The Place For My Writers Notes

Original posting 9 May 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"No matter who your subject is, the article needs a strong opening. My wife, a textile designer, has taught me that to make a basket, the first weaves must be very tight, or the finished basket will have a hole in the bottom. Likewise, you need to make your opening lines taut to capture the reader." Lawrence Grobel

Interesting. Writing as weaving a basket? That we catch the reader in? Now if we stretch that metaphor just a bit, we might bring in the monkey with their fist caught in the basket because they won't let go of the nut? Of course, there's all the various shapes, sizes, and weaves of baskets, and the wide variety of materials that can be used to make one.

I kind of like tight lines as an opening, rather than the simple hook'em if you can. Keep those lines tight, and weave the magic of the story?

Odd that the quote starts with "who your subject is," isn't it? Perhaps this was from an article about writing non-fiction? Biographies or something like that?

Still, weaving the words. Something nice in that notion.