Snippet Sunday

I've been writing when mind and stomach allow this past week. Some days that means I got the 750 goal for novel_in_90; some days I got zilch.

But what I did get is a new start to Baxente's chapter. Since I decided to rewrite a lot of my character openings in order to create a status quo before topsy-turvying their worlds,* I have been hard-pressed to determine the best scene for Baxente, one that still has the necessary parts of good (genre) fiction like a scene/character goal, conflict, and so forth.

Perhaps I have one this time!

Baxente doubted the intelligence of his plan as soon as the panel slid closed behind him. A near cripple had no business setting off alone in the middle of the night, especially not through prowl ways, the full secrets of which only he knew. Long before he neared the exit that would let him from the palace, his legs were ready to give out, abandoning him in the tight corridors. Stupid to leave the comfort of his sleeping couch. And fresh air, added his lungs, craving the deliciously cool breeze that had been ruffling the curtains of his balcony doors when he rose to go on such a misguided adventure.**

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* I personally find Big Events a lot more meaningful if I care, or at least am curious about, the characters they happen to first, so, duh, this should be a component of my own stories. The "Open with a BANG" advice has never sat well with me.

** I don't know if everyone's browser displays the font (Papyrus) I use for Baxente. Does anyone else do this, use a different font for each POV? I have five POVs in this story, and I find just seeing a different font helps switch my brain from one persona to another. 

And these, for her, forever will be Egypt

Masses of colorful bougainvillea and the fragrance for frangipani will forever remind me of the Maldives as that is where I encountered them for the first time.

Walls of jasmine and Rangoon Creeper will always be Mayotte. Although I saw many acacias in Kenya, not until I lived in Mayotte did I learn the texture of their seed pods and fashion their shiny dark seeds into jewelry. In Mayotte, I discovered breadfruit and, strangely enough, tortilla patata. Those smells and flora and tastes are inextricably tied to A Place and A Time for me.

As will certain things bring the Sprout back to Egypt.

( Just a few )