British crime writer Tom Quigley tagged me a while back in the Lucky Seven challenge, which involves publishing an extract from a current work in progress. Travelling delayed my response, but here it is. The rules were to go to page 7, line 7 of my work-in-progress novel, and post the following 7 lines of prose.
I chose to post from A Virtual Love, which is in the editing stage at the moment and is due to come out in spring 2013. Here it is:
To anyone else she’d appear the same: her eyes still gazing unseeing at a point in space, her chin lolling idly on her neck, her swollen legs sprawling inelegantly across the worn threads of the Persian rug. But as I lean over to wipe spilt tea from her chin, I see her mouth trembling slightly and know that she is trying to smile. At the end of the afternoon, as I help her into her wheelchair to go and wave you off, I sometimes feel a slight extra pressure of her fingers on my forearm. These are small, unimportant things to busy doctors and grandsons, but I know they are real. I suppose that, just as silence gradually attunes the ears to distant, small sounds, so my long days of inactivity endow small things with a reality that others may miss.
It feels strange to take a selection at random like that, but quite interesting what turned up. The last rule is that I have to tag seven other authors to take part and post their own extracts. So I’d love to hear from:
If anyone else reading this would like to take part as well, feel free! Be sure to link back or somehow let me know that you’ve posted, so that I can go and read your work.
Thanks, Andrew.
I love your excerpt! I posted over on my blog: http://theinnocentflower.blogspot.com/2012/08/lucky-seven-challenge.html
Thanks Michelle! I saw it was over on your publisher’s website as well, so commented on that one. Really nice excerpt.
Now that’s an interesting meme and an intriguing excerpt. I’m really curious to find out how it fits into your novel.
Hi Caroline! Yes, I thought it was an interesting idea for a meme – the excerpts are very random, which makes it hard to judge them. I didn’t give any background, wanted to leave it a little mysterious
Andrew, the relationship between the narrator and his patient sounds intriguing. More, more, more…
Thank you for including me in this meme. Here’s my contribution.
http://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lucky-7-challenge-garveys-ghost.html
One Love,
Geoffrey
Thanks Geoffrey! I loved your contribution, and the idea of GARVEY’S GHOST. It’s amazing how certain ideas won’t let you go, isn’t it? Glad you didn’t give up on it, and can’t wait to see the final result.
By the way I couldn’t comment on the site itself because it only offered Google account as an option. Any chance you can offer Name/URL as an option for us non-Googlers?
Andrew, I’m glad you liked the excerpt. I’ve had to shut down the comments because I’ve been getting a lot of spam by determined spammers.
Give thanks for this.
One Love.
Ah, those spammers are very determined! If only they could channel all that determination and energy into something more positive than selling Viagra, think what they could achieve…
Hey, I just saw your Lucky 7 on Twitter from Tom’s tag (and yours). I love your excerpt, Andrew! Such an interesting idea –how we can become attuned to the little things other people don’t notice when we’re around someone enough.
I want to read more!
Hi Erin
That’s kind of you, thanks! Appreciate the visit.
All the best
Andrew
What a surprise! I had no idea I was tagged for this meme until now! I love memes, thanks for nominating me, the answer is on my blog.
It was great to see a paragraph from your work, it’s full of melancholy and tenderness and I love it.
Hi Delia
I’ll check out your blog now. Glad you liked the excerpt!
You’re most welcome
Beautiful excerpt from your book, Andrew! Can’t wait to find out what happens after that
Thanks Vishy!