Line by Line 9/23/2020
#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: Flashbacks, Getting In and Getting Out
Wednesday, September 23, at 9:00 PM Eastern, the #WritingCommunity will share lines that help the reader enter and exit a flashback.
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.
Because I cannot recall a flashback in Good-bye, Chicken Little, this week I am using another Byars book, The Cybil War. This book is the one I read first to my 6th-graders, and I remember applause when the book ended.
In this passage, Simon sits in his 5th-grade classroom and reflects on Cybil Ackerman:
Getting In:
And he was in love with Cybil Ackerman, had been for three years. He had fallen in love with her in the room right below this one.
Getting Out: (Nine pages of dialog and action later–)
“Simon! Simon!”
He looked up. “What?”
“Would you like to tell the class the meaning of the next poem?”
Simon was sitting with his hand on his chest, the very spot that had pounded so many years ago.
And after powerful, and entertaining pages that paint pictures of Simon’s life, we are back.
I hope you will join us Wednesday.
Feel free to make helpful suggestions about other lines the group might explore in the future.