mini update

[jo_blogs]

I haven't updated lately because life has been crazy but I had a bit of good news this week.

I won a free place on a 9 week online writing course [x]. I had to submit a first line of a story I wanted to write. The rules allowed multiple entries, so I put in 4. Here they are (feeling very happy right now to have this group of awesome writers/lovely

Comments

[tdu000]

Congratulations. Having entered 4 first lines do you get to write them all? The third one is obviously about my grandfather. He was a heavy smoker and spat in the fire a lot - although in his case it wouldn't have been "had spit" but "had been and spat". It ensured I never saw smoking as sophisticated I suppose.

[megan29]

I thought the first line was just for the competition, but now that I've re-read Jo's post, hmm, it seems she mayl be writing a story based on one of these lines. Well, don't keep us in suspense, Jo. Which one will you choose?

[jo_blogs]

Thank you. It will be up to me which ones I go on to write, I think.

That's interesting about your grandfather. It's my grandfather on my mother's side who used to do it, though I never saw it, I only met him once.

I never saw smoking as sophisticated, I'm sensitive to secondhand smoke. But it didn't stop me taking it up when I went to university. Peer pressure is a powerful thing, if you're me. Luckily I never enjoyed it.

[megan29]

I'm trying to decide which one's my favorite, and having a tough time about it. :-) They all hint at very cool things. Would you like to write the first sentence for my book?

Do you have an idea for a story to go with each of these sentences, or did you write them as standalones? (in which case, how did you come up with them? I'm very curious)

I hope you get a lot out of this class. Maybe you can share with us the most interesting tidbits? Oh, and did I forget to say it? Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!

[jo_blogs]

Thank you! *hugs*

Would you like to write the first sentence for my book?

Sure! I'm kidding. I bet your first line is awesome. Tell me about it?

I do have a germ of an idea for each of these sentences, they're all ideas I've been mulling over, which is how I was able to come up with them without too much agonising.

I'm reminded of something you said to me - about how you didn't plan your story with an eye to cerebral criteria and how you were writing from a visceral place. I would say for me these are snapshots, feelings, things people have said to me - sense memories.

Also, I had the prompt for the competition and it felt like the right time. Timing is everything, I think. A friend of mine did of their courses last year and she sent me a link to the competition. She sent me one a few months ago, but I was in a different place then.

Btw, thinking about your story again reminds me of a piece I read recently.

How are the rewrites coming along? I'm curious. (if you want to talk about it that is - no pressure!)

[megan29]

Ah, the re-write. Haven't even started thinking about potentially making time for it at some point in the undefined future. My workload is increasing by leaps and bounds, with no end in sight. All I've been doing, since I joined Google, is frantically pumping my arms and legs to keep my head above water. And when they see you haven't drowned yet, they pile more stuff on your plate, presumably on the assumption that you don't need any sleep or free time. Btw, I'm working this w-e... So that story I should start editing? It's behind the times. I should probably depict the main character losing his mind and jumping out the window. That would be more realistic. Yeah

[jo_blogs]

Gosh, I'm sorry about your workload. It sounds absolutely awful