Review of Starts: Anonymous Lawyer; Lord Likely

[This is part of my series of reviews of blog fiction beginnings. Click here to read more about the importance of the beginning of story or about the criteria I use. This review is not a review of the entire blog fiction story or site, just the first post or two.]

For my first review, I would like to take a look at the beginning of The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely. The first post, titled An Amusing Incident, does not spend it's time explaining why he's taking up blogging, instead, it gets right to it. Here's the first paragraph:

Being a hard-working member of the aristocracy is tiresome fare indeed. When not deciding which hat to wear, or attending private functions, or stabbing a beggar, there's countless other tasks which all vie for my finite attention.

The post continues for another 10 paragraphs, but I think the first should already have you hooked as a reader. First to jump out at you should be the ironic statement of Lord Likely being "a hard-working member of the aristocracy". This sets the tone of Lord Likely's other "observations" in life as well as his condescending attitude. The next sentence sets the tone for Lord Likely's irreverence. The idea that "stabbing a beggar" is as common as "deciding which hat to wear" also reveals Likely's callousness. Overall this is a great beginning to a great Blog Fiction.

Now let's look at the first and second posts of Anonymous Lawyer. The first short post was like so many real blogs. A test message combined with why it's starting.

Just testing. I spend enough time reading what other people are writing that I may as well start my own page.

Kind of a gruff unfriendly start. Just like the character. The second post tells a story that ends with the character saying:

This is power. Making law students vomit. This is why I like being a lawyer.

The story definitely reveals something of the character writing the blog. It also sets the tone of "Anonymous Lawyer" constantly trying to make himself feel better by making others miserable. Another appropriate start to a great Blog Fiction.

If you're looking for good online fiction, check out both of these blogs. As you can see, you'll enjoy both of these right from the beginning. Let me know in the comments your own review of these two fictional blogs.

Beginning a Blog Fiction

Call me Ishmael
It was the best of times, It was the worst of times.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...

What do all three of these phrases have in common? They are the first line to timeless story telling. In one line the tone of a story or character is placed in the mind of the reader: The Character is a cast-away, It's a time of contradictions, An epic fairy tale. The first line of a story can also draw in the reader by making them ask questions that they want to know the answer too. "Why is telling me to call him Ishmael? Is that his real name? Is it a biblical reference? How can it be the best and worst of times?"

Blog Fiction is no different than any other fiction in that it needs to draw the reader into the story. Much of the blog fiction that I've found starts off with a justification of why the character is starting to blog or a diary. The first post follows the formula, "I'm starting this because of [x]". Some other's go for authenticity by making the first post something along the line: "I hope this shows up when I hit publish!" As if the character is testing the blog software. Some may not have a real beginning and just start writing.

I don't know which way is best. Actually, I don't think there is a 'best' way. As long as it's interesting I think a writer can start a Blog Fiction however (s)he wants.

A regularly occurring series here will be me reviewing the first (and second and third, when appropriate) post of the blog fictions that I've found. I'll be basing it on 3 criteria: Does the tone it set in sync with the character or story? Does it draw in the reader? Is it Original or Clever?

I will review more than a couple per post as warranted. If I give a bad review I will do my best to contact the Author and see if they would like to either comment or rebut. If there is a rebut, I'll post it on the front and include a comment in the original review that contains a link to the rebuttal.

There'll be no particular order in which blog fiction I review first other than I'll give some sort of preference to blog fiction that is currently active.

Look for the first reviews in the next day or two.

Blog Fiction That Never Had a Chance

Here's a pet peave of mine. People who go to the trouble of setting up a website, promoting it and then quite 3 days or 3 posts later. A very old list of blog fiction exists on this old blogger site. It hasn't been updated in years. I'd say more than half of the blogs listed their no longer exist, and I think I know why.

Of the fictional blogs that are still there I ran into 4 of them that have about less than 5 posts. These things didn't even have a chance. That means that these writers had a great idea. They thought it was so great that they started and promoted their site by getting it listed somewhere. All of that to only abandon it days later.

Check out Bite of Hope. Great idea for a fictional blog. 4 posts later it ends with a trip to the museum.

Then there's RavenStone. This was going to be a historical blog following a young English boy starting in the year 1968. Well, apparently, the author was as fickle as a 12 year old boy. 2 posts and 3 years later no reports on the status of the boy. I guess he lost his journal.

I learned on thing from the fictional blog, Mexican Year. Apparently, a mexican year only lasts 3 days. Because that's how long this hard working writer kept at it. This was an especially painful find for me because the author is a really good writer.

Finally, we come to And a Chimp Shall Lead Us. While this one lasted for 27 posts. However, all 27 of those posts were in less than a month. Also, about half of the posts read like this:

I had a cheeseburger for lunch, with onion rings. It's my favorite lunch.

So don't give the guy too much credit.

So while my last post was meant to encourage current blog fiction writers to keep at it, this post is meant to discourage. Discourage those from starting a blog fiction that will be abandoned days later.

Here's a test of your dedication. If you're going to write a fictional blog write the first 5 posts before getting a website. If after writing the first 5 you still have an itch to keep writing. Then please do so!(And let me know your web address) Otherwise, consider writing flash fiction.