Squeetus summer book club: Princess Academy, chapter 6

Chapter 6

Whiskers taut, front teeth bared: I opened up to chapter 6, not remembering what was about to happen until I read the opening song. I worked hard to make sure each song snippet conversed with the events of the chapter in interesting ways. There were many songs I wrote because I liked them but didn't use because they didn't work well enough with any chapter.

Page 70: Miri physically aches with loneliness. I've felt this way before. Poor gal.

"She fell asleep without resting.": I just did a search in my first draft and found this line: "Cold and miserable, she fell asleep without resting, dreaming that she was locked in a coffin, hearing shovelfuls of dirt thumping the lid." I must have liked that bit buried in the middle and pared off the excess, whittled the sentence down to its best part. I approve of that edit, Seven-Years-Ago-Shannon.

Also, originally the now-non-existent Ingir locked Miri in the closet and Olana rescued her. Better this way.

"The tip of a tail licked her cheek.": Eek! I don't have a rat phobia but this would Freak Me Out. It's the darkness aspect that makes this event so much creepier for me. If there was a rat loose in my house--gross, but okay, I'll grab a broom and wage battle. But I'm locked up in the dark, unsure what I'm facing and how to fight back? Nightmare.

Singing in the closet: Miri needed this scene to jump-start her inquiry into quarry-speech. She could have just wondered about it, but a story is always better when action leads to action.

I'll get to your questions tomorrow, sorry! Weekend is all family time, not much computer time.

Comments

[Bekah]

Hey Shannon! Every time I read about the rat, I squeal right along with Miri! I definitely identify with Miri because I am super small too. I guess this is more from the first chapter but for me, it carries throughout. It is the line, "...at age fourteen [she] was smaller than girls years younger," (12). I am 18 now and strangers think I am twelve. I am glad to see a main character who doesn't let her height stop her! Now for my question...I am always really interested in the small details, so I was wondering, if Miri had gone to Olana and asked to borrow a book, would she really have lent it to Miri? Olana just seems like she is full of empty promises. Also, from page 71, for how long was Miri really supposed to be in the closet? Miri asked but Olana never answered. Thank you for being such an amazing author! :)

[Audrey S.]

Quarry-speech always reminds me of the Healing songs from "Book of a Thousand Days" - seemingly unrelated to the situation at hand, and yet somehow ... perfect for it. It's interesting to think of all the ways that sound, and words, can help someone get through a situation.

Were the quarry-speech songs based, at all, on something you've heard in real life?

[Mary mom of 4]

I'm curious if you hear a melody with the words of your poems? :) Love this book!

[Mary mom of 4]

er... poems should read 'songs?'

[Heather]

I absolutely love the phrase "Winter kept falling from the sky..." The image it conjures up is just lovely. I read it and had to go back and reread it a couple times because I like it that much.