Yes, you read that correctly. ELEVENTY BAJILLION.
Before you run away screaming with flailing muppet arms, you should know I'm not writing all eleventy bajillion notes out here today.
You will not have to read a novel-length post if you stick around.
Relieved?
Phew.
INSTEAD I sorted the notes into categories and simplified them into pretty pictures. And by pretty pictures, I mean word clouds and nothing more.
But first?
An explanation:
Ahead of time, writers could submit their first 100 words to be critiqued during the session. Sadly, I did not discover this until past the deadline. But lots of other people did and I kept track of everything said about THEIR pages.
Winning Qualities for Your First Page
 |
| prose = beautiful language, active verbs, clean writing engaging = good setup, foreshadowing, emotions evoked right away, fun to read, wanted to know more immediately |
Red Card Qualities for Your First Page
(Panelists held up red cards if they didn't want to read past those first 100 words.)
 |
| prose = bad metaphors, clunky language, too many adverbs bad description = take too long describing one thing, vague something interesting : one panelist didn't like an entry because Hitler was referred to flippantly (the MC compared someone to Hitler), because she'd JUST been to a WWII panel, so it hit too close to home for her at the moment. timing really can be everything |
Tada!
Donzo.
In what could have been an epic-length post, I brought you pictures. (Well, really it wasn't me. It was wordle.)
QOTD: What's your favorite number.
Mine's eleventy bajillion.
Or nineteen.
I think eleventy bajillion is a great number. I'm partial to godzillion. I'm also one of those people that insists #13 is NOT unlucky. No really, it's not unlucky! But of course that is because I was born on Friday the 13th and that is my way of making myself feel better.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I'm thinking my WIP is one giant red card. Hmmm... much to work on.
Haha, love this! I like pictures:)
ReplyDeleteI love Wordle! :) Sounds like it was a great workshop to attend.
ReplyDeleteAnd seriously don't feel bad about the eleventy bajillion notes -- I do the same thing. I'm an INSANE note-taker. LOL.
Lol, nice and to the point. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post :D Loved it. Thank you and your bajillion notes!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness that Tolkien and Bilbo Baggins proved that Eleventy is a number.
ReplyDeleteKaren and I were just talking about first pages yesterday, and being stressed out about making sure they really grab attention.
ReplyDeleteI think eleventy bajillion is a nice number besides I like odd numbers anyway. But after thinking about it how could anyone resist nineteen bajillion. It just flows, thanks to you I have my new favorite number.
ReplyDeleteNineteen Bajillion...
Great stuff, Sara! My favorite number is 4. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love how you did this! That was a fab session!
ReplyDeleteWordle FTW!
ReplyDeleteSara FTW!
Love and huggles,
Lola
Derf-teen and fifty katrillion.
ReplyDeleteLove Wordle - my husband uses it all the time. Awesome post!
I love this. These are the best notes ever. The pictures say it all. :D
ReplyDeleteThis is great. I actually need this right now, since I'm trying to write a brand new 1st chapter. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have some of the bad points in my first pages. Thank goodness for revisions! My fave number is 23. Always.
ReplyDeleteThis post cracked me up. Those ingredients for a good first page seem so straightforward. Easy almost. Why then, do I spend so much time in revision??? Fav. number? I like number 2.
ReplyDeleteThis is like the BEST. It's clearer than writing ten pages on the same thing. Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteEleventy bajillion is A LOT! And yet somehow you've condensed that into graphics that make more sense than any notes could. Great stuff! Really helpful.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Creative's Friday Links sent me! I loved the way you did this. How fun!
ReplyDeleteOk, that was some serious awesome. I may have to start doing all my posts as word clouds.
ReplyDeleteAnd interesting that there are so many ways to do it WRONG but only a few to do it RIGHT. (p.s. I popped over from the Friday Links on Stina's blog)
Great post! I love eleventy bajillion, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd where in Virginia was this? How did I miss it!?
Great post! I love how you emphasized the important stuff. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat was really cool, seeing the comments in word clouds. Thanks for sharing. I think first page sessions and manuscript consultations at conferences are sooo educational.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your weekend. :)
Fun post, and very helpful. That "unclear POV" makes me wonder just how clear mine is. I'm going to go back and check.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stroke of brilliance! Wordle! This is the best use of Wordle I have seen yet. I am soooooo tweeting this!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I really like seeing this at conferences (although I'm sure it can be horrifying if you're one of the people whose pages are being read).
ReplyDeleteIs Bajillion a word?
ReplyDeleteI was engaged, immediately! Nice post. Good advice! :)
ReplyDelete