Line by Line- 9-2-2020
#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.)
During the hour, there will be a focus question, a chance to share, and a time for “best in show.”
…Nex
Next Time: The Saddest Sentence
Wednesday, September 2, at 9:00 PM Eastern, the #WritingCommunity will share lines that showcase the saddest sentence we have ever written.
I am using Betsy Byars Good-bye, Chicken Little for examples of 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 moving to The Cybil War, another great book by Byars. When I read this book to my 6th graders, they clapped when it was finished. I always touted it as “The world’s best kiddies book about love in the 5th grade. (No, my kids were not insulted when I called them kiddies because they knew it was the highest praise. 6th graders are still kids.)
Saddest sentence:
It was more than he could stand—that his father, the only person he could not live without, could actually decide to live without him. The earth seemed to tremble with a terrible inner quake.
I hope you will join us Wednesday. Feel free to make helpful suggestions about other lines the group might explore in the future.