A Sprig of Green // editing is happening + snippets (as requested)

Yes. You heard (read?) correctly. I am doing more edits.

*dramatic music*
(because why not? Dramatic music makes everything more exciting, don't you think?)

It doesn't seem like too long ago when I was doing this for Rogue Escarlate, but now I'm working on a completely new story and it's still so exciting. I'm really enjoying working through it actually.

I've gone through the whole thing, fixing bothersome typos and mistakes so I can concentrate on what's actually going on. Then I read/scanned through and wrote down all the plot holes. Ahem yes there are several of those. XD Aaand I started to plan out how to fix said plot holes. I also need to work in the theme a little more so it's not quite as vague, and there's a heap of telling and probably tense switches where I accidentally went back into past tense instead of present. BUT for the moment, I'm happy with how it's going.

It's been really easy and fun to edit actually, and I'm not sure why? I'm motivated to go over it, and fix it, and spend hours working on it.

Plus if I ever need some more encouragement, or a laugh, I can just look back through some old comments on my short story version of this, that I asked some friends to alpha/beta for me...Some of them are quite amusing.

And now for some more stuff other than just talking about editing. Let's move on to some pretty collages!

This one is a collage that my friend (and alpha reader) Krystal made for me for my birthday and ack it's so cool. <33 I love it so much. *hugs picture*

Aaand this is one I made, and I don't remember if I've put on my blog before?? Help, I suddenly can't remember anything. xD

I also have a case of 'that character who doesn't seem to belong to any faceclaim ever' and it's very bothersome. Braden is still faceless. *squints at him* Rude.


BUT NOW. The thing you were really waiting for. YOU REQUESTED SNIPPETS AND I HAVE OBEYED. Because I'm a very nice person like that.

If you've already seen some of these snippets, please pardon my forgetfulness because I couldn't be bothered to go back and check. :P

Also they're purposefully vague. Aaand one or two may or may not have had a sentence or two (or three) cut out of them for spoilers reasons. *ahem*

BUT HERE GOES ANYWAYS. *bows out*


Standing again, I blow out another breath and cross over to the door. Someone could come in at any moment and then I’d be roasted. Knowing some of the people who stay at the Maestoso—the roasting may be literal.

I slip out on the landing and check both ways. All clear as far as I can see. The servant’s door is unlocked, and I go down the stairs two at a time. Reno will definitely be worried, since I rarely stay out this late at night.

Leaping down the last few steps, I duck out into the kitchen, and stumble straight into the barmaid. She lets out a yell of protest and spins, giving me a hard kick in the side.

“This is a staff only zone. Get out,” she orders, her brows furrowed in a fierce line.

I press my hand against my throbbing side and stumble toward the door. Falling through, I stagger into the street, looking for all the world like any drunk man. Why has everyone suddenly decided to start kicking me in the side?

It’s not nice.

- - -

 “All I did was smash a vase on his head.”

- - -

He stands, slouched against the wall, hands deep in his dress-pant pockets, his suit jacket meticulously perfect and his white shirt buttoned right up to the top. His eyes are shielded behind impenetrable shaded glasses, but the corners of his mouth are twisted down just a little bit.

I start to cross the room, leaving the supporting wall and trying to get my knee to support weight properly without just crumbling underneath me. He doesn’t even shift slightly as I pull up beside him.

Am I invisible suddenly?

“Sir?” I wince as my voice comes out dry and hoarse.

No response from the man.

“Excuse me, sir?” I stand on tiptoe and try to talk louder so that he actually hears.

Still no sign of reaction.

I narrow my eyes. He isn’t deaf. He isn’t stupid. He’s just ignoring me. I grab a chair from the table and drag it sideways over to him. My leg folds beneath me and I only just catch myself on the chair. I will make him listen even if he doesn’t want to. I scramble onto the chair and use the wall to stand up properly.

As soon as I’m at the level of his ear, I clear my throat and speak as loudly as I can without yelling. “Please excuse me, sir. I’d like to speak to you.”

He pulls away roughly, the movement almost making me topple to the floor. “Leave me alone, girl. It’s not my fault. Go away.”

I scramble down from the chair and peer up at him, trying to see beyond the dark shades of his glasses. “I haven’t even asked you anything yet,” I protest.

“I don’t care. I already told you. Go away.”

- - -

The woman grabs out at my shoulder, but I duck back. Only to have the man grab my hair roughly from behind. I gasp in pain and clutch the box tighter. “Don’t!”

They don’t listen, the woman just grabs the box by the sides and tugs at it. “Let go, girl.”

“No. You let go,” I reply, holding on as tightly as I possibly can. “If you want something you should ask.”

She stops, her mouth opening as she stares at me. I reach up and pull my hair from the man’s grip. “And you. It’s not nice to grab a girl’s hair.”

He stares too.

I run my tongue over my lips, still not relaxing my grip. “If you want something, don’t try attack the person who has it.” And then I turn and run.

- - -

“Are you okay?” I manage to get the words out through the choking in my throat.

The words seem to snap him from some sort of dream. He straightens and shoves his hand across his hair, his pale eyes dropping away from mine. “Why would you do that?”

A tingle touches my fingertips. “Because I care.”

- - -

“Braden?”

I raise my head, straightening my shoulders into their fake, stiff position. Matthew Reno paces down the narrow walkway toward me, his hands deep in his pockets.

“I thought I’d find you here.” He settles down beside me, in the exact same position we’ve been in so many other times.

“Yeah,” I grunt, studying my fingernails.

“Look.” Reno slaps my knee gently. “I know it’s hard when you have to do things like you did today, but it’s got to be done.”

I don’t reply. I just sit, listening, trying to convince my conscience that he’s right.

He’s always been right before. Why is it only now that the doubts are coming?

“You did exactly as I’ve always taught you. It was wonderful.” Reno leans forward, waving his hand in front of my eyes.

I snap my gaze up to his and he smiles a little, his greying brows creased in a concerned frown. “Braden, are you feeling okay?”

“It just…I don’t know.” I clench my hand and press it against my thigh, trying to work out what I even meant by that.

Reno’s smile fades a little and he leans closer. “I’m proud of what you did today,” he says, his gruff voice so old and familiar in my ears. He pats my shoulder and stands, grunting at the movement.

I don’t move from my position as he returns along the raised walkway. I just stare downward, not really seeing the maze of pipes and mechanics below. The vibration of his footsteps fades and then stops fully and I lean my head forward into my hands.

He’s proud of me. That should make me happy. What else could I want? What else have I been trying to aim for all these years?

Nothing.

So why is this guilt building higher and higher like bile in the back of my throat?

AND THERE YOU GO. *throws confetti* Allll the snippets for you. Originally I went a bit crazy and had an insane amount of snippets and then I changed my mind because "nooo let's not tell them all this so that it can be an exciting surprise one day."

To wrap up - here you go with a youtube playlist that I put together for A Sprig of Green!

(It's a perfect ending, don't you think? I started and ended on dramatic music. *bows* Excellent planning on my part, definitely.)

Do you have a favourite stage of editing?
Do you like listening to music while writing/editing?