Line by Line 12-2-2020
#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: The Missing Word
Wednesday, December 2nd, 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
From The Cybil War, we have this sentence with a missing word. Tony Angotti is on Cybil Ackerman’s front porch, trying to find out if Cybil likes him. Cybil is eating a carrot dipped in peanut butter.
“I didn’t say anything about Simon.” Crunch, crunch. “I like Simon.”
“Well, sure, but after Harriet told you he said you had ____ legs—”
A. Fat
B. Toothpick
C. Popsicle
D. Skinny
After your guess, you can click here for the answer, and the next thing two lines. Cybil is great.
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.