Which writing magazines do you read?

I just received my March issue of The Writer and devoured it almost immediately. I've been a subscriber for years and, although I could receive it online, I still like the fact that something is coming to my mailbox and I can read it anywhere. March's issue had two brilliant articles, "The Art of the Perfect Sentence," by Janet Tarasovic, which I mentioned a couple of days ago, and a new feature called "First Page." Author Peter Selgin promises to analyze what works and what doesn't in a fiction opening--which is my blog topic for this whole month.

There's also a wonderful piece on writing envy, and an interview with Evan S. Connell (author of Mr. Bridge, Mrs. Bridge, and Son of the Morning Star.) Connell doesn't even have a computer. Egads!

The cover story is on social media. Recurring features spotlight literary magazines and an author's writing modus operandi in "How I Write," which the voyeur in me adores.

Do you read writing magazines? (Magazines focusing on the writing craft, rather than magazines like Ellery Queens, Glimmer Train, or Tin House.) If so, please take a moment to enter my first ever blog poll, and leave a comment if so inspired. I'm very nosy and want to know all about you. Perhaps I should be in marketing rather than this writing gig...?

Happy Monday.

Microfiction Monday: Rupert Brooke's Missing Muse

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the world's best meme, coming to you from Susan at Stony River. One of the highlights of a dangerous writer's week. Enjoy.

Rupert Brooke was pissed. "Stands the town clock near half past two? And is there honey at the zoo?" Where was his muse when he needed her?

Another British-themed one today. English poet Rupert Brooke's "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester," ends famously with "Stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?" I wonder what he'd think of the new variation.

Thanks for your comments. I hope to reciprocate within the next couple of days. Have a great week.

First Lines to First Paragraphs: NOW would you read on?

A big thank you to hope, BECKY, and Lisa Ricard Claro for your comments on yesterday's post. I think we all agree that none of these lines was particularly sparkling. Nor, for that matter, was the opening line of the wildly popular winner of Nathan Bransford's first paragraph contest: "I was born during an electrical storm."
What these first sentences all have in common, however, is that they are SHORT.

Now, I'm sure many wonderful stories start with LONG sentences. (I'm just too lazy to do the research just now.) But what a short sentence does is anchor the reader. A character ("Priscilla;" "Edith Goodnough") is named; or an "I" narrator comes on board. "Unsolved mysteries," is of course from Agatha Christie, the start of The Thirteen Problems, starring Miss Marple. Agatha Christie gets away with this because she's well, Agatha Christie. She's a "brand" and readers pick up her books expecting to solve puzzles written in (now) old-fashioned prose.

Here's a list of the other openers, and who wrote them.

First Lines: Would you Love 'Em, or Leave 'Em?

This whole first line/first para thing has got me jazzed. So this morning I crept into my lair (a.k.a the study/library/furnace room) and snatched five novels at random off my shelves. Thought I'd test those first line waters on you. Would you read on?

1. "Priscilla lived in a studio apartment."

2. "Unsolved mysteries."

3. Edith Goodnough isn't in the country any more."

The following two are prologues, which many agents claim to hate. (But heck, a whole barge of books open with prologues. I guess they just have to be written well.)

4. "I haven't laid eyes on the island in several years."

5. "It's hard being left behind."

Can anybody guess who the writers are? (I've listed them below. I've kind of cheated, because each of these had either speaker denotations or chapter headings/locations and dates which may have added to you being able to "spot the writer.") And competitive ol' me wants to see if you can guess. There'll be a big old Badge of Honor waiting for the first commenter who gets it right.

Here are the writers. Which lines did they write? Kent Haruf, Dennis Lehane, Audrey Niffenegger, Agatha Christie, and Tom Robbins?

(I'll reveal all tomorrow, and extend each line into a first paragraph. I think you'll find it interesting, in each case, to see what happens.)

I'll Have What Nathan Liked

Nathan Bransford used to be one of the most famous agents around. (He's still around, but he's no longer an agent. He gave that gig up at the end of last year.) As an agent, he married internet savvy with a winning personality to create one of those "must-read" blogs. He was approachable, humorous, and always ready to engage writers in conversation through his forums.

Nathan Bransford
(I've always thought he was shouldering a surfboard, but now I see it's just someone's shoulder.)

He also, for the past several years, ran the "Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge" to which I linked yesterday. Today he revealed the winner, along with his comments on what makes a first paragraph work.

Craft Book of the Month: February 2011 "Beginnings, Middles & Ends"

I have long admired Nancy Kress, whom I first read in the pages of Writer's Digest magazine. She writes lucidly and succinctly both in her columns and in our February book choice, Beginnings, Middles & Ends--part of the Elements of Fiction Writing series published by Writer's Digest books.

This book is very topical, given the fact that Nathan Bransford is just finishing up his Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge on his blog (only a few hours left before the polls close, folks. And this time there won't be any of those hanging chads...) Over 1500 writers participated in this, and it is interesting to see the six Nathan chose as his finalists.

Nancy Kress delivers on her title, showing how to launch a successful beginning, craft a powerful  middle, and deliver a satisfying ending. This week, I want to focus on what she says in her first chapter: "The Very Beginning."

February's going to be fabulous!

I'm excited. Big plans are afoot, at least on this blog, for the month of February. While two of my favorite guy bloggers, Robert Kent at Middle Grade Ninja and Matt Rush at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment are taking a short hiatus (they say it's because of their jobs, but I bet they're really off saving the galaxy), I'm determined to fill the void.

I'm pumped about February's Craft Book of the Month. (All will be revealed tomorrow.) Once it's revealed, I plan to blog ferociously, shining the light of what I've learned from this secret book on various published works.

And then there's the anniversary party to plan. Yup, I can hardly believe it: it's been a year since this blog debuted (no, I'm not going to change the name to 'The Decade of Writing Dangerously,' or anything; I like my blog title as is.) During this year I've had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and met stacks of interesting people. So, sometime in the month I'm really going to let down my hair--what's left of it--and have a boogie. There'll be prizes, fireworks, loud music. Neighboring blogs will be calling the police!

So, to leave you with the current favorite characters of all the little guys (sons and nephews) in my life:

MAY THE WRITING FORCE BE WITH YOU