Thirteen Lines

Posted on | June 28, 2009 | No Comments

I first picked up on this editing technique at Orson Scott-Card’s website Hatrack and then expanded on it to suit my purposes. Uncle Orson (he’s not my uncle, he just refers to himself that way) advises that the first thirteen lines of a manuscript are the first thing a potential agent or editor sees. The way most hardbacks are printed, not to mention an increasing number of paperbacks, the majority of the first page is blank. All you get of the story is the first thirteen lines.

Those thirteen lines had better be spectacular because if they’re not, the potential agent or editor has a lot to do that day and the rejection pile is just a wrist flick away.

My suggestion is to write your first chapter, or two, or thirty two and then come back and copy/paste those first thirteen lines into word. You can bring an intensity of focus onto thirteen lines that just can’t be maintained over a whole chapter, and if you work hard on it you can turn out thirteen lines that grab the reader by the back of the head and say “Hi! Hope you don’t have any plans for the next few days because you’re going to be here, reading this book. Hope you’re comfy”.

Now here’s were I branch off on my own. Once you’ve done your first thirteen, go and grab the next thirteen and try the same thing. This very much time and patience dependent and theoretically you could go through your entire book this way. What I would like you to do, and I’ve been doing today, is go through your first page like this, then edit the rest of your chapter as normal.

The extra intensity you get from the thirteen line trick spills over into your normal editing frame of mind.

Chapter Two of The Shadow Library up tonight! Just going over the finishing touches now.