Greetings fellow writers,This is your new ruler, Snapper the Great, presenting you with the latest hook challenge. If you are unfamiliar with this writing challenge allow me to explain.
The theory is most editors, due to the volume of submissions they receive, will reject the majority of the submissions based on the first page. With the title, information required, and guidelines (double spacing, size font) the first page is usually the first 13 lines of your story. This exersize is to see who can write the best opening with the same story synopsis.
Each challenge a new synopsis is presented. This weeks is written by the crafty Grant John. Other future synopsis writers are...
1) LAJD
2) Tiergan
If you like to provide a future synopsis copy the list above and add your name to it in your post in this thread.
If you are not sure what '13 lines' is, it is Courier 12 pnt in a 65 character line. (Kathy will probably provide a template). If your submission is longer than 13 lines it will get cut down to size (whinning will do you no good).
Now here are the rules.
1) All submissions are based on the synopsis below. You can start anywhere you like in the synopsis as long it is how you would start your version
2) All submission are to be sent to me (my email address is up there) Send your email in the subject line
13 line hook challenge
and place your submission in the body of the text. Please write your submission as such
Your hatrack name
Entry # (I'll fill it in)
Title
Your wonderful 13 lines etc, etc, etc...
3) I will start posting submission when I get a sufficent number. The competition will last about a week after I post this message.
4) Voting will begin after I close the submissions. Please do not post anything in that thread until I close the submissions and open the voting. Everyone that submits an entry is encouraged to vote for your top three and favorite title (which can be part of the hook). All that did not submit an entry but would like to vote are encouraged to do so. And no votingfor your own (that's lame)
5) At the close of the voting I shall tabulate the votes. First gets 5, second 4, and third 3. Winner is declared and you get to wear a pirate hat and say ARRGGH all week.
now for this weeks synopsis...
quote:
Bill forgets to fill his boat up with enough fuel and runs out in the middle of ocean. There is some land in sight so he decides to swim to shore, hoping that someone there will be able to help him.
On arriving at the coast he meets some villagers, but unfortunately they only speak Spanish and Bill does not understand them, but manages to follow them to their village, which is at the base of a volcano. From the village a single road heads straight south.
The villagers point to a house and Bill goes inside, to find a young man named Dylan. Dylan is an anthropology student who speaks both English and Spanish so is able to talk to Bill. However they don’t get much chance, yelling causes them to go out onto the streets. They see the entire population of the village piling onto buses which then zoom off down the freeway.
Why? Because the volcano is erupting.
Bill panics, but Dylan reveals that he has a car in which they can both escape.
What neither westerner knows – but the villagers do – is that the island’s god has chosen Bill as its sacrifice and won’t let him off the island alive.
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