I found out about Brenda Drake’s super fun blogfest from my friend Robin, and thought I’d enter my character Kate Lebel from Cobalt. It’s a simple contest, really. I post the first 250 words from my book, and you guys try to guess her age. No cheating now! I tell Kate’s age in a few other posts and my description of the story elsewhere in my blog.
There’s a linky for the official rules and stuff in the picture below. And my entry follows! 🙂
Auntie Gerta was a big woman, pale and solid like a whitewashed wall, a wall which now towered over Kate as she washed the breakfast dishes. She jabbed a pudgy finger between the girl’s shoulderblades.
“Don’t think I’ll let you off easy after yesterday’s mischief.”
“I wasn’t, Auntie.” Kate stopped her scrubbing to look her aunt full in the face; she hated that.
Gerta sniffed. “You’d think I’d know all your little tricks, all these years I’ve been caring for you since your father died. But you just keep pulling more out of thin air! Must be your curse…”
It was the same old argument. Kate tried in vain not to let it rile her up, but Auntie Gerta always knew which memories hurt the worst. “My father did not die!”
“Yes, yes: he disappeared.” Gerta waved her hands dismissively. “Same difference. Good as dead out there, like the rest of them, once they go missing in the trees. But all your hoping isn’t going to make him come back. How long has he been gone? Four years now? No, five. Too long that I’ve had to deal with your tricks. You’re nearing marriage age, if you ask me.”
Now this was a first. Kate’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”
Gerta looked at her for a long moment, her small piggy eyes lingering on the left side of Kate’s face. “No, no, wouldn’t do, would it? Even if I offered iron as a dowry, I couldn’t get you off my hands.”
And that’s it! Be sure to go look at Robin’s entry, and check out the other contestants listed on Brenda’s page. I’d love some critiques, questions, or comments on my entry along with your guesses! This is a first draft, after all. 🙂
Fairies and Pirates 
The writing is whimsical and I like that. She feels kind of young but the mention of “marriage age” makes me think she's older (although, people used to get married when they were quite young). I'm going to go with 13 or 14.
You have a new follower in me;) Hope you can drop by my blog.
I'm going to guess 12. I really like your entry.
I'm guessing 15 or 16. Great writing and voice. A definite “page turner”. 🙂
I'd say about 13 or 14. She sounds young, and her aunt's comment about near marriage age makes me think she is too young for that. Interesting start.
My first guess was 12 or 13 from the voice. There's enough clues here that marrying age is younger than in our times, and she was young even by those standards. I always like a trouble-maker, and there are plenty of hints to make a reader want more.
I'd guess about 14 from the voice and the reference to nearing marriage age.
I was thinking 12-13.
Just found your blog. What a fun game! I'm guessing…14, maybe?
A few of you guys are right! 😀 Thanks for all your commments, this has taught me a lot about using voice to give hints about the characters that you don't immediately say.
Yay, new peeps! Can't wait to check out and follow your blogs as well.
I'm going to go with 15. I like the tenson in these paragraphs 🙂
Hey, still trying to get around to everyone's blog even though the contest is over. Great piece! I'd say 16?
P.S. Holy crap, I LOVE you blog title!!! New follower alert.
Awesome, you guys, thanks for all your comments! Kate's 12, almost 13. Marriage age would be around 15 or 16 in her world, but her aunt is psycho. LOL I guess that's a little bit deceiving, so I didn't make it to the semi-finals. That's okay, I learned a lot and it was a fun challenge!