Line by Line 11-18-2020
#WritingCommunity,
You are invited to #LineByLineTime, A Mini Critique Hour hosted by @graestonewriter on Twitter.
In the movie Gore Vidal’s Lincoln, the president “runs the lines” of The Gettysburg Address with his aides, saying, “I have a short short short speech, which I will try out on the chickens, as the farmer said.”
(Marvelous, powerful movie that has haunted me all these years.)
Each week #LineByLineTime writers share lines from their WIPs. (Try it out on the chickens, as the farmer said.)
There will be a focus question during the hour, a chance to share, and a time for “best in show.”
Next Time: Chapter Titles
Wednesday, November 19th, at 9:00 PM Eastern, we share Chapter Titles
I am using Betsy Byars’ Good-bye, Chicken Little, and The Cybil War for our Line-By-Line exercises. Byars wrote MG books for years, won prestigious awards, and knew her stuff. Betsy passed away on February 26, 2020.
Byars sometimes simply numbered her chapters as in Good-Bye, Chicken Little. She used chapter titles in The Cybil War.
I offer three examples:
Tears and Ravioli
T-Bone’s Invitation
An Hour of Misfortune
While it is hard to tell without reading the book, each of these titles is perfect for the chapter. As you become acquainted with the characters, the titles give a tantalizing peek into the chapter, with no hint of the outcome.
I hope you will join us Wednesdays for #LineByLineTime.
Feel free to make helpful suggestions about other lines the group might explore in the future.