These are the current, rough and unedited, opening lines of my historical fantasy WIP, working title Wolf & Huntress. The setting is Scotland, the year 1809.
“You cannot be seriously intending to wed Angus.”
Cass looked up from the rowan wood stake she was sharpening to glare across the fire at her sister Mary, who was stirring the potatoes with an entirely too complacent expression. Cass could hardly wait for Angus’s mourning for poor little Elspeth to end. Then she would not only wed the man she had wanted for these seven years and more, she would also be free of having this same fight with her sister, night after night.
“And why can I not?” Cass gave her stake a fierce swipe with her knife and watched the shaving fly into the fire and curl into flame.
Feedback appreciated, and drop by the Six Sentence Sunday home blog to check out other writers' excerpts.
Seven years is a long wait! Great six.
ReplyDeleteI hope Angus is worth the wait!
ReplyDeleteOK, I have to know why her sister doesn't think she should marry him.
ReplyDelete~Sarah
nice six!
ReplyDeletePatricia, she can do better. And fortunately, by the powers vested in me as her author, she will. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSarah, her sister is the one with a clear, objective perspective in this case. Cass and Angus fell in love very young, their families forbade the match, and they've been idealizing each other ever since. Mary realizes, as Cass doesn't, that they're more in love with the IDEA of each other, and of defying their families now that they're old enough to do so.
Nice set up and great visual imagery.
ReplyDeleteGreat six!
gem
Nice six! Makes me want to read more. Isn't that interesting about the pattern you found in your works?
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to know what those stakes are for!
ReplyDeleteHistorical fantasy. Wolf. Scotland. You had me before I even hit the six sentences. I want to know what the stakes are for too!
ReplyDeletegood historical story - yummy
ReplyDeleteVery descriptive.
ReplyDeleteLove the tension in these opening lines.
ReplyDeleteGreat six
ReplyDeleteBeautifully imagined scene, and very convincing conflict. I'd love to see the heroine's decision-making process.
ReplyDeleteThrown right into the scene. Great tension between sisters. Itching for seven years? This guy is someone I'd flip the pages to meet.
ReplyDeleteSeven years? This Angus must be special!
ReplyDeleteThe stakes are for just about what you'd expect in a paranormalish historical fantasy. :-)
ReplyDeleteAngus isn't one of the two men who are destined to be the great loves of Cass's life--but she hasn't met them yet, or much of anybody, really, so she's not yet in a position to know what she's missing.
Very good use of description, Susanna. Thanks for sharing these six.
ReplyDeleteGreat tension and show of conflict between the two sisters.
ReplyDeleteLove the "fierce swipe with her knife" to punctuate her words and show her emotions. Nice!
The obvious tension between the sisters is great and can lead terrific stuff. to all sort of
ReplyDeleteWhat a very question. She wants to marry him, but she has a weapon in her hand, which begs the question of WHY she wants to marry him. Excellent hook. I look forward to seeing more.
ReplyDeletegreat six!
ReplyDelete