The Library · Workshop 03
Tell Your Story
Six steps. About 35 minutes. Up to 8 stars. The constellation you're building is called First Page.
The Library · Workshop 03
Six steps. About 35 minutes. Up to 8 stars. The constellation you're building is called First Page.
There is a story only you can tell. This workshop is where it starts.
Not a fictional story made up about characters who don't exist. Yours. Something that actually happened, or almost happened, or you wish had happened. A moment. A place. A person. A version of you who learned something the hard way.
You'll pick a frame. You'll gather three specific details. You'll write the opening line. Then you'll write the page — at least 200 words. By the end of this workshop, you'll have a real piece of writing that didn't exist before.
Specifics beat generic. The actual kitchen at the actual 4 a.m. with the actual radio on low. That's what makes it yours. Don't tell me about being lonely. Take me into the room.
If the assignment makes sense to you — one frame, three details, an opening line, then the page — tap below.
The frame is the angle. Pick one. Trust your gut — the one you almost don't pick because it feels too close is usually the right one.
Specifics are the whole craft. Before you start writing, list three real details from this memory. Not vibes — details. The smell. The exact words someone said. The thing on the wall. The temperature. The smaller and more particular, the better.
The opening line is a doorway. It either pulls the reader in or it doesn't. Write something specific. Something that sets a foot down. Don't start with "It was a beautiful day" — nobody's first line is that, even if some books make you think they are.
Keep it under 100 characters. Aim for one short, particular sentence.
This is the work. At least 200 words. Use your frame, your details, your opening line. Don't try to be clever. Be specific. Tell us what was actually there. Use "I" if it's about you. Use names. Use exact words people said when you can remember them.
It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be real. We'll save it to your sky as soon as you cross 200 words.
You just wrote a page. Now imagine writing 200. What would all 200 be about? Don't worry about whether you'll do it — just name the book your gut would write, if it had the time.