There is a first paragraph contest going on at Nathan Bransford's blog this week. Yesterday, Nathan followed up with a discussion of what makes a good first paragraph of a novel. For me, I think that a first paragraph should convey voice and theme and immediately ground the reader. I read some of the comments at Nathan's blog, and I love what this person, Mark Cecil, wrote. His name wasn't clickable, so I haven't gotten the okay to post this, so I hope he doesn't mind.
Mark Cecil said...
A feeling that the author is going to take care of you. To lead you along. That he is saying: here is what my story is going to be about. Here is how I'm going to tell it. Relax. You're in my hands now. We will have ups and downs, we will have surprises and dissapointments, but i will lead you through it all, like a guide in a strange land.
So, what do you think makes for a good opening?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday Meeting
Yes, I know that it is Tuesday. But yesterday got sucked into the holiday vortex, and while I knew (kind-of) that it was Monday, it felt like Sunday. My whole week was thrown off. So today, in my universe, it's Monday. Hopefully everyone can deal with that.
This week, I'm chugging ahead with revisions. I have a few more things to input into the first half, and some sequence changes. And this past weekend I cut some thirty pages from the second half. I am acutely aware that I am writing for MG, and that even some of the action is unnecessary. So, thirty pages of good stuff is out. I'm definitely moving forward.
And, I was surprised to find myself writing (on a blog comment) that I was enjoying the revision process. I was surprised to write it, and more surprised to find that it was true. So, maybe I can do this writing thing.
What goals do you have for this week? What's surprising you this week?
This week, I'm chugging ahead with revisions. I have a few more things to input into the first half, and some sequence changes. And this past weekend I cut some thirty pages from the second half. I am acutely aware that I am writing for MG, and that even some of the action is unnecessary. So, thirty pages of good stuff is out. I'm definitely moving forward.
And, I was surprised to find myself writing (on a blog comment) that I was enjoying the revision process. I was surprised to write it, and more surprised to find that it was true. So, maybe I can do this writing thing.
What goals do you have for this week? What's surprising you this week?
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Cherry Pie
I'm rereading Madeleine L'Engle's journal, A CIRCLE OF QUIET, and I cherish her story of how she decided to stick out the writing life, after ten years of writing book after unpublished book. (The following excerpts are from pages 20-21 for those who want to follow along.)
But during that decade when I was in my thirties, I couldn't sell anything. If a writer says he doesn't care whether he is published or not, I don't believe him. I care. Undoubtedly I care too much. But we do not write for ourselves alone. I write about what concerns me, and I want to share my concerns. I want what I write to be read. Every rejection slip--and you could paper walls with my rejection slips--was like the rejection of me, myself, and certainly of my amour-propre.
Madeleine recounted all the reasons the publishers gave for turning her novels down. For example, publishers rejected A Wrinkle In Time, in part, because they couldn't figure out whether it was a book for adults or children. Thank goodness for today's YA distinction! Other books were rejected because they began with a death, or were too moral. She believed that the tide would turn when she turned forty. So, on her fortieth birthday, when she received the rejection of a novel which had spent enough time at a publication house to give her hope, she was crushed.
This seemed an obvious sign from heaven. I should stop trying to write. All during the decade of my thirties (the world's fifties) I went through spasms of guilt because I spent so much time writing, because I wasn't like a good New England housewife and mother. When I scrubbed the kitchen floor, the family cheered. I couldn't make a decent pie crust. I always managed to get something red in with the white laundry in the washing machine, so that everyone wore streaky pink underwear. And with all the hours I spent writing, I was still not pulling my own weight financially.
So the rejection on the fortieth birthday seemed an unmistakable command: Stop this foolishness and learn to make cherry pie.
Madeleine gave up writing, put away the typewriter, and was filled with despair. Until, that is, she realized that in her head, she was busy writing a novel about failure. It was then that she knew that she had to write.
In the moment of failure I knew that the idea of Madeleine, who had to write in order to be, was not an image.
Madeleine L'Engle published over 60 books in her life time. I'm glad she never learned to make that cherry pie. What do you think? Do you foresee a time when you might give up? Have you had a cherry pie moment? One that made you know that you will write no matter what?
But during that decade when I was in my thirties, I couldn't sell anything. If a writer says he doesn't care whether he is published or not, I don't believe him. I care. Undoubtedly I care too much. But we do not write for ourselves alone. I write about what concerns me, and I want to share my concerns. I want what I write to be read. Every rejection slip--and you could paper walls with my rejection slips--was like the rejection of me, myself, and certainly of my amour-propre.
Madeleine recounted all the reasons the publishers gave for turning her novels down. For example, publishers rejected A Wrinkle In Time, in part, because they couldn't figure out whether it was a book for adults or children. Thank goodness for today's YA distinction! Other books were rejected because they began with a death, or were too moral. She believed that the tide would turn when she turned forty. So, on her fortieth birthday, when she received the rejection of a novel which had spent enough time at a publication house to give her hope, she was crushed.
This seemed an obvious sign from heaven. I should stop trying to write. All during the decade of my thirties (the world's fifties) I went through spasms of guilt because I spent so much time writing, because I wasn't like a good New England housewife and mother. When I scrubbed the kitchen floor, the family cheered. I couldn't make a decent pie crust. I always managed to get something red in with the white laundry in the washing machine, so that everyone wore streaky pink underwear. And with all the hours I spent writing, I was still not pulling my own weight financially.
So the rejection on the fortieth birthday seemed an unmistakable command: Stop this foolishness and learn to make cherry pie.
Madeleine gave up writing, put away the typewriter, and was filled with despair. Until, that is, she realized that in her head, she was busy writing a novel about failure. It was then that she knew that she had to write.
In the moment of failure I knew that the idea of Madeleine, who had to write in order to be, was not an image.
Madeleine L'Engle published over 60 books in her life time. I'm glad she never learned to make that cherry pie. What do you think? Do you foresee a time when you might give up? Have you had a cherry pie moment? One that made you know that you will write no matter what?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday Meeting
Thanks to a great week with revisions, I am plowing ahead. I didn't quite finish what I set out to do last week, but got really close.
This week, I'm hoping to finish the first half of revisions and start cruising through the second half. These will be rolling revisions, since enough has changed in the first half that I will need to change the second half as well. Better and better with every revision.
But, I'm giving myself a break this week. I got a pretty wild migraine yesterday, and am still feeling the effects. One of the things that happens during my migraines is that I lose words. Not the best thing to happen to a writer (or a mom, I suppose). Even this morning, 24 hours after the onset of the migraine, I still could not carry on a conversation. I feel as though there are holes in my brain, and the words slip out, and I can't find them. But the words are really still there, only hidden by the holes. I cannot thread words together, and forget how to say things. This is not good. It'll take me another day to bounce back.
Hopefully nobody else is losing their words. What are your goals for the week?
This week, I'm hoping to finish the first half of revisions and start cruising through the second half. These will be rolling revisions, since enough has changed in the first half that I will need to change the second half as well. Better and better with every revision.
But, I'm giving myself a break this week. I got a pretty wild migraine yesterday, and am still feeling the effects. One of the things that happens during my migraines is that I lose words. Not the best thing to happen to a writer (or a mom, I suppose). Even this morning, 24 hours after the onset of the migraine, I still could not carry on a conversation. I feel as though there are holes in my brain, and the words slip out, and I can't find them. But the words are really still there, only hidden by the holes. I cannot thread words together, and forget how to say things. This is not good. It'll take me another day to bounce back.
Hopefully nobody else is losing their words. What are your goals for the week?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Putting My Money Where My Heart Is
Buy-A-Book Club Update:
Since my last post explaining the plan to buy one book a month, I have indeed bought a book. I have actually bought three books. They are:
Magickeepers, Erica Kirov
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., Kate Messner
Skippyjon Jones--Lost in Spice, Judy Schachner
And, at the request of my son, we bought one of the above titles twice, so he could give it to his friend for his birthday.
So, my goal of buying one book a week was surpassed times four. Evidently I am not to be trusted with a credit card in an independent book store.
All kidding aside, I love my purchases. They are wonderful books. Every book was signed by the author, except for Magickeepers, and I intend to get that one signed as well. In fact, we had to take out an additional copy of Magickeepers from the library, since three family members were reading it at once, and one copy just wasn't enough! Check out the GOLD Moonbeam Children's Book Award it just won.
And the Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.? That's the book that my son bought for his friend. Who says that boys won't read a book with a girl as the main character?
Look for reviews coming up on the blog for both Magickeepers and The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. I've already posted a review of Lost in Spice.
I recommend them all!
What do you recommend? What are you reading and/or buying?
Since my last post explaining the plan to buy one book a month, I have indeed bought a book. I have actually bought three books. They are:
Magickeepers, Erica Kirov
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., Kate Messner
Skippyjon Jones--Lost in Spice, Judy Schachner
And, at the request of my son, we bought one of the above titles twice, so he could give it to his friend for his birthday.
So, my goal of buying one book a week was surpassed times four. Evidently I am not to be trusted with a credit card in an independent book store.
All kidding aside, I love my purchases. They are wonderful books. Every book was signed by the author, except for Magickeepers, and I intend to get that one signed as well. In fact, we had to take out an additional copy of Magickeepers from the library, since three family members were reading it at once, and one copy just wasn't enough! Check out the GOLD Moonbeam Children's Book Award it just won.
And the Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.? That's the book that my son bought for his friend. Who says that boys won't read a book with a girl as the main character?
Look for reviews coming up on the blog for both Magickeepers and The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. I've already posted a review of Lost in Spice.
I recommend them all!
What do you recommend? What are you reading and/or buying?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)