A post from Warrior Muse about Teaser Tuesdays reminded me of memes that always pop up on Facebook:
- Grab a book you are currently reading
- Open to a find a random page
- Write the first sentence on that page
ProfHacker mentioned a similar strategy, using this as an exercise to get your own creative juices going when you are struggling to write.
So, here goes… (2 sentences even!)
“The postulant was given a ceremonial bath, after which he spent the night in the chapel, watching beside his armor. Then he was clad in rich robes, the gift of the man who was to knight him, and the sword of knighthood was girded about his waist.”
—John, King of England, by John T. Appleby
This is from a biographical work about King John of Magna Carta fame. Don’t those lines conjure up vivid images? A darkened room, lit by candlelight. The Church’s role in life in the Middle Ages. Camelot. Castles. Knights and ladies. The pageantry of life at court. Though based on my research of this time period for some historical fiction I hope to publish next year, it certainly doesn’t sound very glamorous. My knights are Crusaders who serve Richard the Lionheart. Their story will be about the scars they carry. Of the heat, the stink of death, and pitched battles. (What pleasant thoughts, eh?)
So, pick up the book you’re reading, choose a random page, and add a line or two from the page in the comments here. What other images do you think of when you read those lines?
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