Hello and welcome to WIPpet Wednesday, a blog hop wherein writers share an excerpt from their current WIP that somehow relates to the date. To join in, simply click the blue linky up there to the right.
The upshot to being sick today was that it meant I could save all your WIPpet links from last week before I reset the Linky and actually read them. I think Wednesday afternoon is probably the latest I’ve been in quite some time!
I wanted to share the link to my most recent Short Story Saturday post as well, as I was kind of proud of it. It’s about a tiny dragon, and I based him on those tiny dogs you see sometimes who clearly think they are much bigger and more intimidating than they really are. Here is the link.
For now, though, time for a WIPpet. I’ve added the digits of today’s date together and have a four paragraph excerpt for you. After Clara has a run-in with one intruder in her flat, Mathias goes up to check that no one else is lurking up there. Meanwhile, Clara happens to look at one of the books on his coffee table, which seems to be to do with magic… and magic is illegal.
Clara stared at the book, frowning. The word Aligarian meant nothing to her, but there was something about the symbol, and the fact that it used the word rune… If Clara hadn’t known better, she would have said that it had something to do with magic. But Mathias was just a street magician, playing tricks on unsuspecting passers-by. He wouldn’t be a real, practising magician. Not right under Rikard Voidsun’s nose like this. Would he?
She heard Mathias’ steps on the landing outside and quickly flung the book back onto the table. It missed its mark and went flying over the other side of the coffee table. Clara cursed under her breath and then flung her blankets aside, scrambling onto the floor and around the table. She was just placing the book back onto the table when Mathias reappeared. He took in the sight of her on the floor, part of the blanket still wrapped around her leg, her hand on the book and the guilty expression on her face.
“What are you doing?” he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Clara felt herself blushing. “I… um… I knocked it. The book. I mean, I knocked the table and the book… fell.” She clamped her mouth shut before she could ramble any further.
I’ve been thinking a lot about setting with this WIP lately. While the setting is definitely fictional, I think it’s more modern than I originally set out to write? So I’m playing with that, and trying to work out how much technology the characters have access to, how they speak, things like that… and whether Clara’s actual country of origin is more of a high fantasy-inspired world, or if it’s also more up-to-date. So that’s fun.
Anyway, my computer is telling me I need a rest break, so I’ll finish this up here. See you all next week!
Emily Wrayburn 
Haha. I doubt she’s managed to convince him. 😉
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Not really, but he’s rolling with it for now.
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I’m *quite* certain he believes her caught-red-handed excuse.
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Haha, not a bit!
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Hahaha! I doubt she’s fooling him, but he doesn’t seem too upset.
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Yeah, he’s figuring (quite rightly) she hasn’t figured out too much at this point/will be in denial. So he’s rolling with it.
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I love reading these snippets! It’s actually so fun deciphering each of them like flash fiction. Thanks for sharing~~~
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Sometimes it can be tricky when there’s not much context but most of the time, fun is had by all! Glad you joined us! 🙂
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That’s too bad that you are sick today. Feel better soon!
Love this snippet today. My spidey-senses were telling me that Mathias is a real magician – looks like they were right! He sure seems less upset than I thought he would be, given that Clara is holding his book.
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Yep! 😀 He’s banking on Clara being totally in denial, which she is for a long time, but the truth will all have to come out sooner or later.
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Ah I see!! Looking forward to seeing what happens next 🙂
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Well, it’s not a complete lie. She did knock the book off the table. She just neglected to mention that she threw it 😉 Great snippet. I really love this story and how it’s evolved. It always struck me as being a bit more modern than your average fantasy, and I can’t wait to see how that will play out.
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Exactly! :’)
And yeah, it did definitely start that way, so it’s probably not a huge surprise that it’s drifted back towards that in subsequent versions.
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I’m also loving the evolution of this story. It’s delightful. I love that the book pulled Clara. I get the feeling that Mathias knew she’d be compelled to explore it….
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It does mean it’s taking me forever, but I am enjoying the ride!
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I so know what you mean on that score! I’m actually taking a revision class, because I floundered so often.
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And I hope you’re feeling much better by now!
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Thank you! It seems to be seasonal allergies and I have been stuck with them all week but they are finally starting to clear up a little, I think. And I have a few other remedies to try (according to a colleague whose mother spends a lot of time in India, over there they swear by fresh pineapple as a cure, so I’m willing to give it a go!)
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I’m hoping you’re well on the mend by now!
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Knocked the table and the book fell. Nice try, Clara! 😀 These two bounce so well off each other.
Hope you’re feeling better!
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