Status Update – July

Hello everyone! Hope your summer is going amazingly. It took some work to get back into our proper writing routine. Real life stresses are constantly present, and we have a bad habit of getting distracted by other things we want to write. We managed to get back into a good groove, though.

July turned out to be pretty productive! We’ve completely rewritten chapters 7 through 12 of The Cabin Girl. Fully completing six chapters in a month is great progress for us. Coming up, chapter 15 will be a brand new chapter entirely, and we’re in debates right now if there should also be a new chapter between 13 and 14. We’ve reached a pivotal part of the story, which does slow down the editing because a lot of big decisions need to be made.

Unfortunately, the first two weeks of August likely won’t have much work done. I’ve gone to visit D, as we live in different states, and it’s difficult for us to write when we’re physically in the same place. Sounds odd, I know! We’ll just have to see how it goes.

For now, here’s a sneak peek at one of the rewritten chapters!

Excerpt from The Cabin Girl

           She took in the scenery that was now laid before her. The cove was beautiful. The water was a brilliant color of teal green. It was so clear that you could see the sand bed beneath it. Fish could also be seen in the clear water. Small fish darting here and there.
           Looking towards the actual village, she could see a large jungle surrounded it, complete with lush, green trees. The sky was bright blue and clear, with very few clouds. The sound of seagulls could be heard as a few of them flew overhead. After being on the ship, the change in scenery was a welcomed sight.
           She took in a deep breath of fresh air as she walked towards the village. At the end of the dock, Quintus turned towards the right, heading to a building. He clearly knew where he was going. Cassia couldn’t say the same about herself. For the moment, she just stood there, taking it all in.
           The village wasn’t very big. There were about a dozen buildings in total. Old buildings that looked like they could fall apart at any moment. The wood they were built with looked dark and weather worn. Some of the buildings had vines growing on them. The paths that lead to the buildings were packed down but with various weeds growing in and around them. Nothing about this village really looked to be in order. It was as if someone had just plopped it down on this beautiful cove and left it to fend for itself.
           Despite the disheveled way the village appeared, Cassia couldn’t help but think there was something pretty about it. Surrounding the buildings were various trees. Some palms, some more traditional looking trees, with branches that hung low over some of the paths and buildings. Moss hung from the trees, swaying lightly in the breeze. It looked almost like a painting…
           “You come back ‘ere, and I’ll gut you like a fish and feed ya yer own entrails!” came a loud and sudden voice, which quickly ruined the peaceful atmosphere Cassia was painting in her head. With those words, a man was thrown out of one of the buildings, landing face first in the dirt. He groaned and moved his hands in an attempt to push himself up, as the door was slammed behind him. That wasn’t the first time Cassia had heard such a threat. There was plenty of that on the ship. But she did wonder what the man had done. Then again, she probably didn’t want to know.