Have you ever been scared and breathless, friends? I was this week – I sent the first few chapters of Fie Eoin to my critiquing group to read and give back. And then I really went all out and posted the excerpt online for a critiquing group full of strangers. Talk about scared! But you know what? I’ve already gotten some feedback from it, and while there were problems (and I knew there were problems) I’ve gotten some good advice on how to fix the problems and make the scene stronger.
Kind of like Kaye’s wings. You see, she’s one of only two people in Fie Eoin that has wings, and she rarely uses them (there is still a lot of prejudice in FE over winged folks), so when she gets to the Faye lands her wings aren’t strong enough to use all the time, like they do. She has to practice, build up her strength, and find the courage to do things like jump off the cliffs. It takes time, but she learns, and the experience is so freeing.
Kind of like the experience of finally submitting a chapter of your baby to strangers.
What scary, breathless things have you done lately?