I've been a long time gone from this group, and I'll be honest -- I've missed it. I haven't written nearly as much as I would like in the recent months, what with buying a house and moving and all, but I think now is a good time to throw myself back into the saddle.

This is the only little blurb I've written today, but it's better than nothing, so I'll throw it in:

The bird nods. "Excellent. Just repeat after me: 'Mother Taerna, I accept your gift and will that it be bound to my body. Mother Taerna, I accept your boon and will that it be bound to my mind. Mother Taerna, I accept your blessing and will that it be bound to my soul.'"

As Lucien finishes the recitation, there is a flash of light and he feels a push against his chest. When the light fades, the bird is gone and there is a very warm, tingling sensation in his chest. Pulling at the collar of his tunic and looking down, Lucien sees a marking -- a rough, stylized outline -- of a raven, wings spread over his heart.

The voice of Skepsy echoes in his head, "Ok. That... was weird. The Mother, in all her infinite Glory and Wisdom, did not warn me about that."

Lucien now feels a connection to the bird, as he does with the beast in its cage within him, as though Skepsy is just one more aspect of his being -- a part of his soul that he didn't realize he'd been missing.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, my main project currently is still the story that my husband and I are writing together (which is why there are lots of bits and pieces here that are out of order and make no sense. He writes everything pertaining to one specific character (in this case, Lucien), and I write everything else, including all additional characters and plot points. We talk things out ahead of time so that we can make sure the story is heading where we both want it to, but sometimes, since the world it exists in is kind of my baby, I still like to surprise him by throwing him a curve ball.


Also, it's been far too long since I've done and good, old-fashioned reviewing:


1.) A very nice story with an excellent ending. Interesting premise and well-written. My only comment is that you seem to have a tendency toward a particular cadence in your writing. There are a number of instances where you will use the formula, "Someone did something, description." For example:
"The stalls snaked their way down the esplanade, only a low stone wall separating them from the beach below." or " I turned back to the bottle, smoothing the paper label down with my thumb." or "I held out the bottle, wishing, not for the first time, that I had a few more inches of arm." etc. It's a good sentence structure (I use it frequently myself), but just be careful not to overuse it. :)

Overall, an excellent story, especially for a contest!


2.) A beautifully written and thoroughly well-grounded essay. Your use of quotations from various sources, from the Bible to Jon Stewart, all serve to bring your thoughts together coherently and drive your point home. Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful essay and for sharing it with everyone.