megwrites

I'm starting a meme, join in!

2012-11-28T23:15:08Z

So, today I went to the library and found a really interesting book called Thanks, But This isn't For Us: A (Sort Of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected.

I haven't read all of it, but I did find an interesting exercise that I'd love to see other people on my f-list try. Which is:

Come up with five opening lines for books you never intend to write. Use different techniques and try out different genres than you usually would. Just make them as interesting and compelling in one line as you can.

So my five were:

1. "Why won't you let me drive?" Allie asked on the way to their next murder.

"Because you're the only person under seventy I've ever seen leave their blinker on for five exits." (murder mystery)

2. When Sierra was ten she got her first job, kissed her first girl, and got in her first fight all in the space of three hours on the first day of school. (Romance)

3. His queen would be dead by noon if he didn't find a new, less worn out horse. (Historical romance)

4. The President's eyes seemed bright but rheumy that day as he leaned on the podium in the sweltering August heat of Washington. (Political thriller)

5. Hades laid his head down in the gloom and let the dead babble around him, then he raised his eyes to the black vaulted ceiling of the cave and suddenly, the dead went silent. (Mythological fantasy)

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So, hopefully others will choose to play along. It's an interesting exercise in how to sculpt a first line and it actually got me thinking of new ideas. Let me know what you thought of my first five lines and feel free to leave your own first five (or try just one!) lines in comments if you want.

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Joy!flail

2012-05-03T12:01:34Z

I have my own thread at the LOVE MEME that ephemere is hosting. And I didn't put it there.

Somebody likes me. They really, really, really like me.

*KERMIT FLAIL GIF GOES HERE*

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Love is a horse on the wind*

2012-05-02T14:15:51Z

Love Meme! over at ephemere's place. Lots of very, very deserving folks and you can nominate yourself if you need some love.

Don't be ashamed to go over there and say if you need some kind words and compliments. We all do. It's human nature and there's nothing wrong or petty about it. Or if you want some love here in this space.

A lot of you have been so very kind, generous, and loving towards me as I've gone through tough times and tried new things. So I definitely won't mind returning the favor. Sometimes, I think one of the biggest favors we can do ourselves as people is to admit when that need love of some type or another and ask for it when we can, without shame if possible.

Also, internet hugs for anyone who wants 'em.

*Title taken from the lyrics of "Tanglewood Tree" by The Strangelings.

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A (slightly modified) meme about books!

2011-05-18T16:24:41Z

The book(s) I am reading: The Broken Crown (Sun Sword #1), Michelle West (aka Michelle Sagara), The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen, and The Tyrannicide Brief by Geoffrey Robertson

The book I am writing (or would like to write or see written): I'm bouncing between the sequel to the book I'm editing and a space-romance threesome book.

The book I love most: The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkison. That book seriously blew me away, changed what I thought I knew about how books should even be structured, completely took a sledgehammer to the notion that genre classifications can be helpful, and so many other things.

The last book I received as a gift: ~~None. I don't think anyone's ever given me a book as a gift. I borrowed a few, but never been given one.~~ I stand corrected! Here I was trying to think of x-mas, birthdays, etc and it turns out that nwhyte actually very generously gave me the gift of King Rat by China Mieville (which, btw, is the sole Mieville novel I've ever finished or enjoyed). I feel like kind of a jerk for forgetting that!

The last book I gave as a gift: None. This may explain my above answer.

The nearest book on my desk: The Rise of Modern China by Immanuel C.Y. Hsu.

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