Posts Tagged ‘#FirstLineFriday’

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: January 15, 2016 in Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! The weekly ritual I’ve been doing that people either look forward to, or they just find annoying. I don’t know, nobody’s said anything to me, I’m just guessing.

Anyway, if this is your first time hearing about #FirstLineFriday, let me explain the rules. On Fridays, you do the following:

  1. Write up a post on your blog entitled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Post 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.

This week’s entry comes from a short story I had the idea for on Wednesday. It’s a little unusual in terms of what I write, but I think that makes it much more fun and challenging to write. Enjoy:

Carter had consumed tons of alien invasion stories as part of his job, and had decided long ago that the ones created by white people were the white man’s attempt to show the natives they’d conquered and enslaved how they would’ve reacted if a foreign enemy with superior technology ever tried to do the same to them. If the past year had proven anything though, whitey talked a big talk but couldn’t walk the walk.

Thoughts? Too long? Think this is a weird premise (if so, I’ll remind you that it’s the character’s POV)? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

That’s all for now. I’ll probably post something this weekend, so I’ll see you guys then. In the meantime, have a great and relaxing weekend, my Followers of Fear.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: January 8, 2016 in ideas, Living and Life, Novel, Scary Stuff, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday, my weekly ritual trying to create a blogging trend (and apparently I’m making some success).

Now, here are the rules for the people who’ve never seen or done #FirstLineFriday before:

  • Write a blog post on your own blog titled “#FirstLineFriday”, hashtag and all.
  • Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  • Post the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published short story.
  • Ask your readers for feedback.

So, this week’s entry is from an idea I had for a sequel to Rose, the novel I wrote as my thesis project during my last year of college (and which I hope to do another draft of once I finish the second draft of Laura Horn). Now, I never planned to do a sequel to Rose, though I did try to leave open the possibility of a sequel while writing the story. The other morning, however, I woke up and the idea for a sequel just formed in my head. Immediately I had characters, situations, the conflict, the setting. All of it just–pardon the pun–sprouted in my head (read the summary for Rose if you don’t get the joke). I got out of bed, wrote down the basics in my little notebook, and then when I got on the computer later I wrote it down on my Ideas list. Now I’m turning it into a #FirstLineFriday entry. That’s progress!

Anyway, I don’t know when I’ll get around to writing a sequel to Rose–it would mostly depend on my mood, how busy I am, and any other projects calling to me to be written, among other things–but the idea is there if I want to pursue it. For now though, here’s what I imagine the first two lines would be:

The door of the house was wide open, despite the cold weather outside and the big “Foreclosed” sign in the yard. I should’ve been immediately suspicious, but I was too tired, cold, and hungry to care.

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

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Tomorrow night I’m planning on heading to the movies and seeing the new horror movie “The Forest”, so expect a review of that either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Until then, have a pleasant weekend, and make sure to check out the 2016 New Year’s Sale while there’s still time.

Oh wait, one last thing. This #FirstLineFriday, I’m doing something different. This time, I’m tagging someone and making them do #FirstLineFriday too. And this week, I’m tagging…YOU! Yes, you! You’re tagged, so either this week or next week, do a #FirstLineFriday blog post. Got it? Good! I can’t wait to see what you create.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: January 1, 2016 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Writing
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If you haven’t read my last post yet, then allow me to shout “Happy New Year!” And wouldn’t you know it, it’s also Friday. You know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Now, for those of you who don’t know the rules of #FirstLineFriday, let me break them down for you:

  • Write up a blog post titled “#FirstLineFriday”, hashtag and all.
  • Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  • Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, story-in-progress, or completed or published work.
  • Ask your reader for feedback.

Now although it’s New Year’s Day, I don’t have a New Year’s edition for this post, unfortunately. I actually couldn’t think of any of my stories, written or otherwise, that take place on New Year’s (there may be one, but I have a lot of story ideas, and I’m not going to go trolling through them just to see when they take place. That would take too long). So instead, I’m just going to post something that I think would be interesting to read if it started one of my stories. Enjoy:

He looked across the tracks and saw the girl in the dark pink dress. And he saw the thing he knew would be standing right behind her.

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

So I hope you’re having a good New Year so far. I’m planning on relaxing and watching Ohio State take on Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl today (Go Bucks!) and having dinner with my family tonight. Not sure what’s on the agenda for the rest of you, but I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.

And if you’re looking for something to read this New Year, maybe you can head over to Amazon, Createspace, or Smashwords, where all my books are on sale now. It’s the perfect time to try a new read and support an independent novelist at the same time. Sale goes on till January 14th, so there’s plenty of time to make a selection.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: December 25, 2015 in ideas, Living and Life, Novelette, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! And since today is Christmas, I wonder if I should a Christmas edition #FirstLineFriday or be a typical Jew and say, “Bah, humbug.” Hmm…okay, I’ll do a Christmas edition. Just as long as I still get visited by three ghosts.

Alright, for those of you who don’t know the rules of #FirstLineFriday, here they are:

  • You write a post on your own blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  • You explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  • You post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed or published story.
  • You ask your readers for feedback.

Like I said, I’m doing a Christmas edition. Speaking of which, can you imagine a Christmas story from me? A Jewish horror writer? God, that story would probably not just be scary, it would probably make you rethink the holiday a little.

Well, I do have an idea for a Christmas-themed novelette written down somewhere, and here’s what the opening would probably be like. Enjoy:

Rob swore that if Chrissy didn’t calm down and shut up, he was going to smack her hard enough to knock her into the New Year. And he didn’t give a damn who saw him do it.

Thoughts? Errors? Let’s discuss.

Well, that’s all for now. For all my Christian readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas. For the rest of us…at least we get a really awesome Christmas Special from Doctor Who every year, right? And the movie theaters and Chinese restaurants are open (yeah, that’s a Jewish stereotype that’s actually true), so at least we’re not stuck in the house. Oh, and it’s still very pretty around this time of year, so that’s a plus. See? There’s always a silver lining.

Anyway, have a good weekend my Followers of Fear. I hope to have some good news out this Sunday, so be on the lookout for that. Also be on the lookout for Krampus, I hear he’s punishing bad kids this year.

Until next time!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: December 18, 2015 in Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! Also known as “that blogging trend Rami Ungar’s trying to start with mixed results.” Here are the rules:

  1. You write a post titled #FirstLineFriday (hashtag and all)
  2. You explain the rules like I’m doing now
  3. You post the first one or two lines of a potential story, story-in-progress, or completed or published work.
  4. Finally, you ask your readers for feedback.

This week’s entry comes from another story I came up with in high school, and it has some influences from both Stephen King and some slasher movies from the 80’s. Enjoy:

She had to hide, and quickly too. Mitch was coming, and he sounded angry.

Thoughts? Comments? Let’s discuss.

That’s all for now. I’m glad the weekend is here, especially since that means Star Wars has finally arrived. I’m going to see the movie Tuesday during a matinee performance. Should be good (but if anyone spoils the film for me, I will make them regret it). Have a good weekend, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: December 11, 2015 in Living and Life, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday. And God, am I glad the weekend’s about to start. Honestly, this week has been a little stressful. But hopefully good things will happen over the weekend and I’ll be re-energized come Monday.

Anyway, onto the rules of #FirstLineFriday:

  1. Title a post #FirstLineFriday (hashtag included)
  2. Explain the rules
  3. Share the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published story.
  4. Finally, ask your readers for feedback.

This week’s entry is from a novel idea I had all the way back in high school, and is one I think people would really enjoy reading. If they can deal with whatever the main villain is. Anyway, enjoy:

A drunk man stumbled his way out of Chinatown, unaware that he would soon be famous across all of San Francisco.

Thoughts? Problems? Tell me in the comments below.

Well, that’s all for now. I’ve got some stuff to take care of before the day is done, so I’m going to get on that. Until then, you have a great day, my Followers of Fear. I know that I will, if this afternoon goes as well as I hope.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: December 4, 2015 in ideas, Novel, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! Also known as one of the highlight of my weeks. Especially if people like what I put out.

Okay, here are the rules, as usual, for #FirstLineFriday: you write a blog post with the title #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all, and then you repeat the rules. Then you post the first one or two lines of a possible work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published work. Final step is to ask your readers for feedback. It’s great fun.

This week’s opening comes from a novel I had the idea for yesterday while walking home and listening to the Needful Things audio book by Stephen King (that was a trippy and creepy book, I tell you). It’s the sort of story that has a really strange mystery to it. I hope when I get around to writing it, I’ve figured out the mystery a bit more. Enjoy:

Any writer, engineer, or psychologist who’s good at their job will tell you that a story, Rube Goldberg machine, or the mind is made up many different and complex parts. Looking back, I think I was stuck in twisted versions of the first two and in danger of losing my own mind, as un-complex as that was at fourteen.

Thoughts? Too long? Suggestions? Let me know in the comments below.

That’s all for now. I’ll try to post a few posts over the weekend. I’ve got a special one planned for Saturday night, believe me.

Have a great weekend, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: November 27, 2015 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Writing
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It’s Friday again, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! And since yesterday a good number of Americans stuffed themselves full of turkey, I’ve got a special Thanksgiving edition for you all! Woo-hoo! I would also make it a Black Friday edition, but that’s just a horrible practice that’s unfair to both customers (apparently the sales on Black Friday are no more special than sales at any other point in the year) and to employees (you can guess why).

As always, here are the rules of #FirstLineFriday: on Friday you write up a post titled #FirstLineFriday (hashtag and all), and then you write out the rules. Then you post the first one or two lines of a potential story, story-in-progress, or a completed or published short story. Finally you ask your readers for feedback. It’s a lot of fun, and I enjoy hearing what people have to say about it.

Here’s this week’s entry. It’s from an idea I had for a bloody and very strange story that I came up with the other day. I hope I get the chance to write it out someday soon. Enjoy:

Jake scooped out three slices of pie and some whip cream. The pie and cream were the only parts of Thanksgiving dinner that hadn’t gotten blood on them.

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

That’s all for now. I’m house-sitting till Wednesday while my dad and his wife are on their fifth wedding anniversary trip (congrats, you two!). I think I might throw a wild party while they’re gone. Or maybe I’ll behave myself, edit and write, and watch Doctor Who. We’ll see what I’m in the mood for.

Happy Thanksgiving and have a great weekend, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: November 13, 2015 in Novel, Writing
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It’s Friday, so you know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday! And it’s Friday the 13th too, so if you see a guy in a hockey mask wielding a machete, IT’S DEFINITELY NOT ME SO RUN!!!!

Anyway, on to the rules of #FirstLineFriday (or #FLF for short): you write a post titled #FirstLineFriday, explain the rules like I’m doing now, and then you post the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published work. Then you ask for your readers to give you feedback on what you posted.

This week’s entry is a bit different. A couple months back I did a pair of #FLF’s that were the openings of the second and third parts of a potential trilogy (if you don’t remember them, click here and here). I never did the first one though. At least, not on the blog. I did it in the Facebook group where #FirstLineFriday was created before I started doing it on the blog, but now that the group has discontinued the practice (too many people posting, causing way too many threads to be created), I might as well fix this little problem and post it here. So without further ado, here are the opening lines from that first book, for your enjoyment:

My earliest memories are of seeing them, the creatures that only I could see. The cloak-things.

Thoughts? Grammar/spelling/punctuation/whatever problems? Let’s discuss.

All for now. I’ve got a busy day ahead of me, so I’m going to get right into it. If anything exciting happens later on. I’ll post it here. Until next time, my Followers of Fear!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: November 6, 2015 in ideas, Novel, Writing
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It’s Friday again. You know what that means. It’s #FirstLineFriday!

Here are the rules: On Fridays you write up a post with the title #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all, and then explain the rules like I’m doing now. Then you post the first one or two lines of a potential work, a work-in-progress, or a completed or published story. Then you solicit feedback from your readers. It’s a lot of fun, believe me.

This week’s entry comes from an idea I’ve been sitting on for a while, a mystery/thriller series that I think would be really fun to write. Enjoy:

Agent Danvers burst through the front door of the King James Sniper, turned into the living room, and found the Sniper beaten to a bloody pulp, bound and gagged on the living room floor.

Tell me, what do you think? Does this sound intriguing? Any grammar or punctuation or spelling problems? Let’s discuss.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got things to do today before Shabbat rolls in, so I’m going to get on that. Have a good one, my Followers of Fear.

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