Line by Line 11-25-2020
#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: Best Chapter Ending
Wednesday, November 25th, at 9:00 PM Eastern, we share the best ending of a chapter we have written, those few words that make the reader stay up too late, reading “just one more.”
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
This week I am using an example from Chapter 11 from Good-Bye, Chicken Little. I cheated and used two sentences.
Someone had come to spy on his family’s party! Jimmie took one silent step toward him.
I read this book to my 6th graders for years, and this chapter made them want tomorrow to arrive.
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.