Every Sunday, the Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday participants share 8-10-sentence snippets from their works-in-progress on their blogs for others to read and comment on. Join the fun! Click on the links to see the full lists.
Today I’m sharing the opening of the Middle Grades novel I outlined at the writers’ retreat I went on the other weekend. Titled Amanda in Chief, it’s about a girl starting the year at her sixth school in six years. Her strategy for making friends will be running for class president.
As the story opens, Amanda Fanta’s older brother, Jake, drives her to Anderson Elementary, where she will spend sixth grade. Amanda says:
“I don’t know how you can be so happy. It’s your senior year, and you’re starting over again.”
Jake glanced over from the driver’s seat. “Actually, I’m looking forward to it. It’s kind of fun. Nobody knows you, so you can be whoever you want to be. You can put on a new persona. Who do you want to be this year?”
“Someone popular. It sucks to be invisible and have no friends.”
I know it’s short (10-sentence limit), but what do you think of this snippet? Any suggestions on how I can make it better? Please comment below.
ARHtistic License 
That definitely would be hard to start a new school every year, but her brother seems to have his strategy figured out. 🙂
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Nice snippet, certainly true to life and good advice.
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Wonderful intro to the characters, Andrea! LOVE their attitudes.
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Jake makes a good point, actually!
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Great snippet. I’ve never been popular, so I wouldn’t know.
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I like the direction the story is going. The struggle between the need to be accepted and to be yourself. Nice snippet.
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Interesting premise. We all experience the need to be accepted at one time or another. Until we finally get the message and realize we can’t please all the people all of the time. We need to show the world who we are, warts and all, not try to shape ourselves into someone else’s idea of what’s currently cool.
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It does suck. Great snippet, Andrea. 🙂
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Great snippet. Starting over in a new school is never easy, and a new school every year? Yikes!
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Aw, I feel sorry for her, it’s always hard to start at a new school – and feeling like a stranger with no friends. I hope she can find some self confidence and realise her own worth.
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I think kids thrown into new schools either shrink or shine. Seems like we have both kinds in this snippet. I’d be the one in the back, reading a book.
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Being whatever you want to be. That’s a nice idea.
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They can indeed be anyone they want to be. My daughter changed her nickname when we moved and she entered a new school. Took me a couple of years before I caught up. LOL
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LOL! My sons were the ones in our family who gave themselves new names. My husband never caught on. Kids would call the house asking for Diesel (Andy) or Eugene (Matt) and Greg would say, “You have the wrong number.”
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I”m with Jake. At his age, I dreamed of being able to start over somewhere where no one knew me.
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Jake has it right. Love how true to life the snippet is.
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Ah, if only being popular was as easy as she seems to think. I suspect she’ll learn a few lessons.
Sorry for being tardy to comment. Blame *#@!@ LAX for getting me home a day late.
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I hate being stuck away from home.
Amanda’s been invisible at school. That’s why this year she wants to be popular. She knows it’s going to take effort, so she’s aiming high–class president.
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