Angst

I read a review of a YA book somewhere where the reviewer complained that the MC was too angsty. I never thought that was possible.  I mean, they're teenagers. It's all drama all the time, right? Well, I read a book today (I've had strep throat and have been doing more reading than writing this week), and I was about ready to give up on the MC about a third of the way through.  But I decided to stick with it because I liked the idea of the story. I'm glad I did.  It ended up pretty darn good, and I'm now waiting for book number 2.  So, there you have it.  Maybe too much angst.

I bring this up because the ad-pro's are fighting.  And whining. And doing all kinds of attention-grabby things right now.  Is it over the top? Yes.  Is there a purpose? Also, yes. I'm also 2/3 or more of the way through the book so I'm not trying to world build. But yes. There's a method to the madness.

Since I'm feeling better, I plan on writing more tomorrow.  After my son's birthday party. I was productive today and set up my online classrooms at the university where I teach. So unless I get sick again (a real possibility since I am a physician, exposed to two germ-infested schools through my sons, and exposed to germ-infested university students), there's not a lot stopping me between now and... whenever Earthquake is done. It's coming easily when I write. I am still faster than GRRM.  Thank you for your patience.

Words of Power

I've had a couple of questions from readers about these.  I had never planned on opening this can of worms.  I didn't want to create another language. It's so complex, and then I have to keep such careful track for continuity and all that. Well, today I started creating some words of power.  Sometimes you have to make these drastic changes because the characters demand it. Will I be creating a language in its entirety? Heck no!! But there will be some of these in Earthquake.

For those of you over 18

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Excerpt from Earthquake, as promised

This is a first draft. I haven't gone through it with spellcheck or anything. I hope you enjoy.

“Lightning is an advanced air skill that takes manipulation of air using earth or water for friction and fire as an accelerant. Meteorology and atmospheric sciences use air and water in the manipulation of the weather. Air mages often pair with earth mages to attack air pollution, just as water and earth mages often pair for other types of environmental damage containment,” Professor Fuentes added.  “These are topics for late this year and in your future studies, as well as for advanced students.”

Professor Tehranchi made eye contact with me and I sank down in my chair. “Miss Lake, please come down here.”

I heard a few groans from the other ad-pro’s as I stood up. I hated being the center of attention. This was not how I wanted the afternoon to begin.

“Miss Lake is an air mage,” Tehranchi continued as I stood next to him. “She is one of the strongest lightning wielders that I’ve ever seen, in fact.”

This was news to me, and I tried hard to keep my face neutral.  It almost sounded like Tehranchi, who was by all accounts an ogre, was complimenting me.

Professor Fuentes chuckled. “You’re embarrassing Sara,” he chided.  “But we’d love for her to give a little demonstration.” He raised his eyebrows at me and I suppressed a grin.

“What exactly would you like me to show them?” I asked.

“I know you’ve filled this lecture hall with lightning,” Professor Fuentes told me while projecting to the class, “but since it’s full of people, I thought you could make a few lightning spheres.  Maybe basketball sized. Professor Tehranchi can keep them aloft.”

Keeping them aloft would be easy. I’d never made that many small spheres at the same time before, but there was a first time for everything.  Heck, it’d taken me four tries to light the New Mexico desert on fire. I’d start small and go from there.

I’d progressed from needing to start them in the palm of my hand and grow them from a spark.  Looking past Professor Fuentes to Tehranchi, I raised an eyebrow at him just as a basketball sized lightning sphere popped into existence in front of me.  I sent it out over the ad-pro’s and held it aloft with my own air.  I felt air tendrils try to take it away, but I surrounded my sphere and kept control.  Confident that I could do it again, I did the same thing.  And then I made two at the same time. And four more.  I figured eight was enough to let Tehranchi know I wasn’t the scared little incompetent girl I had been in January.

“Tired?” he asked, a little drollness in his tone.  I could hardly believe it.

“Nope,” I replied with a grin. I wasn’t.  I felt great.  “But I think you want to start lecturing again.” I winked the spheres out, nodded to them both, and retook my seat.

Clearing his throat, Tehranchi gestured to me.  “Sara is sixteen years old and in the adolescent program,” he said. “She is not available to tutor remedial students even though she is in my advanced air class, and,” he shot me a glare with a hint of mirth, “evidently she’s been holding back.”

Copyright 2017 Andrea Irving, Colindrea Press

:)

Earthquake

It's going to be longer than I thought, I think.  I'm at 34,000 words now (122 pages). Chapter 16. I thought it'd be shorter than Wildfire by a longshot. Wildfire was 70k words or so. I thought Earthquake would peter out around 50k words.  I'm thinking it's going to be closer to 70k. Not a bad thing. The pace is a lot slower, that's for sure. There's a lot of normal teenage life so far, which Sara has missed out on. They're back in Montana and school has started.  It's going better and worse than they could have hoped!

I'd be farther along if fewer RH books had been coming out over the last few weeks. No end in sight through the end of September. It takes a lot of willpower to get my nose out of a book and my fingers onto my laptop keys. Thank you for your patience. I still write faster than GRRM.