One of the things I love about writing is condensing -- getting as much meaning and emotion into as few words as possible. Sometimes it's a pain in the butt (query writing = grr), but once you get it right, a feeling of immense satisfaction sweeps over you. It's one of the emotions that makes it all worthwhile.
Looking back over my old manuscripts/stories, there is one line from one story that always fills me with that shiver of satisfaction. Sure, there are other snippets that make me proud, but reading this one always takes me back to the first moment I wrote it, to that first moment of "Ooo, that's good." It's from my YA romance novel Blind.
Cameron smiled, crossed his arms, and settled in for a long wait. But he never stopped staring at me. Straight into my eyes, never looking away, never blinking for too long. Staring as an aspiring artist stared at the Sistine Chapel. Girls starved themselves to get looked at like that.
With this line, I'd hoped to transmit an instant picture of how Cameron's face looked. That kind of heartbreaking, sweet, dashing look that all girls dream of receiving some day. Do you have a favorite line from your manuscripts? What did you hope it would transmit?
9 comments:
I've always been rather proud of the last line of Void. I remember writing it and then gasping at the realization—"Oh my gosh! It's done!" It was, and is, the perfect way to end that story.
Love it!
I must agree that that line is shiver-worthy!
Love that line.
Nice! That is a great line.
I love having those "boo-ya" moments. :)
OOOh, that is a fantastic line! WTG!
so well done!
brain too mushy to think
of favorite lines right now...
from my own mss.
Ooooh. That's a GREAT line.
I get enamored of one liners from my books all the time. And I wander around, muttering them to myself and giggling. It's no wonder people think I'm strange.
Great line.
Yep, I have tons of lines I love from my MS's. I tend to like the short, powerful lines the best. The ones that follow up a particularly emotional bit of dialogue or inner thought. And then comes the zinger.
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