I recently attended a novel workshop that was all about getting published. While the the day to day drama of that experience may one day end up in my memoirs, there was an interesting moment when the facilitator asked the twelve remaining writers if anyone had started their story in a car. Clearly, this was
bad - one step removed from "It was a dark and stormy night..." A sure fire, one-way trip for your baby to be sent to the circular file of despair. Also on the bad list:
- Waking up to the alarm clock
- Getting on or off a train, plane, bus - you get the idea.
- Gazing at the mirror
Because all our pitch practice was done together in one common room, we knew that at least one poor soul started his story in a car (although I think he gets a pass since his character was living in it and it was relevant to the story). Although no one was eager to 'fess up at the time, we learned the following day that four writers had committed this crime against fiction. Four of twelve had to get out of the car in order to get to where they wanted to go - an agent and then blessed publication. And they did get out of the car. In fact, nearly all of us made changes to our beginnings, some excising more than a mere setting. By the end of day four, all of us had improved pitches and feedback from two agents who had not been present for the painful bits earlier in the week.
"Getting out of the car" might mean avoiding cliche and the subsequent death of all dreams of a book deal, or cutting pages of unnecessary or ill-timed exposition (my challenge), or having the courage to decide where and when your story actually starts. I'm starting a few new stories this year - one of them will take me to a completed novel - but not by automobile.
:) Carolyn
It makes an odd kind of sense. As beginning writers we sit in front of the blank page and think - I need to get somewhere, how am I going to do this? So we fall back on the idea most familiar to us. My very first version started with a joy ride that didn't even go anywhere. Metaphorically that might have been a little worrisome.
ReplyDeleteCurious to learn where and how your story starts.
Thank you! I am going to look at my intro again. I am not in a car, but the feeling of starting a novel in a closed off place is one to consider. My writing prof once noted that if she read one more story where the author sat in a room and agonized but never left, she would run screaming into traffic. In my hands I had my first chapter of a novel, you guessed it, where the character stayed inside his house and didn't go out and interact with others. OOOPS!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us.