20 Stories
I don't know if I've done this in the past. Probably not. It's about listing the first lines of 20 stories you've written. Knowing me, I have about 20 versions of M+I from the past. I've been feeling kind of down lately, due to things that are out of my control. What am I saying, everything's out of my control.
I'm working on getting through these emotions, but it's give and take. One moment, I feel okay about my place in the universe. The next, it's intense dread.
So. 20 first lines from my stories. Hopefully this won't be too embarrassing. I've left out the title for one if only because I'm currently sending it out. You're supposed to take a look at them afterwards and see if there are any patterns at the end.
20 Stories
1. M+I (Current Version) (Draft): "Stop."
2. ____: "This is how it will end."
3. Our Kestrel of the City Skies: "In the morning, a crowd of gray suits floods the office and if one were to stare at the beings within this group, it would become apparent that there are faces attached to the professional attire."
4. XVII: "In a manner of speaking."
5. The Persistence of Vision (Essay): "Existence without photographic evidence is incomprehensible to a culture of auto-biographers."
6. The Souffle: "Friday was not a good day."
7. 1DK (M+I companion-ish story): "An odd couple that day."
8. Root I: "My family is a cohesive collection of exaggerations."
9. Nothing: "He can hear it."
10. Older version of M+I: "Ari thought about food."
11. Older version of M+I: "Assassination was a simple matter of catching prey at the quintessential moment."
12. Older version of M+I: "My name is Thio and nothing's really changed."
13. M+I Second Book: "The roads shivered, bristling as rain made them slick and lavish."
14. Oldest version I have of M+I on my computer: "He was trapped."
15. In/Out (Draft): "He had mistaken her for a teenager."
16. ____ (Article): "In the entire three months that I worked at Urban Outfitters, I purchased one garment."
17. Purchasing Everything (Article): "The conundrum of consumerism."
18. Review for Daniel Clowes' Patience: "Time travel, in Patience, is both a tool of possibility and marketability."
19. On Social Anxiety: "In September of 2013, I joined Instagram."
20. Untitled: "The digital clock above told lies."
Patterns: I think what I noticed while doing this is that in my newer work, I prefer to use shorter sentences than longer ones. Especially with the newest version of M+I, in which the first word is, "Stop," and it's not dialogue. Or I'll use half-sentences that would make my high school English teacher tear her hair out. What I've learned over time is that with a first sentence, I'm more likely to go with a feeling rather than explaining what needs to be felt. Which was redolent in my earlier work. I would explain everything, but I think every writer does that early in their career. In/Out is still a very new story to me so I haven't worked out the feeling of that story.
With non-fiction, I like to work with facts first. I think my Angela Carter years are very apparent, such as with the first sentence to The Persistence of Vision. I was extremely inspired by Angela Carter for a while. Now I've broadened my inspirations to Marguerite Duras, Jeanette Winterson, and Susan Sontag. What I've learned is: less language is more. Or if you want to use more language, ensure that you haven't cluttered it with unnecessary words. I know I fall prey to that constantly on my blog, but this whole Livejournal is unedited. I have to constantly work at cutting out words in my writing.
So there you have it. If you'd like to give this a try, go right ahead.
I'm working on getting through these emotions, but it's give and take. One moment, I feel okay about my place in the universe. The next, it's intense dread.
So. 20 first lines from my stories. Hopefully this won't be too embarrassing. I've left out the title for one if only because I'm currently sending it out. You're supposed to take a look at them afterwards and see if there are any patterns at the end.
20 Stories
1. M+I (Current Version) (Draft): "Stop."
2. ____: "This is how it will end."
3. Our Kestrel of the City Skies: "In the morning, a crowd of gray suits floods the office and if one were to stare at the beings within this group, it would become apparent that there are faces attached to the professional attire."
4. XVII: "In a manner of speaking."
5. The Persistence of Vision (Essay): "Existence without photographic evidence is incomprehensible to a culture of auto-biographers."
6. The Souffle: "Friday was not a good day."
7. 1DK (M+I companion-ish story): "An odd couple that day."
8. Root I: "My family is a cohesive collection of exaggerations."
9. Nothing: "He can hear it."
10. Older version of M+I: "Ari thought about food."
11. Older version of M+I: "Assassination was a simple matter of catching prey at the quintessential moment."
12. Older version of M+I: "My name is Thio and nothing's really changed."
13. M+I Second Book: "The roads shivered, bristling as rain made them slick and lavish."
14. Oldest version I have of M+I on my computer: "He was trapped."
15. In/Out (Draft): "He had mistaken her for a teenager."
16. ____ (Article): "In the entire three months that I worked at Urban Outfitters, I purchased one garment."
17. Purchasing Everything (Article): "The conundrum of consumerism."
18. Review for Daniel Clowes' Patience: "Time travel, in Patience, is both a tool of possibility and marketability."
19. On Social Anxiety: "In September of 2013, I joined Instagram."
20. Untitled: "The digital clock above told lies."
Patterns: I think what I noticed while doing this is that in my newer work, I prefer to use shorter sentences than longer ones. Especially with the newest version of M+I, in which the first word is, "Stop," and it's not dialogue. Or I'll use half-sentences that would make my high school English teacher tear her hair out. What I've learned over time is that with a first sentence, I'm more likely to go with a feeling rather than explaining what needs to be felt. Which was redolent in my earlier work. I would explain everything, but I think every writer does that early in their career. In/Out is still a very new story to me so I haven't worked out the feeling of that story.
With non-fiction, I like to work with facts first. I think my Angela Carter years are very apparent, such as with the first sentence to The Persistence of Vision. I was extremely inspired by Angela Carter for a while. Now I've broadened my inspirations to Marguerite Duras, Jeanette Winterson, and Susan Sontag. What I've learned is: less language is more. Or if you want to use more language, ensure that you haven't cluttered it with unnecessary words. I know I fall prey to that constantly on my blog, but this whole Livejournal is unedited. I have to constantly work at cutting out words in my writing.
So there you have it. If you'd like to give this a try, go right ahead.