Week #31 – Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #31 –  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

First published: October 19, 1953

Here's what the story is about: In a future dystopian America where books have been outlawed, firemen burn any that are found. Guy Montag is a fireman who questions his role of destroying knowledge. He eventually quits his job and commits himself to preserving writings.

First line/paragraph:

It was a pleasure to burn.

It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black. He strode in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.

This appears to be third person limited voice. The first line is a classic and in my opinion a great hook. The first paragraph describes a man holding a brass nozzle [fire hose but NOT water to put it out], and he enjoyed watching a house, and especially the books inside it, burn. While it burned, he thought of roasting a marshmallow. We are in media res, watching the flames along with the fireman. The description of the fire is poetic and colorful, and we enjoy the fire as much as the fireman does. I would definitely continue reading.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

Dear O'Abby: How do I get freelance work as a writer?

 Dear O'Abby,

A friend of mine suggested that I could make a bit of extra cash from by writing articles for different publications.  I kind of like that idea and have a bunch of ideas for stories I'd be interested in writing, but have no idea how to get into something like that.

Do you know any good ways to get this kind of freelance work?

Best wishes,

Workless

Dear Workless,

Firstly, don't Google how to get freelance writing gigs.  The first thing that comes up are a bunch of sites that suggest you sign up and work will come your way.  These sites tend to be competitive, pay badly and don't give you a lot of control over the content you produce.  As a freelance writer, you are basically setting yourself up as a business and as a business owner, you want to have control over all aspects of the business.  

So my first piece of advice is to know what kind of writing you want to do, find outlets that publish that kind of content and approach them directly with a pitch.  Make sure you thoroughly research the outlet you're pitching so you can ensure the story you pitch will be in line with their audience and editorial style.

Once you've identified the outlets, you need to pitch the story to an editor.  Editors are busy people and they get pitched at all day so make sure your pitch is punchy, to the point and that your credentials show that you are the perfect person - or better, the only person - to write this particular story.  This does not mean sending a lengthy cover letter with all your previous writing experience spelled out, or your full resume. A couple of sentences is enough if the article pitched is strong.

Because editors are busy people, it may take time for them to get back to you. It is okay to nudge if you have not seen a response after a couple of weeks (less if your story is time-sensitive), but don't badger them.  

Alternatively, a lot of businesses have blogs or newsletters that require content on a fairly regular basis and if that kind of writing appeals to you, that can be a good source of regular freelance work.  Maybe even start with one of your own previous employers, if they have such a thing.

There are a lot of opportunities for writers of all styles out there from writing reports to reviews to business letters to advice columns (like this one - although I don't get paid for this), so keep your eyes open for anything that looks like it could use help with its content and don't be shy about pitching your ideas.

Hope that's helpful!

X O'Abby

Week #30 – The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #30 – The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales

https://www.britishlibrary.cn/en/works/canterbury-tales/

First published: 1400-1476

Here's what the story is about: A collection of twenty-four stories written in Middle English between 1387 and 1400, presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims traveling together from London to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

First line/paragraph:

The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue
Here bygynneth the Book of the tales of Caunterbury 

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licóur
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye,
So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

The Canterbury Tales is written in middle English, the first such literary piece to be written in English at all. Here at the beginning, nature is described as inspiring people to make a pilgrimage to Canterbury to honor St. Thomas Becket.

I am not a fan of doing the tremendous work of trying to understand middle English, so I would not be tempted at all to begin reading this story. However, a modern translation is here

https://chaucer.fas.harvard.edu/pages/text-and-translations

1         Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
                  When April with its sweet-smelling showers
2         The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
                 Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
3         And bathed every veyne in swich licour
                 And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid
4         Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
                 By which power the flower is created;
5         Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
                 When the West Wind also with its sweet breath,
6         Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
                 In every wood and field has breathed life into
7         The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
                 The tender new leaves, and the young sun
8         Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,
                 Has run half its course in Aries,
9         And smale foweles maken melodye,
                 And small fowls make melody,
10         That slepen al the nyght with open ye
                 Those that sleep all the night with open eyes
11         (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages),
                 (So Nature incites them in their hearts),
12         Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
                 Then folk long to go on pilgrimages,
13         And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
                 And professional pilgrims to seek foreign shores,
14         To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
                 To distant shrines, known in various lands;
15         And specially from every shires ende
                 And specially from every shire's end
16         Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
                 Of England to Canterbury they travel,
17         The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
                 To seek the holy blessed martyr,
18         That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
                 Who helped them when they were sick.

This appears to be in omniscient voice and describes the springtime as a good time to make a pilgrimage to Canterbury in honor of a martyr. I have a passing interest in reading something from the 14th century just because it's so old, and this somewhat begins “in media res” with the reasoning why the pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury, but if I was so inclined, I would definitely insist on reading the modern translation.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

Dear O'Abby: Do I need a lawyer if I have an agent?

 Dear O'Abby,

I'm agented and my agent has just sold my book to a publisher!  I'm super excited, but also want to make sure everything is being done properly, so I'm wondering if I need to get a lawyer to look over the publisher's contract?  Or is that something my agent does?  Not ever having been in this position before, I'm not sure...

Do you have any advice?

Best Wishes,

Contracted

Dear Contracted,

Congratulations to you and your agent for selling the book!  How exciting!

In terms of getting a lawyer, it's one of those things you are perfectly welcome to do, but if you do, there are a few things you should think about.

Firstly, let your agent know you are doing this. Agents often have previously-negotiated contracts with publishers they can use as a basis for any new contract and an outside lawyer isn't going to know what has already been discussed.

Secondly, make sure the lawyer you hire understands publishing or they may want to try to negotiate things that are standard in the publishing world.  Like most industries, there are things unique to publishing that can't be changed and it's better to have a lawyer who understands these things.

But generally speaking, while an agent is unlikely to object to you hiring your own lawyer to look over a contract, it isn't really needed.  Agents are (or should be) experts in reading and negotiating publishing contracts and as your advocate, will be looking for the best possible terms for you and your book.  They are far more familiar with the publishing landscape and any specificities of the industry than most lawyers, and also of any new trends moving through.

So my advice is to save your money and trust your agent unless there is something you see in the contract that sends up re flags.  And even then, I'd talk to your agent about it before you rush out an hire a lawyer.

Make sense?

X O'Abby

Week #29 – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #29 –   The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7193/7193-h/7193-h.htm

First published: June 1876

Here's what the story is about: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is about a an orphan boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in a town based on Hannibal, Missouri. Tom Sawyer has several adventures, often with his friend Huckleberry Finn. It’s 1884 sequel is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It was one of the first novels to be written on a typewriter.

First line/paragraph:

“Tom!”
No answer.
“TOM!”
No answer.
“What’s gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!”
No answer.
The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked through them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for “style,” not service—she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:
“Well, I lay if I get hold of you I’ll—”

The story starts with an old lady calling out for Tom, who we assume is the title character Tom Sawyer. She wears “spectacles” mostly for show, not because she needs them to see. We learn a few paragraphs later that she is Tom's Aunt Polly, and she had a mind to discipline him, but once he escaped her, she laughed at his antics. The story starts in third person or omniscient, altho a bit later we see that it's omniscient. Unlike other stories in the late 1800s, this one really and truly does start in media res. It starts with dialogue [well, actually monologue]  which is risky because we don't know anything about who is speaking, but here it appears to work. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

Dear O'Abby: How long should my chapters be?

 Dear O'Abby,

I tend to write my books straight through without any chapter breaks, and now I'm at the end of the writing process, I'm curious as to whether there is an optimum length for chapters?  I feel like there are some pretty natural breaks in my story where I could put chapter breaks, but they are not always a consistent length apart.  

Does that matter?  Is there an industry standard?  A genre standard?  I'm really not sure...

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

Sincerely,

Lengthy

Dear Lengthy,

Like most writing question, the answer to this is "it depends".  There are a lot of very popular books out there with very short chapters, but they are usually thrillers or stories with a lot of suspense.  Having short, snappy chapters in a book like that keeps things moving at a rapid pace. On the other hand, if you're writing something deeper and more rooted in character and place, you probably want longer chapters for your readers to fully immerse themselves in.

And if you're writing something that's both of these things, you may want to switch from long to short and back again depending on how you want the reader to feel.

If you're writing in dual POV, you'll probably want to have a chapter break where the POV changes because changing POV midway through a chapter can be dis-orientating for the reader.  But that's not a hard and fast rule.  I've read multi-POV books where you get a range of voices in each chapter, usually separated by **** to indicate change, but not always.  Sometimes a writer is so good at differentiating the voices, they don't need a signal to indicate the switch in POV.  Sometimes...  It's not something I've seen often.

My personal approach to chapter length is to always find a spot to finish a chapter where something is happening or just about to happen.  You don't want the reader to feel that they have permission to put the book down at any point.  Your job as a writer is to keep progressing the story and to make it un-put-downable.  So I always try to end each chapter on a cliffhanger of sorts so the reader might say "just one more chapter. Then I'll go to sleep..."  But over and over until they've stayed up until 3am to finish reading.

There are no real rules and I very much doubt that any publisher is out there counting how many words there are in each of your chapters.  They're more interested in whether the story is compelling enough to keep reading all the way through and that the pace of the book holds up.  

Hope that's helpful!

X O'Abby

Week #28 – Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #28 –  Moby Dick by Herman Melville

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick

https://gutenberg.org/files/2701/2701-h/2701-h.htm

First published: October 18,1851

Here's what the story is about: Moby-Dick, or The Whale, is the narrative of sailor Ishmael, who tells the story of the maniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg on the ship's previous voyage. It was a commercial failure in its time, but gained a reputation as the Great American Novel in the 20th century. Its opening sentence, "Call me Ishmael", is among world literature's most famous.

First line/paragraph:

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

The story starts with the main character telling readers to “call me Ishmael”, which is one of the most famous first lines in all of literature. We are not sure if that's his real name or just what he wants us to call him. He speaks to the reader in first person POV and introduces himself with a rather eloquent statement that, several years ago, he had no money and no interests except the sea. I am a bit intrigued by his voice and would give him at least a few more paragraphs to see if the story would engage me.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

O'Abby's July Writing Prompt

 Hello!

It's a new month so I have a new writing challenge for you.

I recently read a short story written from a second person point of view (where the narrator describes the reader's actions, thoughts, and background using "you") and it made me feel a little uncomfortable as a reader.  It's pretty unusual to be put into the story in that way!

So this month's challenge is to write a short story or flash fiction piece in the second person. 

Post in the comments or email it to operationawesome6@gmail.com.

I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Happy writing!

X O'Abby

Week #27 – Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #27 –  Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Livingston_Seagull

First published: August 31, 1970

Here's what the story is about: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, illustrated with black-and-white photographs, is an allegorical fable in novella form, about a seagull who learns about flying, freedom, and self-realization. By the end of 1972 it had sold over a million copies, reaching the number one spot on bestseller lists mostly through word of mouth recommendations. In 2014 the book was reissued as Jonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition, which added a 17-page fourth part to the story.

First line/paragraph:

It was morning, and the new sun sparkled gold across the ripples of a gentle sea.

A mile from shore a fishing boat chummed the water, and the word for Breakfast Flock flashed through the air, till a crowd of a thousand seagulls came to dodge and fight for bits of food. It was another busy day beginning.

The story starts with setting [ocean/beach] and time of day [morning]. It appears to be omniscient POV and past tense. We have a beginning of plot, a fishing boat and a thousand seagulls fighting for food. We are not introduced to Jonathan, the main character, until the next paragraph, where we see him practicing his flying skills. This story is only 144 pages long, and although it starts “in media res”, it doesn't hook me until the third paragraph. Is that too late for the modern reader?

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!