So, if you’ve been keeping up, you’ve noticed I posted the second part of the serial…with a deep breath and shaking hands. I feel committed now. Part of that commitment is probably obvious: I have to write the darn thing.
Thanks, friends who conned me into this…thanks.
This is my first time writing a serial, but I think it might impact how I write novels. With a serial, each section needs to feel a little more complete and end with a hook to talk readers into waiting around for the next part. As I was working on that, it got me to thinking: shouldn’t each chapter be like that too? I’m not saying cliffhanger endings, but a slight tease to get you to turn the page…one more time…one more hour…one more page? I might keep that in mind when I move on to my next writing project.
Since it’ll be a couple months or so before we reach this point, I thought I’d post an end of a later part teaser from the Cold and Lovely Moon serial:
He was staring at me in that hypnotic way of his. “We are not going to drown.” He held up the reed. “See. Hollow.” He put it up to his mouth and blew through it. “All you have to worry about is breathing through this and keeping that end above the water. If a little water gets in it, just blow it out. Okay?”
I nodded. In theory, sure, that sounded great. Plus, when he stared at me like that, I might agree with anything. Hopefully he never realized that.
“I’ll hold you down there so all you have to worry about is keeping your reed out of the water.”
“You’re holding me underneath the water?” I couldn’t keep the “you’re going to drown me” note out of my voice.
“No, I’m going to hold you so you stay warm.”
Oh, that sounded much better.
“We only have to stay under until we change and then we’ll go kick a bear out of his house, okay?”
He had to be kidding me. “Uhh. Only if your version of okay is completely different than my version of okay.”
“It is. Ready?”
“No.”
“Too bad. Here’s your reed.”
“No, Tiberius, seriously…no.”
“Take a deep breath, woman.”
“No, I just….”
He yanked me under the water, and I pulled the reed up to my mouth and closed my eyes tight. A minute later, my side was pressed up against a thick tree root, and Tiberius had wrapped an arm around my waist and his legs around mine. This was insane. We were so going to die.
Copyright © 2013 by Wendy Sparrow
For the first part of the serial click here: The Cold and Lovely Moon Part One
For the second part of the serial click here: The Cold and Lovely Moon Part Two
If you’re all sick of paranormals, but still want to read some free shorts since most shows are putting out their series finales and you’re bored: FREE STUFF WOO! Some of them are contemporaries or fantasy.
If you’re thinking, wow, Wendy, you truly are amazing…is there any way I can throw money at you…please? Here’s Entangled’s Frosted links. HERE! CLICK HERE! I should have more ways you can throw money at me later this year. Or just send me a check. That’s cool too.
By the way, if you haven’t noticed a weird pattern or phenomenon occurring on this blog, I’m posting something writerly on Wednesdays and a free short or part of the serial on Fridays. Check back on Friday for a Sci-fi romance short story that I should really go revise in a serious way so you don’t all laugh at me while pointing. Would you do that, people of the internet? Would you? If so, you’re cruel, but I still love you.
