#RainbowSnippets Feb 11, 2023 ~ Luck of the Draw

Posted on February 11, 2023February 18, 2023 by Addison Albright 8 Comments

Hello Rainbow Snippeters! 😁

In case you’re not familiar with #RainbowSnippets, check out their Facebook Group where you’ll find a new post each Saturday (or early Friday, depending on your time zone). That weekly pinned post will collect comments from authors linking to their 6-ish-line Rainbow Snippet post for the week.

The first two snippets are the opening lines from my novelette WiP, Luck of the Draw (M/M Light Fantasy). Click on the spoiler tags if you’d like a quick refresher:

🔽 🔼 The Luck of the Draw Snippet 01

Obren’s 3rd-person POV

Obren’s stomach twisted into a knot as his father, King Rogan of Canna, offered his closed fist. Obren drew in a deep breath, understanding, to the marrow of his bones, that any plea to avoid this choice was pointless. A straw must be drawn, and as the older of the two brothers, he would draw first.

Not that the order of drawing mattered. Whether or not he drew the short straw would be down to luck. The luck of the draw would decide his life’s path. His hand twitched as he checked a nervous impulse to smooth down his already neatly styled blond hair.

🔽 🔼 The Luck of the Draw Snippet 02

(picking up immediately after the action in the prior snippet)

Obren’s 3rd-person POV

Treaties had been signed, and a complete series of intermarriages between the realms would solidify their fledgling peace. The three realms had agreed on this course of action.

Obren closed his eyes, shut out the sounds of his father’s heavy breathing, and focused on preventing the quiver building in his gut from reaching his hand as he lifted it. He paused and opened his eyes. Was there any possible stratagem he could employ to boost his chances?

“Just pick one,” Lale hissed. “Let’s get this over with.” Lale, being Obren’s younger brother, was as invested in the outcome as was Obren.

This week’s snippet skips ahead just a tiny bit from the previous snippets…

RAINBOW SNIPPET:

Obren’s 3rd-person POV

Obren swallowed, squared his shoulders, and snatched one of the two straws sticking up from of Father’s fist. He stepped back and stared at the stick, but it gave him no information.

No useful information, anyway. Length could be both absolute and relative. He could see that the absolute length of his straw was about six knuckles long. But it was the length relative to the straw remaining in Father’s hand that would give the answer.

Lale strode swiftly forward and grabbed the remaining straw. The brothers stood staring at one another for ten solid beats before slowly raising their hands to compare straws.

Since I’m always looking for something to distract me from actually…you know…writing, here are a couple of images I’ve come up with to go with my snippets that may or may not have anything to do with the eventual cover. I keep going back and forth on my preference, and I’m currently leaning toward the cartoon guys again.

And I further wouldn’t want to distract myself with anything actually productive, like writing a real blurb, so here are a haiku and a not-quite-legit-limerick:

HAIKU

Obren had to draw
A straw to decide his fate.
He drew the short one.

LIMERICK (with some rhyming fail…it’s still a work-in-progress)

There once was a prince from Canna
Draw a straw? He just didn’t wanna!
But choose one he must,
and now he must trust,
the Butari prince won’t hold a … grudge.