OTHER WRITING

Friday 14th May

FIRST PARAGRAPHS

I've been writing a few first paragraphs ...to send to a competition. I'ts not always easy to draw in the reader into the world I wish to create... to do it with intrigue, as well as a feel of time and place, and make them want to continue to read on ...till the end, but at least the first chapter. The end of each chapter will take care of itself...I hope!

The first line is important. It could be a real puller line,or some other hook that will hold interest.

Sometimes a description, a painting of words of some background...familiar, or far away...the heat of the desert, or the cold of the Antartic...the time - a low lit evening, or a pitch black night.

It could be something intriguing or shocking.

One of the most intriguing first lines I have read recently, that have made me want to read more is from
A Golden Age, by Tahmima Anam. It reads:

Dear Husband,
I lost our children today.

This first line is not just intriguing, it is shocking for someone to lose their children. You wonder in what circumstance?

It was a most intriguing book.


The first line of God of the Cocoa is:

1. When Rajnath Kamalsingh married Latchmin, he was seventeen and she was twelve.

However, I am toying with an alternative first line:

2. When Rajnath finally married, both his parents were relieved.

Which one is better? Please post a comment and let me know what you think.

Thanks!
Bye for now...



Monday 10th May 2010

IDLENESS

Today I have been writing a short piece of 900 words on the topic of "idleness". Although this word conjurs up feelings of negativity, it is an autobiograpical piece of writing, and therefore for me, definately not negative. I strive to achieve positivity in life. I have had to dig deep in my memory to find somewhere where "idleness" wasn't all bad, and I chose a period when I was a young mother and housewife. Being a housewife with young children, can be construed by some, as a period where idleness of the brain can develop and grow, but it was a time when I turned that "idleness" into building a business, and later, a limited company.

The idle mind is not necessarily the "devil's workshop" when it is mixed with creativity, vision, pride, and determination.

"Idleness" can be turned from its rawest form, into something interesting, worthwhile and positive.

To build two Limited Companies in design and manufacturing, from a base of "idleness", doodling, trial and error and a few steep learning curves, needs all of the following :
creativity,
vision,
pride,
determination,
positivity
confidence, and
a huge amount of obsession, to see it through.

Marilyn Rodwell