Pages

Monday, July 16, 2012

Who Wants to See Some Hookers?


Today is Day 1 of the wonderfully named Hookers and Hangers Blogfest!  This one is hosted by the lovely ladies over at Falling For Fiction.  I decided to join in because I'm not at all confident in how I start and end my chapters.  I'm not expecting to have the best hookers and hangers out there.  Far from it.  My main goal is to get some good critique and see what everyone else has to offer.

Besides, look at the name of this blogfest.  How could I pass up the opportunity to have the word "hookers" in my post title?

I have a lot of WIPs, but I decided to go with one that I'm trying to edit for a compilation I want to do.  This is a short novel that I'm thinking of titling either The Great Divide or Divided We Fall.  I know, I can't even commit to a title, but I'll have to eventually.  This novel is supposed to be a memoir style thing written from the perspective of a man who has been persecuted his entire life and has somehow survived everything life has thrown at him.

Keep in mind, since I'm trying to do a memoir-style story, there are commentaries on life lessons learned from his past sprinkled throughout, along with some memories.  If the snippets seem like they're out of any logical order (difficult as it is to tell from one sentence), that's why.

Since I'm in the editorial process, some of these hookers will undoubtedly change, but this is how they currently stand.

A Note From the Author:  The events recounted here are real. 

Chapter 1:  The back of the delivery truck smelled stale, not sterile like I was used to. 

Chapter 2:  Being the youngest of eleven children, I repeatedly told myself my parents didn’t visit me in the center because they were so busy. 

Chapter 3:  As a new patient in the treatment center, I was small and scared. 
 
Chapter 4:  During my childhood, a Curable lived on the outskirts of town.  

Chapter 5:  Once the harvest was over, I worked most of my shifts in the kitchen helping to concoct preserves, salsas, canned soups, and anything else that would keep our food supply good during the winter months.  

Chapter 6:  The final days of the expedition found me feeling lighter than I’d imagined possible.  

Chapter 7:  I woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window.  

Chapter 8:  We were wedged in the midst of late winter, and I was looking forward to spring.  

Chapter 9:  One thing I’ve learned from experience is that a picture truly is worth a thousand words.  

Chapter 10:  Lullabies tell tales of horror.  

Chapter 11:  The Charitable Mission, a subsidiary of New Visions Ministries, ran homeless shelters all over the Eastern States.  

Chapter 12:  The first time I was physically assaulted wasn’t in treatment. 

Chapter 13:  I ran as fast as I could toward the fence, agonizingly aware of how counterintuitive this action felt. 
 
Chapter 14:  I fell to my knees, the world reeling around me.  

Chapter 15:  Love does strange things to people.  

Chapter 16:  I sat beside the window of my little hospital room, watching soldiers in black uniforms march through the streets with rifles slung over their shoulders.  

Chapter 17:  Strategy meant everything in the world of treatment.  

Epilogue:  A number of years have passed since the war ended.

 


33 comments:

  1. Cool hookers! I loved Chapter 17's the most!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too. Although Chapter 10 is also a good one.

      Delete
  2. Uhh... do you need an extra set of eyes to read this cause I'm totally intrigued!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The thing about hookers is you just want the reader to go on to read the great second sentence and you do that. Especially with Chapter one. It conveys that she is in a strange situation and she had been in other strange situations in the past and that is intriguing. I can't wait to read your hangers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. All good Hookers here. I like Chapters 1, 2 and 10. I agree with sydneyaaliyah above.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very intriguing first lines. Chapter one hooked me for sure (as did many others). :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good hookers. 11 is interesting. I'm curious about what is said after that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1,3,10,and 11 all really hooked me. This story sounds tough, but good.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I really liked chapter 8. Maybe it's cuz I love the word 'wedged', lol. And these are great! Pulled me in, for sure :D

    ReplyDelete
  9. Really great lines! I find 10 very intriguing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, this sounds like an incredibly fascinating book! I'm so curious... I love all your hooks - wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow! This story sounds really cool! I want to know what a Curable is! Nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  12. How intriguing! I like Chapters 4, 12 and 13 the best!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great post and love all of the hookers. Enjoyed reading!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm absolutely intrigued as well! I loved Ch 17 - that might be my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I enjoyed a bunch of your hookers (and I especially enjoyed just typing that bit, right there). :-) My faves were the ones from chapters: 1, 10, 12, 16, and 17. Real attention grabbers, for me, but you know, not all opening lines for every chapter have to be...unless, I suppose, you're writing a thriller?
    Some Dark Romantic

    ReplyDelete
  16. That first line says so much in such few words. Excellent hooks. Good luck with the self-pub, if you decide to go that route!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Those are all really strong, I especially love #1 and #10.

    ReplyDelete
  18. So intrigued by what this story might be about. My fav was Lullabies tell tales of horror. Can't wait to read the hangers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. youngest of eleven children? Wowzah!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Excellent first lines! Ten is my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I don't know my dear, these are all pretty darn good. The eleven children one totally strikes a cord. Got me feeling for the MC already. Great job!

    (And I'm following you now. Now sure how I missed that before. haha. Wee bit slow I guess :))

    ReplyDelete
  22. I can sorta kinda (probably not even close) piece together a bit of a story there, and I like it!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love the one for chapter 10! Very intriguing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. It sounds like a fascinating book. All your hookers are great.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This line is just phenomenal: Lullabies tell tales of horror. Sounds like a great story...

    ReplyDelete
  26. This sounds like an inspirational story. 10 and 17 are the most intriguing for me.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Chapter 2 sounds terribly lonely... I would definitely read the entire book based in the first lines of each chapter!

    ReplyDelete
  28. There are some amazing lines here... my fave I think is this one:

    During my childhood, a Curable lived on the outskirts of town.

    I'm not sure what a Curable is, but that makes me want to find out :)

    ReplyDelete