sinkwriter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sinkwriter) wrote2008-09-03 11:01 am
sinkwriter) wrote2008-09-03 11:01 am
First Lines
I'm not sure I've ever responded to a meme before, here on LJ. However, this one, as mentioned by the lovely and talented ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lostakasha, seemed potentially fun and enlightening.
Simply list the first lines of each story you've written.
(Edited comment. Or, apparently it's this: Post the first lines from your 25 most recent stories. Do you notice any patterns?)
I've found it's interesting to see the variety of approaches people take when starting off their stories. Does that first line grab the reader immediately? Make you think? Make you pause? Make you laugh? Make you want to read more?
I'm not sure mine are anything particularly earth-shattering in any of those categories, but it was a cool exercise to dig them up and see how I began each piece. I liked the one that began with dialogue, and I was especially amused by the one that started with just one word.
Anyway, my 'first lines' list is short and sweet, because I haven't written that many stories. Which gives me another nudge to make more time for it!
Apparently, brevity is my middle name. Though I do seem to follow up these short sentences with something meatier and more descriptive almost immediately afterward.
From my West Wing stories:
Snowfall ~ He returned to the White House in silence.
Stormy Weather ~ Sometimes you need to step out of the rain.
Say My Name ~ I've heard him say my name hundreds of times.
Scenes From Hell ~ It had been a good night.
Words, words, words... ~ "What are you doing here, CJ?"
From my X-Files stories (well, there's only one):
A Winter's Night ~ Crunch.
Ironically, the story I happen to think contains some of my best writing (Scenes From Hell) seems to have the most bland opening. In my defense, that line has a purpose. But one hopes you'll see that when I finish editing the beast and post it here at long last.
Regardless, it's an intriguing exercise, isn't it? Makes me wonder how some of my favorite authors measure up, with their published novels and opening lines. Hmm.
So, all you fabulous writers out there, what are some of your first lines? :)
Quick P.S. tobardsmaid, who is lovely and talented in her own right: if you get the chance to try this, I think your 'first lines' list would be fascinating! Can you imagine? Makes me want to go to your Web site right now and start looking at all the different ways you started your wonderful stories. I may go do that. *GRIN*
Another quick P.S., this time tolostakasha: After reading your post with all your AtS listings, this morning out of curiosity I glanced through some of your Bones fic opening lines. Gorgeous stuff. I think my favorite is from The Kindness of Strangers: "As a child, I was work." Simple and straight to the point. Immediately makes me want to know more about this narrator, and why he thinks he was so much 'work.' Was he truly a challenge? Or did his mother or father make him feel that way? And what is he like today? There are other first lines of yours that I really like too, but that one was the most immediately thought-provoking. (Though I do think that the opening line to Lilly and the Jack of Hearts has one of the prettiest images, with those drifting cherry blossoms. Lovely.)
lostakasha, seemed potentially fun and enlightening.Simply list the first lines of each story you've written.
(Edited comment. Or, apparently it's this: Post the first lines from your 25 most recent stories. Do you notice any patterns?)
I've found it's interesting to see the variety of approaches people take when starting off their stories. Does that first line grab the reader immediately? Make you think? Make you pause? Make you laugh? Make you want to read more?
I'm not sure mine are anything particularly earth-shattering in any of those categories, but it was a cool exercise to dig them up and see how I began each piece. I liked the one that began with dialogue, and I was especially amused by the one that started with just one word.
Anyway, my 'first lines' list is short and sweet, because I haven't written that many stories. Which gives me another nudge to make more time for it!
Apparently, brevity is my middle name. Though I do seem to follow up these short sentences with something meatier and more descriptive almost immediately afterward.
From my West Wing stories:
Snowfall ~ He returned to the White House in silence.
Stormy Weather ~ Sometimes you need to step out of the rain.
Say My Name ~ I've heard him say my name hundreds of times.
Scenes From Hell ~ It had been a good night.
Words, words, words... ~ "What are you doing here, CJ?"
From my X-Files stories (well, there's only one):
A Winter's Night ~ Crunch.
Ironically, the story I happen to think contains some of my best writing (Scenes From Hell) seems to have the most bland opening. In my defense, that line has a purpose. But one hopes you'll see that when I finish editing the beast and post it here at long last.
Regardless, it's an intriguing exercise, isn't it? Makes me wonder how some of my favorite authors measure up, with their published novels and opening lines. Hmm.
So, all you fabulous writers out there, what are some of your first lines? :)
Quick P.S. to
bardsmaid, who is lovely and talented in her own right: if you get the chance to try this, I think your 'first lines' list would be fascinating! Can you imagine? Makes me want to go to your Web site right now and start looking at all the different ways you started your wonderful stories. I may go do that. *GRIN*Another quick P.S., this time to
lostakasha: After reading your post with all your AtS listings, this morning out of curiosity I glanced through some of your Bones fic opening lines. Gorgeous stuff. I think my favorite is from The Kindness of Strangers: "As a child, I was work." Simple and straight to the point. Immediately makes me want to know more about this narrator, and why he thinks he was so much 'work.' Was he truly a challenge? Or did his mother or father make him feel that way? And what is he like today? There are other first lines of yours that I really like too, but that one was the most immediately thought-provoking. (Though I do think that the opening line to Lilly and the Jack of Hearts has one of the prettiest images, with those drifting cherry blossoms. Lovely.)
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:)
Where do I house my work? An excellent question with a horrible answer, I'm afraid. Nowhere specific at the moment, except for on my own computer. I'd posted a few stories to a West Wing yahoo group at one time, back when I first wrote them, but beyond that, I really don't have a special place of my own for them yet. Unless I start posting them here, I suppose.
Susan once offered to help me create my own Web site, but at the time I was afraid I didn't have enough substance to put on it. I only had about five stories and they were unpolished. I didn't feel I had a strong enough statement to make. I didn't want to start something and have it be bland and not truly indicative of my personality, interests or creative work.
Then again, I often overanalyze things when it's simply supposed to be fun. For example, it took me a long time to set up this LJ, until Susan finally said, you know, it doesn't have to be perfect or stay the way you initially set it up; you're allowed to change it and finetune it as you go along.
;D
If you're interested in reading one of my stories, I could post it here.
*gulp*
:D
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It took me a long time of just lurking before I joined LJ. I assumed you are here for fandom, but maybe not?
You are a member of
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*laughs uproariously at that (and hopes you don't take offense)*
Truly, I would appreciate your feedback. How else can I improve as a writer, without comments from intelligent people?
As Robert Guillaume's character Isaac once said on Sports Night (and writer Aaron Sorkin reused/paraphrased on his other show The West Wing):
"It's taken me a lot of years, but I've come around to this: If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. And if you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you."
Know what I mean?
:D
Anyway, I will suck up my courage and post a few things here soon. When I do, I'd love your thoughts, no question. Like I said, how can I improve as a writer and learn to see things from different angles, if I don't put myself out there and receive people's perspectives?
It took me a long time of just lurking before I joined LJ. I assumed you are here for fandom, but maybe not? You are a member of xf_book_club, yes?
I'm here for fandom, most definitely, but also for good discussion of any kind. I love a good discussion. When I'm in the mode for it, I can be quite the chatty analyzer. ;)
Yes, I am a member of that group, and I really need to start reading and participating more!
No matter what, I'm very glad you came out of lurking. :)
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I take no offense at all.
You may find this hard to believe but I have actually toned it down quite a bit. I know people say they want feedback but what most people want is praise. They aren't really here to improve their writing, which is fine. It just doesn't make sense to me that people post fic with obvious spelling and grammatical errors, some of which could have been caught by just hitting "check spelling during preview." Sheesh.
Yes, I am a member of that group, and I really need to start reading and participating more!
I put the group on hiatus because participation dropped so much. I am considering starting it back up. What would encourage you to participate more?
Issues of characterization are tougher, because they are so much more subjective. I have given some well-known writers some very direct criticism in their journals, and elsewhere, and for that, I have been both openly and indirectly criticized. Our fandom hates honesty. Our fandom rewards sucking up to BNFs and telling people what they want to hear. I can't do that, so I guess I have just stopped giving feedback unless I have something positive to say. The upside of that is you can be sure if I like something, I really do.
As they say, I have friended you.
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*wry smile*
Like you said, most seem to want praise (be it squeeing or general 'I liked it' sorts of comments); they aren't really looking for thorough critiques, especially not if it means they'll have to rewrite anything.
I am not of that camp.
Of course I'd prefer it if people liked my writings and said so. Who wouldn't? *GRIN* But if I've taken the time to write at all, I want it to be good, first and foremost. If that means taking a stronger, more critical look at what I've written and finding a better, more eloquent or creative way to express myself and what's going on in the story for each character, then I welcome feedback that will give me the tools to achieve those goals.
I appreciate hearing balanced feedback -- the positive and the critical -- because if it's all negative, then I start to wonder if I'm any good or why I'm bothering to write at all. *smiles* But I wouldn't ever want someone to post only positive things. If that's all they see, of course that's lovely to hear from the poster. However, if they notice something that doesn't work (and I somehow completely missed the boat on it), if I'm too close to the writing and am not pulling back enough to see where things need to be more concise or more demonstrative, if the story needs more shape or the characters need more dimension, if anything's confusing -- I need to know those things. I want to know those things.
So, I guess my point is, please don't ever think you need to censor yourself with me. :)
(And I know what you mean about the obvious spelling or grammatical errors. Some of those drive me to distraction. I can't read the story, it's so bad.)
As for the xf_book_club, I think for me it just boiled down to personal time constraints. I overextended myself, and didn't have anything left for solid contribution. I don't like to just post 'that was good, I liked it' sort of comments. If I'm going to post my thoughts, I like to be thorough. I think I just didn't have any mental energy left at the end of the day to give as much as I wanted. I'm slowly but surely catching up these days, so I may have more time and energy to participate. I'd like to go back through the club's postings and read those pieces, then I may have more perspective in which to comment on what might help invigorate the group.
As they say, I have friended you.
Delightful. Mind if I friend you back? :)
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