 Opening Lines of a Novel. So much, needs to be achieved, in the opening line and page of a novel. The first sentence is, supposed to make you not want to put the book down, it should create tension, make a promise that must later be kept, one the reader will stay to see fulfilled. This is a tall order. Without giving my opening sentence away, there are three people involved in the sentence and two are being instructed to do something and a promise is being made to them, about something out of the ordinary, that is about to happen. I believe that will work. Within, three paragraphs, we have the personality of two of the characters developing and conflict increasing. The entire opening passage develops the character of these two, hints at the actions though little of the character of the other whose nature will remain a mystery until the second chapter as seen through their eyes. Voted Ten BEST Opening lines for a Novel 1/ Call me Ishmael. 2/ It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. 3/ A screaming comes across the sky. 4/Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. 5/ Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. 6/Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. 7/ riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs. 8/ It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. 9/ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. 10/ I am an invisible man. No wholesale jewelry prize for guessing that these have to be the:- Ten Worst Opening Lines for a Novel 1) Sex with Isaac had been like an experiment wherein she had accidentally mixed ammonia and bleach, burned her eyebrows off, lost all sense of smell for weeks, and never saw the family cat again. 2) McMurphy hit the pavement running like a paper bag filled with vegetable soup. 3) Had she known Duncan was a psychopath who would seduce, then brutally murder her, she wouldn't have bought that screwdriver. 4) Ralph looked over at the rumpled form of Lila sleeping next to him in bed and wondered idly why making love with her made him feel as though his body had been pounded by heavy surf. 5) In these uncertain times, one must think of others' viewpoints, and always remember that a crowded elevator smells different to a midget. 6) The scent of sweat from the horse's buttock wafted into his left nostril, past the fine cilia of his nose, through the nasal cavity and into the dark damp depths of his single emphysemic lung. 7) Stanley looked quite bored and somewhat detached, but then penguins often do. 8) The potted palm made a feeble attempt at photosynthesis with the naked 25 watt bulb that hung from the cracked plaster of my low-rent office on a less-than-desirable (unless you were vermin) stretch of Pico. 9) He wanted to hold her forever, but he knew eventually that he'd have to take a whizz. 10) Her breasts were like ripe strawberries, but much bigger, a completely different colour, not as bumpy, and without the little green things on top. What are Your favourite, Opening Lines of a Novel?   I wrote, tonight, long hand, on paper, about 887 words that might form an opening passage to a novel (just might), if they are not too morbid and lacking in action. I think I need to type them out now, and submit them to several friends I trust and ask them for some very harsh honest constrictive criticism, as to if I am capable of writing fiction and enticing an audience past the first 877 words to get into the story. Also wondering who is going to sue me, who is left alive, that I am writing about, to sue me, if I write this fiction loosely based on fact, novel? I am not writing this about any actual people and yet it will be loosely, semi autobiographical. There will be some people alive who may recognise characters, in the novel I am writing, who are similar, to them, only by their position in a family or a professions, a name I like, or temperament. A lot of artistic licence will have been, used, as I substitute, the nature and actions of one individual from another time and space into the character I create in the page of my novel. No person in my novel actually exists. I am starting to think that authors who write about vampires are smart, as they will not, be accused, of writing about real people. lol, I want to write a novel, not fantasy, so I draw on life and will accept the risk of being accused of writing abut real people, because if I do not start, because I intend to draw on my own life experiences for story line, the novels with in me, will never be written. For this purpose, my characters and stories will be interchanged until the character within my book is pure fiction. I have four people in mind, I could ask, to guide me with the current question, 'Is my fiction writing, good enough', they all have the skill to constructively critique, my possible opening lines These four friends, all have a different writing style they are all gifted writers. Will they be brutally honest with me and not spare my feelings though? What I need, once I type these opening pages into a readable draft, is to have them proof read with a zealous, clean them up of drivel, with the effectiveness of a best acne treatments and give me a very honest critique opinion, of if I am capable of writing decent fiction’. I guess that is the next stage of my novel writing, to find that one piece of information out before I go on any further. And now, for they 'dyslectic clause’ J . I write despite dyslexia, because, I love to write. I strive to eliminate, my typos, but if I should miss any bad ones and you care to send me, a message, through my contact me page, above, with the information, about the error so I can correct it, and you also send me your mailing address, I will send you one of the fridge magnets, from my art work, as a thank you :-)   I have two fridge magnets from my art; I am giving away as spot prizes, this weekend. (Eastern, Australian time). Postage will be FREE for the winner (worldwide). my Kathy Shell page on facebook Enjoy participating, I plan to do lots more, FREE Giveaways, through my blogs and my facebook, Kathy Shell, page, and I would love to see lots of participation so I will keep the entry as simple as possible. You can strive to collect these magnets FREE, through my Spot Giveaways, which will be announced without prior warning and run for a short period only, like this one, the winner will be drawn 24 hours after posting the competition. The winner will need to contact me quickly (within a week), with their mailing address or I will need to choose an alternative winner. I am going out to dinner with Reg tomorrow night and I hope that some quick weight loss I achieved this week as a result of doing body pump, and zumba classes, through the week on top of the swimming and beach exercise I do most days, will allow me to fit into my new size 12 pink dress J I bought, just a little, on the tight side. I will be looking to see whom my Kathy Shell, page, commenters, have chosen as a winner, after this dinner tomorrow night and I will announce the winner and close off this competition and if there was a good response, to it, announce a new Spot Giveaway, competition, for my Kathy Shell page friends. Have fun and enjoy participating. :-)  A woman was allegedly told her pregnancy had ''caused a lot of inconvenience'' By staff writers From: news.com.au THE Fair Work Ombudsman has launched a discrimination case against a printing company and its directors after a pregnant worker was allegedly told her condition had "caused a lot of inconvenience" before she was fired. The case is the first pregnancy discrimination case brought under new national workplace laws and comes as the Fair Work Ombudsman begins a campaign aimed at helping pregnant women avoid discrimination at work. The agency alleges that New South Wales commercial printing business Wongtas, and its directors Ding Guo Wang and Xiao Yu Zhang, discriminated against Jiongqui Ye, 36, after she revealed she was pregnant last year. Read more: Printing company Wongtas allegedly discriminated against worker Jiongqui Ye   Fine Gourmet Food, on a Weight, Management, Diet? Why Not? The French can do it, can’t they? Can you lose weight without dieting or without exercise? Can you really eat all the fatty and unhealthy foods that you love and still lose weight? Some claim the French seem to do it, right? Well, the secret for the French and a number of other countries in general is actually portion control and more exercise. They do not count calories or just eat healthier foods. They eat less and exercise, which is something that the average Australian and American citizen does not recognize. No food is actually, fattening, it is when you eat and how much that makes the difference. The secret of weight control is in portion size. Those French who do worry about their weight do not need to search for best weight loss supplement they can go and see a nutritionist, courtesy of the French health service.  Nutritionist Dr Francoise L'Hermite says the French secret to staying slim is to do exactly as Clemence and her family do - make sure you sit down with friends or family for a meal, eat three times a day at regular intervals, don't snack, don't eat in front of the television, and finally - eat slowly and savour both the food and the company.  Platter for Sharing. See picture. "For France, a meal is a very particular moment, in which you share pleasure, the food as well as the conversation," she says. "From an Anglo-Saxon point of view, food is just fuel to give energy to your muscles. If you have no pleasure in it, you are breaking all the rules of eating." But what about all those French who tuck in to steak and chips, with lashings of red wine, followed by cheese and crème caramel for lunch? British chef Richard Robe, who works at Taillevent, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Paris, says the secret is all in the portion size.  The Power Of One: [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Double box Audio CD] Pre listened to, once by myself, Kathy shell, cover is scratched, New value of this 18 compact disk set is over $150. value with FREE postage within Australia. You are welcome to enter the competition if outside of Australia but shipping cost must be paid before item will be sent. Bryce Courtenay, Author, Humphrey Bower, Narator. This great prize, Plus free postage within Australia, is our FREE Giveaway, for July. To be in the draw with one entry, just:- 1/ Leave a comment on this post saying why you would like to win this audio book. · “The Power of One has everything: suspense, the exotic, violence; mysticism, psychology and magic; schoolboy adventures, drama.” –The New York Times “Unabashedly uplifting . . . asserts forcefully what all of us would like to believe: that the individual, armed with the spirit of independence–‘the power of one’–can prevail.” –Cleveland Plain Dealer In 1939, as Hitler casts his enormous, cruel shadow across the world, the seeds of apartheid take root in South Africa. There, a boy called Peekay is born. His childhood is marked by humiliation and abandonment, yet he vows to survive and conceives heroic dreams–which are nothing compared to what life actually has in store for him. He embarks on an epic journey through a land of tribal superstition and modern prejudice where he will learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the power of one. “Totally engrossing . . . [presents] the metamorphosis of a most remarkable young man and the almost spiritual influence he has on others . . . Peekay has both humor and a refreshingly earthy touch, and his adventures, at times, are hair-raising in their suspense.” –Los Angeles Times Book Review “Marvelous . . . It is the people of the sun-baked plains of Africa who tug at the heartstrings in this book. . . . [Bryce] Courtenay draws them all with a fierce and violent love.” –The Washington Post Book World “Impressive.” –Newsday “A compelling tale.” –The Christian Science Monitor · Publishers Weekly · ``Episodic and bursting with incident, this sprawling memoir of an English boy's lonely childhood in South Africa during WW II pays moderate attention to questions of race but concerns itself primarily with epic melodrama,'' noted PW. (Apr.)  · Biography · Bryce Courtenay was born in South Africa, is an Australian, and has lived in Sydney for the major part of his life. · Bryce Courtenay has successfully self-published and self promoted his books. He always looks impeccably well groomed and is blessed, with a great crop of hair for a senior; he could easily be a model for hair loss products for men. His manner and presentation of himself at many public and press launches show that it is no accident that books become top sellers, it takes talent, business sense, PR ability and hard work and Brice Courtenay, certainly has applied all of these to his writing career.  Caravanning in North Queensland. 06/28/2010
   Reg and I watched as a new caravan, was being backed; into place near us here at the Flying Fish Point caravan park. It was, a beautiful, large van, one that I imagine, being wonderful to live in but I would find it a nightmare, to tow and back. Some caravans are getting so large these days they barely fit the space available in the caravan parks. I will be honest, I am beginning to weary of caravan park living, I do prefer the bush, though this is a great caravan park and we love the close access to the beach. Anyhow, the driver was ideal for the job, because he seemed to love vehicles, and knew everything it seemed about how they worked, something I think you would need it you are biting off such a huge chunk to want tow a van the size of half a house around our country. I kept up with his conversation when we talked about gears and clutch as I have needed to learn more about these, given that I have part worn out my own towing vehicle’s clutch pads learning how to and how not to drive a small truck. When he started talking about spring plungers, I was ‘out of my depth', lol, and will leave that sort of talk to the experts interested in how things work, I just want them to work and get me where I am going,.... to the next view. Sharing some of the beautiful north Queensland countryside pictures with you,    How to Lose 60 kilo in 2 minutes. 06/25/2010
Don't believe everything you see in magazines. Tropical Orchids. 06/21/2010
   I love orchids and I used to grow and even sell them a few years back. I started with Cymbidium orchids easy to grow outdoors in Victoria; I had 200 named varieties I was propagating. Then I moved on to growing the Dendrobium or Australian rock orchids with these cymbidiums, giving them more light and I found these rock orchids, even easier to grow out of doors than the hardy cymbidium orchid, as long as I provided them with filtered light and protection from frost. Eventually I fell in love with the tropical orchids, the Vandas, Cattleyas and Oncidiums and began growing these indoors in an artificial climate. When we downsized to make caravanning a way of life, I downsized my orchids but still have a love for them so I was delighted when I see them growing here in north Queensland, both indoors and out of doors, where they look especially beautiful in the evening under outdoor garden lighting. Read more: How to Care for Tropical Orchids | eHow.com     When I stayed at one of the caravan parks down south, the entire staff was attending Zumba From that moment on I have wanted to 'do it'. The office workers said the 'found it hard'. The cleaning staff 'found it easy', all found they lost weight doing Zumba. Here is a way you can do it at home:- Zumba Ditch the Workout, Join the Party! the Zumba Weight Loss Program [With DVD] I think if you are active, you can do it and it sounded to me as if you can make your own moves, do it at your own pace. I guess I will know tomorrow and will certainly write about it. :-) and feel it would be more effective at burning calories than weight loss pills. About Zumba Let's face it, working out can be healthy, rewarding and beneficial. Working out can be lots of things, but it's never been known to be an exhilarating experience…UNTIL NOW! The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life! The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you've got a Zumba® class! In the past years, the Zumba® program has become nothing short of a revolution, spreading like wildfire, and positioning itself as the single most influential movement in the industry of fitness. As of May 2010, the Zumba® program is being taught at over 60,000 locations in 105 countries, has sold millions of DVDs, and has changed the lives of Zumba® Fanatics worldwide with an astonishing 7.5 million participants taking Zumba classes every week. Why? Because it's the best party around. I am very excited about my first attempt tomorrow, in a Zumba class. J Want to buy the Home program, with DVD, click on image below. | Kathy Shell on Facebook Kathy Shell
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