Hatrack River Writers Workshop   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Writers Workshop » Forums » Open Discussions About Writing » thirteen lines took me forever!

   
Author Topic: thirteen lines took me forever!
Oblomova
Member
Member # 7846

 - posted      Profile for Oblomova           Edit/Delete Post 
How long does it take you all to get the first thirteen ready? I'm just curious, because it took me many hours to respond to the thirteen-line challenge, and I ended up with a page of material that I didn't use. Is that normal? Am I overthinking things? After all, someone else provided the plot and characters--all I had to do was write the freaking opening! Please tell me I don't have writer's OCD...
Posts: 44 | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
snapper
Member
Member # 7299

 - posted      Profile for snapper   Email snapper         Edit/Delete Post 
This is the reason why the 13 challenge is a great idea. A great place to cut your teeth.
Yes, it is common to have 20 lines written then trim to make it fit. The tough part is resisting cramming too much information in those first 13. That is why you see such a large synopsis by the moderators. Every writer believes they have an awesome idea. Getting the editor to read far enough in to grasp the plot is a challenge every writer faces.

Seeing how others tackle the same problem is helping me to form ideas for my own work. I am in awe at what others have done. Makes me say, 'why didn't I think of that?'.

All the post that I have read I have liked. I know you posted yours already so rest assured. You have at least a passing grade in my opinion.


Posts: 3072 | Registered: Dec 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
annepin
Member
Member # 5952

 - posted      Profile for annepin   Email annepin         Edit/Delete Post 
Hey, what's wrong with writer's OCD?? Seriously, I don't think your experience is out of the ordinary, not for a challenge. I spent about an hour thinking about the story, brainstorming ideas, and trying out different openings. I probably have about a page's worth of various starts.

I don't think you're overthinking so much as over stressing about it. I suggest approaching it as play, especially since elsewhere you've mentioned feeling intimidated by the first 13. The challenge is an experiment; do the best you can, but ultimately it's a learning experience. You'll learn just from doing it and from looking at how others approach it. If what you write doesn't work well for you, you can always try again next week.

As for non-challenge first 13s, I rarely work them separately from the rest of the piece. Though I keep in mind that i want to entice the reader early on, I think that the first 13 needs to arise naturally and transition seamlessly into the rest of the story. That to me is more important than creating a "hooky" opening. Too much focus on the beginning makes it sound forced, in my opinion, or has such an intense beginning that the rest of the story fizzles out.

Edited to remove identifiable material! (I realized I posted something that might give me away in the challenge)

[This message has been edited by annepin (edited March 29, 2008).]


Posts: 2185 | Registered: Aug 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tiergan
Member
Member # 7852

 - posted      Profile for Tiergan   Email Tiergan         Edit/Delete Post 
13 lines, the bane of my existence. For some strange reason the instant the first scene comes to me, it stays with me, regardless, I can't get it out of my mind, especially on a short story, or challenge. And worse it is either too slow of a start or too fast. Practice makes perfect they say, so I will enter today, assuming I find a title. A title, the bane of my...

You are not alone with this one.


Posts: 1168 | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
skadder
Member
Member # 6757

 - posted      Profile for skadder   Email skadder         Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah I figure out where I am starting in my head first and then do 4-5 starts on paper (computer) to get the elusive first line. Then I fiddle with it, losing (with tears) lines I love in order to get facts I need in there(read--other Hatrackers (curse them) will moan that I should have put this or that in, so I do. ). I think once I sat down it was done in 1/2 an hour. If it was a real (gulp. ) story I would probably take longer.

[This message has been edited by skadder (edited March 29, 2008).]


Posts: 2995 | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
InarticulateBabbler
Member
Member # 4849

 - posted      Profile for InarticulateBabbler   Email InarticulateBabbler         Edit/Delete Post 
I'm still trying to get my first 13 lines right.

It's not about time.

A tough fact for me to learn was: Not everyone is the reader I'm writing for. Some people don't like the type of story or character I'm writing about--when I'm that reader, I don't comment--and nothing will make them like it.

Other than that, there are stages one goes through while learning to get something out of critiques:

1) What-the-****-are-you-blind? / You're-just-being-obtuse! Stage is usually first. It's seldom said, but often thought by the author. This is generally because you write what you see (and forget we can't see it). The reader takes some things that are meant metaphorically as literal when [s]he is not yet sure of the author's contract.

2) Damn, I'm-not-perfect Stage is next. That's when you realize--after calming down--that the advice is not intended as an insult, but was proffered for your edification. That can be a bone-jarring punch for some, others it can bolster their resolve to get it right.

3) Please-Everyone Stage follows. That's where you start trying to jam everyone's advice into your thirteen (and generally loose something of what you were trying to do in the process) instead of evaluating the advice.

4) Can't-Please-Everyone / weighing the cost Stage in which you start sifting through the critiques and realizing which advice is more valuable, and applying it. This is the stage where you take your time time applying what's said the first time, and don't rush to re-post. Here you know some readers will be lost (but you know some will no matter what decision you make) and you focus on the readers that are fans of your genre.

[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited March 29, 2008).]


Posts: 3687 | Registered: Jan 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
skadder
Member
Member # 6757

 - posted      Profile for skadder   Email skadder         Edit/Delete Post 
5) You begin to please a lot of the people. Your books get snapped up by Hollywood for record breaking deals. The films become wildly successful and you write a book on how to write.
Posts: 2995 | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
InarticulateBabbler
Member
Member # 4849

 - posted      Profile for InarticulateBabbler   Email InarticulateBabbler         Edit/Delete Post 
I haven't made it to #5.
Posts: 3687 | Registered: Jan 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Oblomova
Member
Member # 7846

 - posted      Profile for Oblomova           Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks very much for all the responses. I was having fun writing, but I was treating the revision process as a matter of life and death. I'll try to follow annepin's advice and look at the whole process as fun; after all, nobody's docking my pay if I mess up

I will try to post earlier in the process though, instead of reworking everything to death first. I think I jumped straight to Babbler's stage three before I even let real people look at anything. Imaginary critics are the worst.


Posts: 44 | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
skadder
Member
Member # 6757

 - posted      Profile for skadder   Email skadder         Edit/Delete Post 
Me neither!
Posts: 2995 | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
kathyton
Member
Member # 7780

 - posted      Profile for kathyton   Email kathyton         Edit/Delete Post 
I read the prompt, mulled it over, went about my businss, read the prompt again, mulled it over some more -- this goes on for a while, at least overnight, up to a couple days.
This week's opening took a lot more actual writing time -- maybe an hour or more -- than last week's. (And 13 lines, Times New Roman, was quite a bit more than would fit in this little Courier box-- so then the editing!)
I have to put limits on myself for something like this or it will just take over -- I aim for the best I can do in the amount of time I can reasonably devote to it. The purpose is to practice and to learn (and I learn more from mistakes, anyway.)
It's exciting to see so many different takes on the same material.
K---

Posts: 195 | Registered: Feb 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2