posted
I know a few people around here submit to The First Line, in my case as a writing challenge/exercise. The sentences for 2005 have just been posted, and I was wondering if anyone else spotted the grammatical error in the first sentence of the year:
"Life would be so much easier if I was a cartoon character."
I'm tempted to write the editorial staff and mention it, but that would probably just make them not like me too much.
posted
It's not necessarily incorrect. If it's possible the narrator actually is a cartoon character, then the sentence could be grammatically correct, depending on its context.
Posts: 1517 | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
That is technically true, Eric, but it sure does limit the scop of the stories that could come about. If we went with the absolute meaning implied by the only way that this sentence is correct, then the narrator must have the ability to become a cartoon character and know it at the point he writes the line.
Posts: 3567 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Actually, since the firs tline is not in written in quotation marks, that is not a legal first line. It has to be written verbatim. I just put it in quotes because I was quoting the magazine.
[This message has been edited by Christine (edited November 08, 2004).]
posted
Just as an afterthought, the first thing I considered was using a narrator that isn't all that good at english due to age or something else...it would be relatively easy as it's delivered in first person. In fact, it will undoubtedly be my fix if they do not approve my recent request of letting me use "were."
[This message has been edited by Christine (edited November 08, 2004).]
posted
I think I see what you're getting at...the "it" seems to refer to the story when the mean it to refer to the first line.
BTW, I received an e-mail from The First Line a few minutes ago stating that they would be changing the "was" to "were" for the February 1st first line. It seems they are open to such observations. I'd rather not pelt them with another grammar correction in two days, but if someone else wnated to mention the second problem sentence, it seems they are open-eared.
posted
Ohhhh...you know what? That's one of those things that my eyes automatically correct for. I didn't even see it until you pointed it out. Like those sentences they misspell.
Posts: 3567 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Or maybe they meant to say that you couldn't change it in, anyway. Though I have no idea what changing it "in" would involve... Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Call me paranoid, but did anyone get a confirmation e-mail saying that they had recieved your submission. I can't remember if I've gotten those in the past or not, and I've been living with the fear that my story is lost in cyberspace.
Posts: 2022 | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I don't remember them doing so, but it seems to me that they're taking longer to respond this quarter than in the past. I've seen no updates to their web page, not even saying that the stories are being read.
Posts: 3567 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Okay. I'll relax. Let's assume that the longer response time is either that the stories are really good this time, so they are having a harder time deciding, or that they are having life happen on the personal end. At least one of them has kids.
The website does say three to four weeks, so it is really too early to wonder yet.
posted
Hey, I just heard back from The First Line. Alas, they did not want my story. But I got a very nice personalized rejection letter that strongly encouraged me to try again.
This is the first time I ever submitted anything! I have been way too chicken before.
posted
Congrats, Beth, on sending something out there. I got a rejection letter to, although yours sounds much spiffier than mine.
Posts: 652 | Registered: Feb 2002
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