Apparently, blog awards are now out of vogue and are to be replaced by Memes and references to the apocalyptically significant number seven. Already the literary world trembles as the tide of change in this new millennium sweeps aside previous conventions. At this rate someone will suggest that reading a book can be politely engaged in with without the obligatory Chinese tea and cake. I despair for the future of our Empire, and World Civilisation in general. Continue on, Dear Readers, to read a little of my new WiP, with links to another seven writer’s blogs.
Anyhow, apparently there are rules, so some vestige of Culture remains:
“Rules of the game:
*Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
*Go to line 7
*Copy down the next 7 lines (sentences or paragraphs) and post them exactly as they’re written. No cheating.
*Tag 7 authors
*Let them know”
Quote courtesy and copyright © of Colin F. Barnes, 2012. He will shoot those who pirate his writing, with gusto and a flair for finding the painful bits to point his revolver at. (Ask his boss).
Now, here I have a problem. I started my current WiP a week ago, and I’m so far off 77 pages you wouldn’t believe. So, either I bail or I cheat…
Below is a first, and very rough draft of seven lines worth of complete sentences from my new WiP, starting from word number 777:
“For a horrific half second the image of his humiliation was frozen in time, a foot from his nose while the circuit boards worked out what they could manage with the fading vestiges of power left to them. The screen went black, and Derek knew he was a dead man walking. Tomorrow they would hang him out to dry.
Derek stood as the near darkness fell around him, the retreating light from his now impotent computer screen giving way before the blue illumination of his gaming keyboard. Derek reached down and grabbed his bin and swept his forearm across his desk scattering most of the cans, empty crisp packets, and pizza boxes onto the floor.”
Now I have to find seven lovely people (in no particular order) to tag who I don’t think have already been ‘got’:
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I enjoyed that, rough or not it was very good.
Cheers Steve. I now have to follow it through, and see if the as yet unknown plot is going to lead anywhere.
Steve is right – great start
Thanks Krista. Now looking for a great middle and a great end.
Well…my WIP was one I began deconstructing and reconstructing – so it isn’t enough of a coherent manuscript to follow either the original rule or the alternative TJ suggests. There are too many notes scattered all over and in between paragraphs.
So I’ll follow the original rule and apply it at least to my previous work from last year:
And so it was in the depths of her thoughts that Leilah and Merrick came upon her unawares. She saw Leilah first, because that was the way it always was. Leilah, the frail one, blonde wispy hair and grey eyes, who didn’t possess the sense of resentment that projected from Merrick. And yet Leilah was inseparable from Merrick, somehow finding a common path with him in the darkness they shared. She stepped into Alannah’s path, bringing her to a sudden and quickening halt.
A nice piece of character description, very vivid. Good luck in rebuilding your WiP into a coherent whole.
My blog is honoured to host some of your crafted prose.
Great start, lucky seven. This has turned into a very interesting exercise.
I now feel part of a world-wide, life changing movement. In the centuries to come they will praise this endeavor and sing of our courage from the roof tops:
“What a great team, how their writing gleams!
Those that did the Lucky Seven Meme!”
lol…Love it, TJ…I’m very intrigued…I think I like this particular award…although…you did spell my last name wrong…you’re missing a “d” in Addams :-P
Hi Angie, I stand ashamed and humbled by my oversight. The horrendous error has been corrected, and I shall now start my penance by standing in the corner for an hour…
I like this award too, it’s great to get a sneak peak into what people are working on.
Very interesting! I know this is rough, but I’ll offer a small critique in that I wouldn’t close the first paragraph with double cliches. Good luck on the new WiP!
Hi Danni,
Well spotted. I may have to ask you to beta-read.
I never know about clichés; I know they don’t work as part of the narrative, but if a character is thinking or speaking? I guess you have to work out if they fit the character using them, and avoid overusing them through the piece. Two together is a bit much. I shall put my first red mark on my nice clean word processor page…
You have been swing some wood out there(I love baseball) with your fiction lately TJ good stuff
Cheers Bear. Yet to hit the home run and take the season trophy, but it’ll take a few seasons in the little leagues…