First paragraph contest

Checking in, I achieved yesterday’s goal this morning and went further, editing chapter 15 and 16, but they were both straight edits without much reworking needed. Tomorrow’s goal: chapter 17, which will need a bit of a rewrite to fit my new outline.

Also yesterday, I put out the request for starter lines for our community story to start in the new year. Thank you Mand, who offered a great one in a comment on yesterday’s blog. Anyone else got some? I’ll have a think too, and we can vote in a couple weeks.

On the subject of starters, agent Nathan Bransford is holding his second Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge.  You can post in a comment the first paragraph of any work in progress for the chance to win your “choice of a partial critique, query critique or 15 minute phone conversation in which we can discuss topics ranging from reality TV shows to, you know, publishing. Your choice. Runners up will receive query critiques and/or other agreed-upon prizes.”

A lot of writers have already posted some brilliant first paragraphs. The deadline is Thursday at 4pm Pacific time and the winner will be announced on Friday (guess what Nathan will be doing Thursday night!). So dig up all those WIPs and post those first paragraphs. I’m going to do mine today.

What do you think?