Author Andrew Blackman has tagged me for this meme and since I’ve discovered that these little writing exercises can be quite fun, I decided not to pass this one. The rules are simple: go to page 7, line 7 of my work-in-progress novel (that sounds like such a big word) and post the following 7 lines of prose.
The story these lines belongs to was started last year and when it began I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a short story or a novel. The words kept coming and it was wonderful to see the story take shape. I knew how I wanted it to start and I could see then end (sort of). It was the part in the middle, the story itself, that gave me a lot of trouble and in the end I left it aside until now. The story is about a very old tree, a legend, and the people in a village who are connected to it in ways they don’t fully understand yet. But soon they will.
Hazel’s house was not far. Like all the other houses in the village, it was made of heavy, sturdy wood, with two windows at the front and a rocking chair on the porch. A black dog sat near the chair, and as soon as she reached the gate, its head was up. She crossed the small gate which screeched and she was once again remembering she was supposed to oil the hinges but had forgotten. Somehow she always forgot. Maybe it was one of the things that came with age, forgetfulness, although some things she wished she could forget but couldn’t. Like that day when he went away and said he would come back but never did.
The last rule of the meme is to tag 7 other writers but since I only know 3 people who are actually working on a novel and blog, I’m going to bend the rules a little and leave the list open so anyone can participate. Just make sure you include a link in your comment so I can go and read your post. Here are the people whose work I would really love to get a glimpse of:
Adam
Vishy
thesmellofpaper
Charlie Louie
Lauren Waters
Edit: I’ve decided to add to that list until it goes up to the required number 7.
Hi Delia
I’m glad you participated! I wasn’t sure if you were working on a novel or not, but thought there was no harm in finding out :- )
I like the excerpt – a nice mixture of vivid description and character development in such a short space, and the last line is very intriguing. Opens up a whole world of possible stories. I hope you don’t leave it aside too much longer!
Hello Andrew,
It’s still debatable whether it’s a short story or a novel but I will try and move it forward. Thanks for the encouragement.
Interesting challenge, Delia! Loved the excerpt from your story! The way it brings out two different facets of forgetting with the surprise in the last two lines is so beautiful. Can’t wait to read more 🙂
Yes, an unusual challenge, isn’t it? I liked it a lot and I hope you will participate in it, too. 🙂
Must go back to sharpening my pencils. Thanks for the nice words.
Hmm, Vishy ducks the question of whether he’ll respond to the challenge… For what it’s worth, I’d love to get a glimpse too 🙂
I know, I hope he’ll take the challenge, eventually. 😉
Hi Delia, thanks so much for tagging me. I’m really honoured. I love your writing style and your short story/novel sounds very intriguing. Your writing draws the reader in immediately. I’ll let you know if I’m going to participate. My issue is that I have pretty much torn apart my manuscript and as it’s in tatters, I have no seven lines from page seven. What to do! But this does sound like a great idea xx
Hi Charlie, thanks for visiting!
Tearing up your manuscript? No! Never lose hope!
If you decide to participate, just choose the first seven lines that are still visible. 🙂 It would be great to see a small part of your work.
What a neat challenge … and a great way to start sharing your work with the wider world (which I’m sure is exciting and scary at the same time). Well done!
It is great but when it comes to sharing it’s almost like pulling teeth. Well, I figured one paragraph is not going to hurt so much. 🙂
Oooh, I got chills from your last line! That would actually make a great start too! It makes me want to know more. Thank you so much for the meme! I will work on posting it tomorrow (*crosses fingers they’re great lines*).
Hi Lauren, thank you so much for the nice words and for deciding to take up the challenge. I look forward to reading your post on it.
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Hi Delia, Last but not least… I came out of hibernation and completed the challenge. Thanks for tagging me. Hope your writing is going well and you keep developing the piece you posted here. I want to know more about that tree!
Glad to see you’re back and thanks for taking up the challenge!