Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Sun. [More info]
Light and darkness play a huge metaphorical role in my Unsung Legacies historical fiction series. I use it to illustrate good and evil, knowledge and ignorance, truth and lies, fear and trust.
It’s especially evident in Sunlight and Shadows (as the title suggests), where the main character, Betty, comes out of the comfortable darkness of ignorance into the harsh light of truth.
“She walked through the silent house and out the back door. She stood on the back porch and looked around at the landscape. It was the same sunlight as before. It was the same paddock, the same lazy horse eating grass, the same field, the same woods. Somehow the world had gone on as though nothing happened. But her perfect day–her perfect life–had evaporated like a puddle in the summer sun, as if it never was.”
In the next snippet, the light represents hope peeking out through despair, and foreshadows the good that will come out of this tragedy, even if it’s not clear right now.
“Soon enough, the sun peeked through the drawn curtains, finding its way through the crack between the two dense panels of fabric, and creating a narrow line of light across Mama’s casket.”
Then, in this last snippet, the sunlight (the truth) turns her father (who has changed for the worse) into a literal shadow of himself, and it’s only when he closes the door that he is recognizable.
“Daddy walked in, a moving silhouette until he shut the door and blocked the sunlight out.” ~ Jessica Marie Holt, Unsung Legacies
“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” ~ Helen Keller
Use CleanWIP Magazine’s #CleanWIP hashtag with lines from a #WIP and your tweet might be included in a https://t.co/yUHUbxZp23 collaborative article for authors who lean clean & readers who love them. https://t.co/ijIpNl8G7X The #CleanWIP theme for Thursday, October 24 is SUN
— CleanWIP Magazine (@cleanwip) October 24, 2019
#CleanWIP (theme SUN)
— Katy Huth Jones (@KatyHuthJones) October 24, 2019
King Dolan stood tall and proud wearing a golden crown upon his dark hair and a well-fitted purple surcoat. The jewels and gold trim sparkled in the sunlight, adding to the dazzling effect his presence had upon her.
#FantasyNaNoPrep Day 24
— Kendra E. Ardnek (@KendraEArdnek) October 24, 2019
On Rintae Island, because of the desert climate, people wear light clothing, though covering to protect them from the sun. pic.twitter.com/6nXPjYHVlo
Looking out into the ocean, I saw a speck in the distance. It had to be Pele. As it got closer, I could see the gleam of the outriggers, glistening in the sun. Yep, it’s Pele, and soon, I’d be back in the comfort of my little bungalow, to a hot meal and a shower. #CleanWip
— John Wilde (@WriterJohnWilde) October 24, 2019
#CleanWip The postmistress squinted against the sun. “Haven’t heard of a business needing a typist or bookkeeper, Miss Hammons. Usually, when they put a Help Wanted sign in the window, somebody grabs it up within the hour. Abilene is a booming town, in case you haven’t noticed.”
— Laurean Brooks (@Laurean2) October 24, 2019
The suns had hardly risen, but he’d been awake for hours. The cough was getting worse, and sleep was a stranger. He wasn’t the only early riser. Unfortunately. #CleanWIP
— A.E. McKenna (@ae_mckenna) October 24, 2019
Q: Why did the sun go to school?
— Ralph Nelson Willett (@NorthernOvation) October 23, 2019
A: To get brighter.
The kitchen was small, but cheerful. Sunlight streamed in through the glass back door. A vase of fresh flowers sat on the counter, and colorful painted rooster kept watch over a tray of Christmas cookies that had been set out on the island #CleanWIP
— Jessica Marie Holt — Author (@Jessica06311722) October 24, 2019