Posts Tagged ‘#FirstLineFriday’

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: May 27, 2016 in Writing
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It’s Friday, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! And it’s the 52nd #FirstLineFriday on this blog, a full year of doing these posts. That’s either an achievement to be admired or cause to worry about how I spend my life. I hope it’s the first one.

So if you’re unfamiliar with what #FirstLineFriday is, let me explain it to you. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog entitled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published work.
  4. Invite feedback from your readers and encourage them to try #FirstLIneFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

This week is another entry that doesn’t belong to any particular story. I’ve been turning over this idea for a potential novel in my head, so this could be a potential opening for it, but even if it isn’t, it would make a great opening to some story, I’m sure. Enjoy:

The grind and roar of heavy machines was loud enough to be heard outside the factory, but within the workers were barely aware of it. Not that they didn’t know there were machines making loud noises around them, they were just so used to the noise that they hardly noticed it anymore.

Thoughts? Errors in writing it out? Let’s discuss.

And while you’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday yourself on your own blog? It’s easy, fun, and for storytellers it’s a great way to try new openings. In fact, I think I’ll tag someone. Let’s see…I choose Richard Leis! Congrats, you get to do a #FirstLineFriday post this week or next. Have fun and make sure to link back to me when you do.

That’s all for now. Expect more posts from me this weekend. After all, only five days till Video Rage comes out! Have a great weekend, my Followers of Fear, and I’ll see you next time.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: May 20, 2016 in Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now, if you don’t know what #FirstLineFriday is, let me break it down for you. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed or published work.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback, and encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday as well (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

I don’t really have a story to match with this week’s entry. I just thought it was a good set-up for a story, so I’m going with it. Perhaps someday I’ll write a story with it. We’ll see. Anyway, enjoy:

“I think some of this shit is ancient,” said Damian, opening up another box. “We could probably make a killing off of all this shit.”

Careful Damian. Some of that shit might actually make a killing.

But what do you think? Good? Anything that you’d change? Let’s discuss.

And while we’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday on your own blog? It’s a lot of fun, and for writers it’s great practice when it comes to openings. Why not try it?

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m skipping tagging someone this week, so I’m just going to end this by saying that you should expect Video Rage-related posts this weekend. Believe me, I’ve got one or two on the way.

Until next time!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: May 13, 2016 in ideas, Scary Stuff, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! And guess what? This is my fiftieth #FirstLineFriday! Wow, fifty weeks of #FirstLineFriday. What is wrong with my life?

Well, if you’re unfamiliar with #FirstLineFriday, here’s how it works. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a possibly story, a story in progress, or a completed or published work.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback, and then encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

This week’s entry comes from a short story idea I had earlier this week. It was inspired by a horror game I watched a guy play on YouTube. Yeah, I watch videos of people playing video games instead of playing them myself. Anyway, one of the sound effects in the video was pointed out by the player as especially weird and creepy, and it gave me an idea for a story. Enjoy:

Lake Onekwenhtara looks serene enough during the day, but at night it looks like the setting of an eighties horror film. And on the evening of July 4th of last year, events occurred at the lake’s campsite that seemed right out of a horror movie.

Speaking of eighties horror films set at lakes and their campsites, it’s Friday the 13th. Coincidence? Not at all.

What are your thoughts? Any problems or anything that could be improved? Would you read this story? Let’s discuss.

And while I still have your attention, why not try #FirstLineFriday on your own blog? It’s a lot of fun, and for novelists, it’s great practice on openings. In fact, to show you all how fun it is, I think I’ll tag someone. Hmm…I pick Julie Proudfoot on Proud Foot Words. Julie, you’ve been tagged and must do your own #FirstLineFriday either this week or next week. Good luck, and have fun with it!

That’s all for now. I’m hoping to have a chill weekend and relax while still making sure that everything I’m working on is accomplished in good time. Wish me luck, my Followers of Fear, and have an awesome weekend.

Also, I hope you don’t have bad luck on this Friday the 13th. Or that you meet a serial killer wearing a hockey mask. That would be terribly unlucky, to say the least.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: May 6, 2016 in ideas, Novel, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now if you’re unfamiliar with this meme, let me break it down for you. On Fridays, you do the following:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and then encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday on their blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

This week comes from a potential novel that I’ve been trying different openings for. The good news is, these openings could go in different place elsewhere in the novel without losing their punch, so I’m just seeing what works and what doesn’t. Anyway, here we go. Enjoy:

I remember my fourth birthday as clearly as if it were yesterday. That was the day my mother was murdered, and the day I swore I would kill my father.

Thoughts? Errors? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

And if you like the idea of #FirstLineFriday, why not try it yourself? It’s fun, and for novelists it’s great practice on openings. In fact, I think I’ll tag someone. Okay, let’s look at my most recent followers, see who I want to torture tag…I choose Deirdra Alexander! Congratulations, you’re being tortured you’ve been tagged! You have today or next week to do #FirstLineFriday. Good luck, and have fun with it!

That’s all for now. I’ll probably have something to talk about soon, so keep an eye out for more posts! Until then, have a good weekend, my Followers of Fear. I know I will.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: April 29, 2016 in Living and Life, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! It’s also the second to last day of Passover. I’ve somehow survived seven days of matzah and a diet known to make grown men cry. Funny thing, the reason we eat this diet is because when our ancestors left Egypt they didn’t have time to make anything else, but some scholars suggest that the Israelite slaves were fed matzah by the Egyptians because it lasted so long and was easy to make. So maybe we’re taking this “we all should feel like we left Egypt” thing a little too seriously.

Anyway, I digress. If you’re not familiar with #FirstLineFriday, here’s the deal. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and then encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging isn’t required, but is encouraged).

This week’s entry doesn’t come from any particular story. It’s just something that came to me while thinking about my day Monday during dinner. So you could say that this entry is based on true events. In fact, it is based on true events. So I guess I’m doing memoir this week? Perhaps I am. Also, I’m counting everything after the colon and until the period as one sentence, so don’t get on my case saying I did three sentences. Though if I did, who cares? It’s my blog, and if I want to slightly modify the tag, why not?

Anyway, enjoy:

Summer and winter in central Ohio are marked by two things: extreme temperatures and power outages. So when, in late April, I walked into my house from a eighty-degree heat to find that my power was out, I knew summer had come early to Columbus.

Thoughts? Errors? Too long? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

And while you’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday yourself? It’s fun, and for those of us with the writing bug, it’s great practice on openings.

In fact, I think I’ll tag someone to show them the joys of #FirstLineFriday. And I’m tagging my friend and colleague, Ruth Ann Nordin. Ruth, you’ve been tagged. You have to do your own post this or next Friday. Good luck and have fun.

That’s all for now. Wish me luck as I try to survive the last two days of matzah. If I live, I’m ordering pizza. Have a good weekend, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: April 21, 2016 in ideas, Writing
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It’s Friday, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! It’s also the first night of Passover, also known as “that holiday the Jews have where they remember getting out of slavery and celebrate with tasteless food and crackers.” Yeah, the diet is my least favorite part of the holiday, if you couldn’t already tell.

Now if you’re unfamiliar with #FirstLineFriday, here’s how it works. On Fridays, you:

  1. Write a post on your own blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed or published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs, tagging if necessary.

This week’s entry is from a vampire story I’ve been churning in my twisted mind for a while. I’m waiting to write it, though, because a certain book series kind of changed the image of vampires in the public consciousness a bit, and not for the better, in my opinion. Anyway, I have a few different openings I could use with this story, so I’m trying one today that could start the book or instead be used to open another chapter. We’ll see how I’m feeling when I write this bad boy. Enjoy:

I guess I’m what you would call a vampire. And before you ask, no, I don’t fucking sparkle.

Thoughts? Errors? Let me know in the comments below.

And while you’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday yourself? It’s a lot of fun, and for writers, it’s good practice when doing openings. In fact, I’m going to prove a point by tagging one of you! This week I choose Victo Dolore of Behind the White Coat. Victo, you have to do #FirstLineFriday either this Friday or next Friday. Have fun with it!

That’s all for now. I have to get ready to relive the Exodus from Egypt, but if anything comes up in the meantime, I’ll let you know. Have a great weekend, my Followers of Fear.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: April 15, 2016 in Novel, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now, if you’re new here and don’t know what I’m talking about at all, let me break it down for you. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled “#FirstLineFriday”, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story in progress, or a completed or published work.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and then encourage them to do #FirstLineFriday, tagging them if necessary.

This week, you can probably guess what lines I’m posting. That’s right, the first two lines from Video Rage, my new novel, coming out this June 1st. Enjoy:

The sunbaked concrete and metal in the hundred-plus degree heat, the many cars and trucks reflected light off their chrome bodies like blinding beasts zooming down the highway. As truckers listened to country and rock music and children played video games on the backs of their parents’ car seats, some occasionally looked out to see a marvel of the modern world on the road.

Thoughts? Errors? Does this get you excited in any way for the new book? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

And while you’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday yourself? It’s a lot of fun, and it’s great practice for openings in stories.

That’s all for now. I’ve got a big weekend ahead of me, so I’m going to get right into it. If anything happens in the meantime, I’ll let you know. Have a good one, my Followers of Fear!

And make sure to check out Reborn City, available on Amazon, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, and soon on iBooks and Kobo, before Video Rage comes out. Trust me, you don’t want to miss the new book when it comes out, so why not check out the one that came before?

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: April 8, 2016 in ideas, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now if you’re unfamiliar with #FirstLineFriday, this is a weekly ritual I’ve been doing on my blog for quite a while now. Here are the rules: On each Friday, you;

  1. Create a post on your blog entitled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story in progress, or a completed or published work.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback, and encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is optional but effective).

This week’s entry is from an idea for a novel I had last week. My dad and I were on a road trip up to Michigan to visit my grandfather. On the way back, we were listening to NPR, and one of the stories we listened to inspired an idea for a story to go with an idea fragment I’ve been turning over in my head for some time now. Please excuse the profanity, but I really wanted to get the character’s mood across. Enjoy:

Steve stared at the email in his inbox before exploding in a fit of rage. “FUUUUUUUUUCK!”

What are your thoughts? Are they any errors I should fix? Let me know in the comments below.

And while you’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday on your own blog? It’s a lot of fun, and for authors it’s great practice trying different openings.

And once again, I’m tagging someone. This week I’m going with one of my new Followers: Kathy Lauren from A View to a Book! You now have to do #FirstLineFriday this week or next! Hope you have fun doing it.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If there’s anything to update you on this weekend, I’ll make sure to let you know. Until next time,have a great weekend.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: April 1, 2016 in Living and Life, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s time to do my laundry. I’m just joking, of course. Had to do an April Fool’s prank just to get it out of my system. No, it’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now if you’re new here and have never seen this hashtag before, here is a breakdown of the rules. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog, entitled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules just as I’m doing.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story in progress, or a completed or published work.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday as well (tagging is not necessary but you can do it if you want).

This week’s entry comes from a short story idea I had only a couple of hours after I posted the last #FirstLineFriday. I saw this video about flotation tanks and flotation therapy, and it kind of sparked a few ideas in my twisted mind. Enjoy:

Anya floated in warm, salty water, feeling like an astronaut drifting through the vastness of space. Within the darkness, Dr. Manilou’s voice echoed softly, calming her teenager’s mind and wiping away the anxieties that until recently had plagued her mercilessly.

Thoughts? Errors? Let’s discuss.

And while you’re at it, why not try #FirstLineFriday yourself? It’s a lot of fun, and for an author it’s good practice for creating compelling openings. Speaking of authors, I think I’ll tag my friend and colleague Adan Ranie. Adan, you’re up. Do a #FirstLineFriday and let m know how it goes.

That’s all for now. I’m pregnant, so I’m going to go give birth. Kidding again! April Fools. If anything else comes up, I’ll post it here. Have a great weekend, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: March 25, 2016 in ideas, Novel, Writing
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6

It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now if you’re unfamiliar with what #FirstLineFriday is, here are the rules. On Fridays, you:

  1. Create a post on your blog entitled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed or published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and encourage them to try #FirstLineFriday as well (tagging them if necessary).

This week’s entry comes from a story I’ve had sitting in the back of my head for a while. Without going into details, it involves issues of faith and belief, as well as devotion and power. It’ll be a very dark and probably bleak book when it’s finally written. Anyway, enjoy:

I remember the day I lost faith almost as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. Probably a good thing too, because my lack of faith is what allowed me to survive.

Thoughts? Errors? Let’s discuss.

And while we’re here, I think I’ll tag someone again. This week I’m tagging…Angela Misri of A Portia Adams Adventure! Angela, in honor of your new book, No Matter How Improbable, being released, I hereby tag you for #FirstLineFriday. Hope you enjoy doing it almost as much as I do every week. Or as much as I’m enjoying the new book. I’m about nine or ten chapters in at the time I’m writing this, and I have to say, I find it very intriguing. Especially including real historical figures in the story. That’s a pretty cool touch.

That’s all for now. If there’s anything else to post about this weekend, you’ll hear about it. In the meantime, have a good day and I’ll see you all later. Have a good one, my Followers of Fear!

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