Writing: On the way to Chi'cotha

With all the snow-bound days of the past week, I have been able to concentrate on the third book, second chapter, writing ten+ pages in the last five days; it now totals 17 pages and over 6,000 words.

Chapter Two will be a very eventful chapter with much of the plot details unfolding. Since the story is set 1,000 years ago in what is now Ohio, I am also blending in historic interpretations of the Adena and Hopewell Earthworks (Mounds and Embankments) as used by a tribe of pre-Columbian Native Americans representing a transitional stage of living, incorporating some traits from the Hopewell and anticipating the Ft. Ancient culture -- such as crop cultivation.

Probably more than you care to know; the writing isn't that dry, I promise.

In this scene from a Village Festival, our hero's 18 year old girlfriend has just met what will turn out to be "the other woman."

“Who IS THAT!” Lone Bird said with a growling breath.

“She is a person from Chi'cotha that Father and I have known for sometime,” I responded flatly, hoping to pour water on her fire.

“Is she always that irritating? Do you see her every time you go there?” Lone Bird asked, barely under control.

“No, not always,” I answered truthfully.

“Well, I hope I never see her again, and I don’t think you should see her either!” The fire was coming back to Lone Bird’s voice.

“Are you jealous of her,” I said without thinking. I knew that I was in trouble when I saw her mouth open as her jaw dropped.

‘Whaaaat? Jealous! Of that old woman. She’s got to be 30 seasons or more. I don’t like her. I don’t like the way she talks to you. I don’t like the way she looks at you. I don’t like her inviting you to come look for her when you are away from me. But jealous, Not at all! Not the least little bit!! OOooooooooh!!!” She growled and stomped her foot. People nearby were beginning to look our way.

For the Ohiophlyes, Chi'cotha is the principal city of my literary Tribe and is my interpretation of the Shawnee word "Chalahgawtha" from which the current day name of Chillicothe is derived. The next stop in my novel for our hero is Chi'cotha, where "the other woman" is laying in wait for him, so to speak.

"I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English - it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them - then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice. "

~~ Mark Twain in a letter to D. W. Bowser