First Line Frenzy™ #9 | An Editor Reviews Your Opening Line

[@carlirobertson]

It is ludicrous that people are complaining about the manner in which you decide to give free advice. They don't have to watch if they don't want to. I appreciate every minute you gave to share feedback and ideas!

[@neetfreek9921]

Hope the children complaining don’t discourage you from posting these. Always a pleasure to watch and thanks for the video :)

[@o_o-lj1ym]

Yes these videos are so helpful.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Thank you! Someone will always find something to complain about, but it hasn't stopped me yet. Glad to have you here!

[@LikeClockworkify]

Please keep these videos going! First Line Frenzy is such a valuable resource and teaches so much. I don't understand the entitlement in some people and I'm glad they were called out. Thank you for doing what you do, Martin and Rebecca (and the rest of the Reedsy team, of course).

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Keeping FLF free and accessible has always been the name of the game, and it always will be! Thanks for watching!

[@makennazornes]

I love how straightforward and no nonsense you are. 👏 Super informative video. I’m going to have to watch past episodes of this.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Thanks for watching, Makenna! There's a lot of content here on Reedsy's FLF playlist, and I've created a channel as well for the FLFs I post on IG Live. Enjoy

[@makennazornes]

@@firstlinefrenzy931 Awesome, thank you!

[@natasharomanoff5104]

Thanks so much for donating your time, guys! I learned so much. I've only seen two of your First Line Frenzy videos so far, but I'm hooked! You guys really cracked me up about the baseball one!

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Inside my head: ....sportsball??.... Thanks for watching!

[@anguswalsh6067]

It's always nice to see how I myself will tackle these sentences and change it as comparison to your more professional point of view, really cool

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

I've always hoped this is what viewers will do! Glad to have you with us, Angus. Thanks for watching.

[@paigeo1383]

Love this series so much!!!! Another great episode. The only fault is that they aren’t weekly 😅

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Thanks, Paige! I quite wish we could do them weekly, too!

[@darthnaylor]

The chopsticks and mercury bit seems like a lot of work to avoid saying "eating soup with a knife"

[@leaanngallardo2439]

Thank you, Martin and Rebecca, for giving of your time and expertise to help writers like me who are serious about improving our craft. ❤

[@jesprice48]

I was really surprised by the complaints. I love this series. I even started a document to jot down all of the tips. The repetition of certain points and the various ways of explaining those points really help to embed it in my brain and understand it from all angles. Thank you so much for putting this together!

[@jesprice48]

And I want to add that I’m also learning more about grammar. It’s basically a two-for-one deal

[@writerinprogress]

Watching this the day after (I had signed up for the live session, but in the morning I had a sudden college parents' evening sprung on me, that I couldn't get back from in time to make it to the live showing! 🙁) Thanks for doing this! With 2,000 people submitting a first line, I wasn't expecting mine to feature in this video (I don't have much luck in lotteries and raffles either 🙂) but I learned a lot from the comments on the lines that *were* featured. To all the complainers: this is the real world of writing feedback from professionals, people! They're not obliged to prioritise some people over others just because they're the ones that really, really want it so much.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Hope your event was a smashing success! Thanks for making the time to catch us on the replay. Hope you can join us live next time :0)

[@montecristo1845]

Mr. Richard Paris and Mr. Richard London: A Tale of Two Roommates.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in apartment 4F...."

[@manymusings]

Great insight AS USUAL. Thank you to both of you.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Thanks, MarleeJayne!

[@judyshinohara]

Thank you for doing these videos. This is my favorite live series on KZbin. I hate that there are people complaining about it because there is no other series like this. I just followed your instagram!

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Judith, I'm honored! I'm so glad you find it helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@o_o-lj1ym]

These are so helpful please keep doing these 😁

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Can't stop, won't stop!

[@templeoftarot]

Rebecca Heyman is spot on with every line and I learn so much here, I just wish they did this more often!

[@manymusings]

I LOVE first line frenzy episodes!

[@CharlieHorse4363]

Cicadas absolutely do shrill I’m sorry 😂😂 I live in the middle of a forest and they scream

[@mia_monster2915]

Thank you for doing these videos, Becca!

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

My pleasure, Mia. Thanks for watching :0)

[@kristenslice561]

Stern = offboard back of the boat. Aft = onboard back of the boat. In other words, stern would be the outside, while, aft would be the inside.

[@bkjackson8092]

Love these first line sessions. I love to assess them and then see how my assessment stacks up against Reedsy's. Sometimes we match, sometimes we don't. That's part of the fun.

[@PolSaintLouis]

I enjoyed your honesty. I missed this live but fortunately I was able to tune in here. Thank you Becca and Reedsy.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Glad you caught the replay, Paul! Thanks for taking the time :0)

[@denisekaplan3669]

Thanks so much for this. Even though my line didn't appear, it was still super helful and interesting. Thanks!

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Thanks, Denise! I wish we could get to them all! Good luck with your project :0)

[@WHO-AM-I12]

I look forward to the day when darkness shall surrender to laughter of the heart without sunshine of the teeth. Am waiting!!!

[@jaysbooshcraft3889]

I love these videos, would suggest first paragraph and only 5 per vid, about 5mins each so 30-40min vid- maybe 5min timer and min for wrap up. just an idea. Bit long but will return to finish this for sure.

[@Dawnnbooks]

Thanks. I missed the call for June. But I always learn so much! Thanx. Ignore the complaining. GREAT WORK.

[@imia9334]

I love these and your FLF on Instagram. They are so helpful not only for the first line of my work in progress, but for every line of it. My writing is tighter and more clear and strangely more poetic after all the First Line critiques I’ve ‘absorbed’.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Oh gosh, this is my favorite kind of feedback! So glad you're finding FLF helpful. Thanks for making it part of your writing life :0)

[@JS-um4nv]

I’m watching this at 2x playback and it is hilarious yet informative

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Genuinely cannot imagine how I (a fast talker) sound at 2x. My guess? One frantic hour of first-line hijinks. Thanks for watching!

[@leebird1820]

Thank you for your time and expertise x

[@joshuafarrow9581]

Those are amazing videos

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Glad you enjoyed it, Joshua. Thanks for watching!

[@debdfw7720]

Good information. Interesting. It's hard to get it just right.

[@Fionasto]

Loved this!

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Appreciate it!

[@cynthiamaynard]

So helpful! Thanks!

[@StellarSTLR1]

There's no crying in baseball!

[@dcle944]

How do I find the discord channel?

[@ohroonoko]

I knew a Mexican girl named Xochitl in grade school. I thought it was a cool name. I don't think it's problematic whatsoever to have a character named Xander in a children's book. It can be a leaning moment.

[@joshuabjohnson88]

You know what they say, don't judge a book by its first line.... wait...

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

😅

[@Dawnnbooks]

25 lines! Is that a record?

[@pjwesley6689]

Hello, from Montana, USA

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Hello from Boston!

[@WHO-AM-I12]

Very interactive.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

One day, we'll be in VR headsets all over the world so everyone can snuggle Primrose Everkitten and enjoy the sunshine from my backyard :0)

[@maidmarian38]

Hello! I can't seem to log in to the discord group. Is there a problem?

[@mtcav]

If you’re having trouble still, try the link in the video description.

[@nikkismith2858]

Martin sounds like Clive Anderson! Who's line i s it anyway

[@b.t.3406]

Interesting opinions. I didn’t warm to the Richard Paris & Richard London sentence. Probably better to give your two main characters two very different names unless you plan to confuse readers.

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

Normally I'd agree, B.T., but I got the impression the author was going for satire of a kind. One of the drawbacks of looking at first lines in isolation! Thanks for watching :0)

[@bellerose2222]

A little brutal but helpful

[@firstlinefrenzy931]

The phrase most likely to go on my headstone. Thanks for watching!

[@aprilgrant4304]

Er not or but thank you❤

[@godstenrules]

missed it