Line by Line 08/19/2020
#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.)
During the hour, there will be a focus question, a chance to share, and a wrap-up question.
…NexNext Time: Tension
Wednesday, August 19th, at 9:00 PM Eastern, the #WritingCommunity will share lines of tension.
I am using Betsy Byars’ Good-bye, Chicken Little for simple examples of our Line-By-Line exercises. Byars wrote MG books for years, won prestigious awards, and knew her stuff.
This week, Byars creates a life and death scene of tension. Uncle Pete is about to plunge through the ice to his death, and Byars pauses, lets time slow, to allow the reader to absorb the moment.
It was a moment in time that couldn’t be measured in minutes and seconds. Everything in the world seemed to have stopped.
Slowly Uncle Pete began to turn. His arms were still stretched out to the side. Like a figure on a music box, he seemed to be turning without any footwork.
There was another cracking sound from the ice.
I hope you will join us Wednesday. Feel free to make helpful suggestions about other lines the group might explore in the future.
