Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 48- Arryk

weekend writing warriorsIt’s time for Weekend Writing Warriors! Every Sunday, a bunch of writers post 8-10-sentence snippets from their WIPs on their blogs. There’s a lot of reading, commenting and great writing. Click on the link to see the full list.

Not only are we switching to an unfamiliar POV character this week, we are switching to another book altogether. I know it’s kinda mean, but by the time this post goes up I’ll have finished the first draft of Valley of the Shadow, and I’m so excited about it right now, I can’t think of anything else. So it only seems reasonable to share a little snippet from that. Though I must say, finding a spoiler-free one was quite a job, since it picks up right after Rise of the Storm‘s cliff-hanger ending..

Prince Arryk of Norovaea is Gwynneth’s older brother and will be a key player in Valley of the Shadow. In this snippet, he’s just received a letter from Gwynneth and wants to read it to his father, King Andres. The problem is, the king is very ill and his chief adviser, Norvel Classen, is trying to keep everyone away from him. You’d think he was Harper Lee or something.

Arryk entered the palace from the stableyard, then took the main staircase two steps at a time, heedless of the mud he left on the Zastwar carpet.

He passed the guards standing at the doors to the king’s personal wing as if they weren’t there. He knew they’d been told to stop him, but he also knew they’d never dare. All was quiet in the long corridor, but he saw two more guards at the doors to the bedchamber. He practiced swordplay with them several times a week. They wouldn’t stop him either

“Is the king alone?” Arryk asked without slowing down.

“Only Count Classen is with him, and he asked not to be disturbed.”

“Naturally,” Arryk said with  a friendly nod as he pushed the door open. .

Previous snippets are here

It seems I got over my post-book release slump and I’m writing again. I wish someone had warned me PBRS was an actual psychological condition. Valley of the Shadow will finish out at around 165k words, and then I have some editing to do. If it’s anything like Rise of the Storm, I’ll end up cutting around 30k. *gulp* I haven’t yet decided if I’ll jump right into editing, or take a little break to write something short. I’m contemplating a spin-off series and wouldn’t mind dabbling my toes in a fake English Civil War, just for a little change. Since I never write anything short, it might be a challenge! If I go ahead with it, you might see bits of it in coming weeks..

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34 Comments on “Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 48- Arryk

  1. I didn’t realize you were having trouble writing. You should have hollered. I’d have brought my whompin’ stick round and given you a “pep alk!” 😀 Did you ever think of writing a series of short stories? <3

    • Hah! I was already beating up on myself- I didn’t need you wompin’ on me too. 🙂

      Yes, I’m having this weird urge to write short-ish things set in the future of my world with Kendryk & Gwynneth’s teenage children. They’re just so adorable, even in battle. 🙂

        • Well, I’ve written a fair amount of nonfiction. But any attempts to write something set in the present day usually ends in boredom, and/or miserable failure. I seldom even read things set in the present day- a book has to be really amazing to keep my interest when it is.

          I like mysteries, but almost all the ones I read are set in a different time. Samurai detective, shell-shocked WW1 veteran detective, woman dressing as a man-detective in Victorian London- sign me up. That’s one of the reason I find GB intriguing too (and would like to read all of it someday, hint-hint). 🙂

          • Maybe someday I’ll edit it. Plato was supposed to be helping me with a profile of Claire. I think he spaced it off. But one of these days…

  2. Because it’s only a few sentences, I don’t have enough information to know what this scene is supposed to show, but I’ll give you my first reaction to the eight sentences.

    You set it up that no one is supposed to talk to the king, but then Arryk breezes through like it’s nothing. If it’s really, really important for him to read that letter to the king, I would like to see him meet some resistance.

    If the letter is not critical and you just want to show Arryk’s authority around the court, then the scene is fine.

  3. Definitely a fan of Arryk, and there’s a cliff-hanger ending?! Oh no! Those drive me crazy! Not that it will keep me from reading since RISE OF THE STORM is awesome and I’m invested in everyone (except Teodora, obviously), but they make me desperate and a little insane with needing to know what happens next. I’ve never gotten over the one Jule Kagawa pulled in THE ETERNITY CURE. But all this being said, it’s usually good when cliff-hangers drive me crazy, because it means I’m invested in the story and the characters. Plus I’m a hypocrite because I’m planning a few for other series that will possibly make readers hate me haha. Thanks for the heads up! 😉

    • Cliff-hangers drive me crazy too, which is why I feel slightly evil producing one myself. I justify it by telling myself that it’s okay because there’ll be another book soon, so readers won’t be left hanging for years, or even forever.

      Glad to hear you’re invested enough to worry, though. 🙂 I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

  4. If you’re like me, short things have this tendency to morph into long things, but it’s always to fun to play with fresh ideas in new worlds. I really enjoyed this snippet and look forward to seeing how Arryk handles the meddling count.

    • Yes, that’s what I’m worried about. I’m thinking i might have to set a very strict word-count limit so I don’t unintentionally write an unplanned novel. It’s happened before!

  5. I like how you make it seem almost too easy (I’m sure there will be resistance somewhere… and heads might even roll). I do wonder how the adviser can justify keeping the king’s children from him though.

    • Yes, Arryk is completely unaccustomed to meeting resistance and is quite flummoxed when he does. The adviser has only pulled it off so far because no one takes Arryk or his brother very seriously. That will soon change. 🙂

  6. I suspect Classen of shenanigans already. But i like Arryk. 🙂

    Post book slump is totally a Real Thing . . . so is Mid-Book Different Story Attack. 😀

    • Classen has good intentions, for the most part. He’s a tad overprotective of his patron the king and knows Arryk is a lovable dunderhead who always gets his way, no matter how little sense it makes. And I have to confess to loving Arryk and letting him get his way, even though it leads to more trouble.

      I knew being a writer was a neurotic calling, but I’m only know beginning to grasp the full scale of the madness. 🙂

  7. Ohhh, intriguing. I want to know more about this advisor as well as why Arryk is so sure no one will stop him. Great opening to a new book.
    I’m glad you’re back to writing.

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