"First Sentence Contest" at The Storyteller's Scroll

FIRST SENTENCES IN A FLASH!

First sentences must be dynamic from the very first glance.

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” — 1984 – George Orwell

See what I mean…

As writer’s we often struggle with our opening lines. The story might be fantastic, but if we don’t get the reader hooked in the beginning they’ll never get to our wonderful story.

You want a reader to get that unmistakable “WOW!” feeling at the start. Something ticks in their brain that tells them they absolutely MUST read your story, be it picture book or novel!

So to help polish all those first lines we have a new contest this month:

FIRST SENTENCES IN A FLASH!

Have the first sentence of your manuscript critiqued by an award winning children's author and fiction editor from Stories for Children.

Roxanne Werner has graciously offered her expert eye at evaluating the strength of your opening line. Be it picture book or novel, she will give you a star rating.

4 stars = excellent

3 stars = very strong

2 stars = average interest

1 star = needs to be rewritten

All participants will receive a rating and the top two will win a further critique from Ms. Werner.

First place – the first novel chapter or the whole picture book

Second place – the first page.

Contest runs for 1 week, starting today. February 1^st to February  7^th.

1. You must be a follower of The Storyteller Scroll to enter.

2. Type your first sentence in the comment section below and indicate the work’s genre.

3. Miss Werner will comment on every opening line.

Next Wednesday, February 8^th, The Storyteller Scroll will announce winners

You may contact Miss Werner at her website for her professional opinion to finish critiquing your work or for further information at:

http://roxannewerner.com/Services.aspx

Springtime Crazies

I don't know what to do first. Have you ever had days like this?

I'm busy critiquing fifteen pages of six YA novels for a the upcoming SCBWINJ conference, revising my own historical fiction novel, creating poems for my poet's group anthology, critiquing everyone else's, submitting picture book manuscripts, entering a poetry contest, and reading novels.

Now, that does not count getting ready for a local arts festival in June, various anniversaries, graduation, retirement, and birthday parties as well as going faithfully to the gym everyday, and cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, and gardening. We still have to open the pool, too.

Then the onslaught of summer visitors will begin.

I think I need to go back to work. :)

Enjoy the weather. Maybe next spring one of the books you'll be reading will be mine.