergartner. Heat flushed her neck, too. She'd disappointed a prof – not good. She prided herself on being an exceptional student.

So she dipped her head in apology. "Excusez moi."

Bossgond nodded solemnly. "Attencion," he said.

She nodded again, kept her gaze fastened on his face, her mind on what would come next. Her stomach tightened. She hated pop quizzes. How could you get a perfect score without practice?

"Follow me," Bossgond said. He moved his hands far apart, cocked his head.
Intent on him, she moved her hands apart, too. Then he began gesturing, doing odd things with his hands, arms, face. Marian mirrored him, watching. Finally, he returned to his original position.

"Now you move and I will follow," he said.

This was the strangest activity Marian had ever done with a teacher. Tentatively she set her hands together as if in prayer. He did the same. A little bolder, she tilted her head, grinned. He did the same. So they continued, Marian leading, until he said "Fini."

When her eyes met his, he said, "Now we move together, but neither of us leads."
That sounded very strange. So she watched him and when he moved his hands a little she followed, but leaned to one side, and he did so, too. It was . . . . balance.

More than that it was a connection, knowing how they should move together, and in her mind she began to hear a stream of musical notes weaving into a melody. A couple of minutes later, they brought their hands together, palm to palm, and a huge flare of energy burst from her, dazzling her with its lightning brightness, its orchestral chord thundering in her ears, her mind.

She spun free. Suddenly she was looking down on her body, hand-to-hand with Bossgond, in a round tower room. Then she was in the room above them, where she saw the star pentagram that had brought her. She rose above the tower to see a large island, the green coast of an unfamiliar land, then drifted even higher until she saw how the world curved.

Free.

Terrified.
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May you have a productive day.
robin

1 Comments:

Blogger FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens said...

Thank you. It's a fun exercise.

Robin

8:34 AM  

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