Weekend Writing Warriors

I’m still posting from War’s End. Coralie has just suggested that they delay conversing with the Maung until they rig a shelter – she is sure rain is coming.

A rumble of thunder punctuated [Coralie’s] words.

“Under the branches, but stay away from the biggest trunks,” Kelty agreed. “Audi, tell it we need shelter from the rain and possible lightning. Give me a hand with the medical kit—you can pile the other stuff on it.” He managed to lift Ginger’s levitation-equipped medical kit clear of the ground, and he and Audi began pushing it toward the edge of the clearing. The others gathered their own belongings and followed him, the Maung seeming as eager as the Humans to find shelter.

They had weather sheets, Coralie saw when Kelty turned out the contents of the emergency kit, but nothing to prop them up with. “String some of that light rope between two trees and drape the sheets over it,” she suggested, but Michelle was demanding to be fed again, so she could only watch as they fumbled the job.

Ah, the frustration of knowing how something should be done and being forced to stand by and watch others make a mess of it.

Next week will be a free day for Horse Power, a short story that bridges the gap between Homecoming and Tourist Trap and the trilogy that will finish with War’s End, so I’ll be posting a snippet from that. We’ll get back to War’s End, though. If you download Horse Power, I ‘d really appreciate a review.

This post is part of a blog ring, Weekend Writing Warriors, where authors can post up to 8 sentences from a work at any stage of completion. Do visit and comment on other authors; you can find the list and links by clicking on the logo at the top of the page. There is also a facebook list for excerpts, which can be found by clicking the logo below.

Weekend Writing Warriors

I’m posting more from War’s End today. The Maung has just confirmed that it knows trade talk, and Audi continues in her explanation to the Humans in the party.

“It’s a pretty primitive language, but there’s less chance of misunderstanding than with my trying to use their color language. Let’s see if I can get its name.”

Coralie moved a little nearer the center of the clearing and tipped her head back to look at the sky. Definitely threatening now, with low scud clouds moving fast against the higher overcast, and gusts of wind shaking the high branches. However welcome the movement of air was, she could not escape the feeling that it was about to start pouring. “Audi,” she interrupted, “couldn’t that wait until we rig some kind of shelter?”

This is the first Sunday of the month, so this post is signed up not only with Weekend Writing Warriors but also with Sky Warren’s Write Club. I’ll probably also get it listed on the facebook page.

By the way, I think I’ve just done something totally insane. I looked at my character list and glossary, and realized I had every letter of the alphabet except Q. (Query letter, anyone?) So I signed up for the A to Z blog challenge. If you’d like to find out more about my universe or meet my characters, drop by other days than Sunday in April. A to Z posts will go live at 6 pm Alaska time.

Weekend Writing Warriors

I’m still posting from War’s End, a work in progress. Last week Audi attempted to communicate with the Maung, using the reader to show an approximation of its color-pattern language. They’ve managed to exchange “friend,” and she’s asked it to stay with them. Its response is a surprise.

The creature flashed white and silver, and then waved a tentacle toward the keypad on the reader. Audi hesitated, but held the reader where the Maung could reach it. The tentacle reached out, touching the keypad purposefully, but slowly, and letters grew on the screen.

Trade talk.

Audi’s eyes widened as she took back the reader and hastily typed, Maung know trade talk? and then held the reader back toward the creature.

Little, grew on the screen, and Audi grinned.

“We lucked out,” she told the other Humans. “This one knows a little trade talk.”

Trade talk? What’s that?

This post is a part of Weekend Writing Warriors, similar to the old Six Sentnece Sunday (now sadly defunct) but with an 8-sentence limit. To find the contributions of other fine authors, click on the logo at the top of the page. Others who were on Six Sentence Sunday can be found on the facebook page.

Weekend Writing Warriors: War’s End

Things seem to have settled down a bit, and I’ll go with Weekend Writing Warriors as a regular Sunday blog. That allows an 8 sentence upper limit, which is what I’ll normally post. The Unofficial Six Sentence Group will be once a month, the first Sunday of every month, with the 6 sentence limit, so each first Sunday I’ll post 6 sentences and sign up for both. I’ll probably be late getting the link on the facebook page unless I remember to do it just after midnight – I’m about as far west as you can get in the US.

We’re still in War’s End, and Ginger has just finished using the reader to find out what Maungs eat.

“Give me the reader back, and I’ll try to communicate with it,” Audi said as the creature entered the clearing. The reader had a small keypad, and Audi fussed with it until the screen showed a complex pattern—mostly green and blue, with touches of gold. Then she held the screen where the creature could see it.

The Maung immediately flashed the same colors and pattern over its body.

“Friend—friend,” Audi muttered. “At least I think so. Let me try ‘stay with us’ next.” She worked again with the keypad, and showed a new pattern to the alien.

If you’ve read any of my books, I’d really appreciate reviews. My Amazon and Barnes and Noble pages look awfully bare.

Weekend Writing Warriors 2/10/13

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! To find other participants, click on the logo. There is also a facebook group for Sunday snippets.

I’m still quoting from War’s End, which is in the editing stage. Coralie’s dog Bounce is bringing the Maung back to the group, and they are wondering how to feed it – and themselves, as they have only a limited supply of the emergency food bars.

“They do need different trace elements,” Ginger replied shortly after she took back the reader. “Mmm …. They can handle our amino acids — not a chirality problem — but they need a different balance than we do. Could be allergy problems, but probably not on the bars. This is not a complete reference, but I seem to remember that their bone structure is not based on calcium phosphate, or at least it’s got something else to make it stronger — they’re adapted to higher gravity than we are. I think they need more chlorine — there’s enough in their atmosphere to make Humans pretty sick. And several complex chemical compounds, like our vitamins, but there’s nothing we can do about that. At least they’re carbon-based and get their energy from oxidizing carbohydrates and hydrocarbons!”

If you’d like more information on the Maungs, check the second day of my world building week.

Sunday Snippet (War’s End)

Bounce has brought a Maung back to the group — but if it dies, it can infect them with the organism that forms its nervous system. Such infection can lead to the parasite taking over the human mind.

[Coralie] swallowed hard.  This wasn’t at all the kind of threat she was used to.  “What does it eat?” she asked uncertainly.

“It’ll survive on our emergency bars, at least for a few days,” Audi replied. “Longer than that — Ginger, don’t they need a little different trace elements and vitamins than we do? And we don’t have all that many of the bars; we’re going to have to find something we can eat.”

I’m still a little unsure about what’s following Six Sentence Sunday, but I’ve signed up for two lists. One was Skye Warren’s if it goes, which will presumably still be six sentences — but I haven’t heard back on that one. Last night I couldn’t even get the website. The other is Weekend Writing Warriors, which allows up to 8 sentences. I went with six this time, but I may start posting eight. Next week will be a double, as I’m also doing Year of the Snake with a bit from later in the same book.

Update: Skye’s site is apparently going, but only the first Sunday of the month. I’ll be here every Sunday, with 8 a week except the first Sunday, when I’ll drop back to 6.

Six Sentence Sunday (War’s End)

This is the last Six Sentence Sunday, but I’ll keep on posting, and link from the new group if it gets going. (Just found another new group with 8 sentence snippets at http://www.wewriwa.com/) Otherwise, follow this blog. We’re in Coralie’s head, and she’s not at all sure about the alien that was on the ship with them.

A Maung?  Maungs on Horizon were bogeymen to scare children.  The creature she’d barely noticed on the ship looked more like an oversized animated footstool with eyes–at least she thought they were eyes–on several sides and on some of the tentacles that rose from the center.  She moved a little way into the jungle, and saw it following Bounce.  It looked terribly vulnerable, with its naked skin shifting colors constantly.  But more dangerous dead than alive?

Not exactly your usual alien.

This is the last week for Six Sentence Sunday. To find the dozens of other authors posting six sentence snippets of their work, click on the logo below.