Jumpstart Monday // The Eight

Here's one of my favorite first sentences...

A flock of nuns crossed the road, their crisp wimples fluttering about their heads like the wings of large sea birds. ~ Katherine Neville, The Eight

Can't you just see the image? I was tempted to grab a picture for this post, but that would have defeated the purpose of such wonderful visual writing. The other day my daughter was describing a movie she had seen but complained that it was nothing like the pictures she had in her head as she was reading the book. So rather than mess up the mental image you have of wimples flapping like birds wings, I decided to let the words paint their own picture.

The use of "wimples" is perfect in Neville's first sentence. It serves an expository function – that is, the nuns' habit tells something right off about their order, and even though we don't know just yet where the story takes place, we know the locale must be exotic. (I don't think I've ever seen a nun wearing a wimple on the south side of Chicago.)

Nowadays a lot of what passes for exposition gives me a rash. I tell you, if Neville had described the scene rather than shown it to us, I wouldn't have bought the book.

Wonderful craftsmanship. Now I'm ready to get to work.

The first post

I can't write a book if I don't know what my first sentence will be. Many sentences will come and go, but if it's not the right one, the writing will not flow. That's my definition of writer's block. Not a lack of ideas and words, but struggling to find the right words.

I've wanted to do a blog on my adventures in publishing and life for some time, but I didn't know what to write as my first post. It's like wanting a perfect pair of shoes. You know what you want, but you can't find them anywhere.

For the longest I've wanted a pair of black pumps with pointy toes and kitten heels, but because my budget has been tight and my feet are big, it's taken me years to find the perfect pair.

One day this summer I needed a break from writing, so I went to one of my favorite goof off spots – Nordstrom Rack in Orland Park (Illinois). I went to the shoe section, size 11, not expecting to find much when suddenly the angels sang and heaven shined its spotlight on the most perfect pair of Calvin Klein kitten heel pumps.

I couldn't breathe. I'd found them.

They were black patent leather. The toes came to a neat point, and the heels purred at just the right height. They were $60, a little more than I wanted to pay, but I knew it might be another few years before I met another pair. So I bought them.

Words, like sexy shoes, can make you feel really good. When the right sentence finally comes, the angels sing. Something clicks, and you finally have your perfection.

Writing my first post on writing my first post just clicked, so now I can share my experiences as an author and editor to the stars with you.

My prayer is that this blog will help writers and professional speakers (more on that later), both new and experienced, jump start their own projects, find their own voices, improve their writing, and learn about the industry we love so much.

If the pen is mightier than the sword (and it is), then en garde!