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We’re going to break from the 3 C’s, just this once, for the sake of some literary fun. No cheating, now. That means, no looking up stuff on the internet first. Below are fifteen first lines taken from famous books throughout history. I changed most of the main character names to pronouns, so as not to give too much away. Do you know which books they belong to?

First lines:
1. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

2. There once was a tree….

3. Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened.

4. I have just returned from a visit to my landlord–the solitary neighbor that I shall be troubled with.

5. She was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,’ thought she `without pictures or conversation?’

6. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

7. You better not never tell nobody but God.

8. Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.

9. It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.

10. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

11. In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

12. Call me Ishmael.

13. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

14. She was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.

15. When he was nearly thirteen my brother got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

Put your answers in the comment section. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t click on the comment section until AFTER you’ve written down the answers, otherwise you’ll see everybody else’s. Winner gets bragging rights and a cool prize.

Questions to Ponder: Which is your favorite and why? Did I leave any really famous ones out?removetweetmeme

I’m taking Camy Tang’s characterization class right now. I figured, for $30, it would be a great way to get to know this new character I’m trying to flesh out. It’s been super helpful so far.

Her last lesson was about character likability.

As I worked through this lesson, a pattern emerged. Because I write romance, I have two main characters, the hero and the heroine. I realized that I usually write novels with one character who is very likable and the other who’s more difficult to like. This character might be interesting, but not so much likable. At least not in the beginning. In the beginning, this character tends to be a little (or a lot) hardened.

See, I have no problem writing flawed characters. Maybe that’s because I don’t like reading books where the character is June Cleaver. I like my characters flawed. Wounded. Hurt. And acting in destructive ways because of this wound.

That’s what I have with my character, Ivy. She’s definitely wounded. And she’s definitely acting destructively because of this wound.

But on the flip side, there has to be something likable about her. It’s not enough that she’s a fighter/survivor, which is admirable. I need something that is actually likable. I’m working on choosing a characteristic that is likable enough, but still true to her character.

So I have a lot of questions for you today, and I’d really love to read your thoughts on the matter. These questions are for writers and readers. Especially readers. So please chime in, whichever you are.

Questions to Ponder: As a reader, what makes you root for a particular character throughout a story? What makes a character “likable” to you? What specific qualities do you admire in a character? As a writer, how do you go about ensuring you have both a flawed and likable character?removetweetmeme

Cares:
Waiting…..

I’ve turned twitchy. My phone rings and my muscles spaz out. I check my email and I squeeze my eyelids shut, hoping not to see an email from my agent. Normally, I love getting emails from her. But an email could be a rejection from the publisher, and I’d really prefer not to get one of those.

To maintain my sanity, I’ve adopted a mantra: God is in control. If it’s His plan for me to get a book deal from this publishing house, then it’s going to happen. If that’s not His plan, then it’s not going to happen. Agonizing over it won’t change a thing. Only He can see the big picture. Only He can unfold the story of my life and make sense of it. My job is to do the best I can with what’s in my control and let Him take the rest.

In case you’re interested in how this whole publishing process works (from proposal to contract), literary agent Chip MacGregor has an amusing post about it here and my agent, Rachelle Gardner, has an informative post about it here. Both posts really helped me better understand all the steps involved.

Concerns:
Getting to know my new character is proving to be a very long, drawn-out process. It doesn’t help that she keeps changing her backstory on me.

Celebrations:
It’s Friday – the end of a very hectic, busy week at school.

Jeff Stone, middle grade author of the Five Ancestor series, is coming to visit our school today for the annual author visit.

Question to Ponder: What are your cares, concerns, and celebrations today?removetweetmeme