I’d been looking for this book for ages. In our move this spring, it got nestled into a box of breakables and left in the garage until my husband cleared out the last of the packing supplies. The Beginning Place is one of my favorite novels, if not my most favorite novel. Doesn’t the cover look so unapologetically FANTASY it breaks your heart?
A while ago—in 2009—I got to hear Ursula K. Le Guin speak at the 92nd Street Y in conversation with Alan Lightman. They talked about how dreams shift and change depending on your writing process; they talked about blurring the genre lines, and how genres are basically useless outside industry speak. I stood in a long line to get my book signed. UKLG was chatty and kind to everyone, but when she mentioned how “well-loved” my book looked, I just blushed and laughed nervously and muttered something that might have been “thanks,” but I’m not sure. Oh, well. My failure to charm her at a 30-second signing doesn’t impact my love of her work and her incredible writer brain.
I’ve shared the last line of this novel with lots of folks, so bless you, dear hearts, if you’ve heard it before. Here it is again. I love it so.
There is more than one road to the city.
Now that’s a good last line.
I’m thinking for this writing prompt, let’s celebrate our favorite lines in literature, even if we haven’t seen them in a while.
Find your favorite book (don’t worry; the others won’t get jealous!). It doesn’t have to be your favorite one for all time, but pick a favorite for now. See the BONUS section post-prompt to use more than one.
Read the first line, even if it’s very brief, like dialogue. Even if it’s a single word. Meditate on that line for a moment. Why is it powerful? What does it say about what’s to come? Jot down your ideas for two minutes.
Now head to the last line of the book and do the same.
Now make a mash-up: Combine the two lines by 1) taking the first half of one and combining it with the latter half of the second, or 2) starting with whatever word you wish and tacking on a phrase from the other line. Do whatever you like! Take only two minutes to do this and then commit to your mash-up.
The first line of The Beginning Place is dialogue: “Checker on seven!”
So I could come up with…There are seven roads to the city. Or…There is more than one checker…or…One road to the city on seven.
Use your mash-up line as the first line in a scene—you can create new characters, or work with characters from your work-in-progress (and even memoir subjects). Write for 6 minutes, letting the first line guide you forward.
Now create a new mash-up line and try a new scene—or continue what you’ve been working on so far. Write for 6 minutes, letting this new mash-up line be your jumping off point.
Look back at both scenes and choose a leading emotion in either piece (pick the emotion that really rings out, echoes, vibrates).
Does the writing feel happy, fearful, or sad? Does the scene speak of nostalgia, or anxiety, or longing?
Attribute this emotion to one of your current characters, or a brand new character, and write a scene in which they move from this emotion to its opposite. They could go from fearful to relieved, or from sad to happy, or from nervous to calm.
Write for 12-18 minutes, whatever you have time for. Experiment with moving across this emotional spectrum with your character. See what happens!
Tell me about it on Twitter or Instagram. I’d love to hear how it goes!
BONUS
Take your two most favorite novels and do the same, only using the first line from one novel and the last line from the other. Come up with as many variations as you can, experimenting with the blending of the two author voices!