GMTD Snippets
I’m working my way through a final round of tweaks to my novel GMTD, and as I skim for the places I need to make small changes, I’m stumbling on the bits that I love about this book. Thought I might take a second to share two from last night’s efforts.
First, a quote about a brutal pair of wars that occurred twenty years prior to the novel. Much of this book deals with the aftermath of conflict and the scars it leaves on people. These lines set the stage for much of that exploration. (Context: The story takes place in the country Sayza, which is bordered to the north by the nation Takaru. The countries are divided by the Aktars mountain range.)
Sayza lost a fifth of its population in the first phase of the Border Wars. Nearly the entirety of its active forces perished in those first two years. Takaru’s invasion was stalled only by virtue of a particularly nasty winter hitting the Aktars’ northern ridge, and when the passes thawed and Takarun forces began a second assault eight months later, there hadn’t been enough Sayzan soldiers in reserve to fill so many empty boots.
That’s when people like Evian’s father were drafted. Men better fit for books and quiet nights by the fire. Women meant to uncover discoveries in labs and write grand histories. None of them meant to bloody the Aktars’ slopes; all of them meant to come home.
And second, to lighten the mood way back up, some silly banter between the novel’s two leads, Sully and Evian, discussing Sully’s best friend. (Context: Aealf are creatures that are roughly a cross between a lemur and jackrabbit, and they’re as intelligent as humans.)
Sighing, Sully shoved up on an elbow and scanned the reeds for Dekkan, finding the aealf picking his way through the shallows, stalking toward an egret. Evian followed Sully’s gaze. “He’s a little odd,” Sully said before she could. “Too analytical sometimes.”
“You don’t say.”
As if to prove Sully’s point, Dekkan forged his way into a thicket of rushes, trying and failing to keep his movement from alerting the egret. Its head snapped up as the reeds rustled, but it didn’t take flight.
“What’s his goal?” she asked.
Sully shrugged. “Science. World domination. Nothing too grand.”
“I meant with the egret.”
“Me, too.”
Might share more lines as I finish this read through this week. Hope you enjoyed these random bits in the meantime!
