First Line Meme

Sometimes ideas converge in a way that amazes me.  I'm planning on being a rebel this year for National Novel Writing Month.  Not doing a novel; hoping to get 50K of short stories. 

Our homework for November in the Library Writing Group I attend is to make a list of all our unfinished writing projects. 

This reminded me of the first line meme I'd seen on some author blogs.  Quoting Elizabeth Bear: "For those who haven't encountered this before, the idea is that somehow magically listing all projects under construction will alert the brain to finish a few of them.  Sometimes, it even works."

I've already done my homework, guys!  (This makes two months in a row.  I think that's unprecedented.)  Some of the short stories on this list were written more than a decade ago.  They were the best I could do then.  Because of my plans for NaNoWriMo, I figured I'd list them and maybe the characters will reemerge during November with bright, shiny new stories.

Novels

“Are they dead?”  I swirled the flask, hoping to see some cloudiness in the pale media.
On a Rising Tide

Rahila strode comfortably along the animal track winding through waist-high turkey grass, her soft deerskin wrap pale against her bronze skin, thick brown sun-bleached braids swaying on either side of her bearskin pack. 
Shadows Dancing With the Wind

The passageway that led down to the dragon’s lair erupted with smoke and an acrid smell.
Affairs of Dragons

Short Stories

Orchid sat cross-legged on the oak storage chest under her open window trimming her nails.
“The Weavings of Orchid”

Amanda found the black carnival mask propped between boxed incense and a vase of peacock feathers in a tiny shop on Montegut Street twenty-five years ago.
“Masks”

The indigo flashes darting to sudden stops, hovering, then zooming off toward the vegetation reminded Martin of hummingbirds back home.
"Mr Exobiologist" (working title; probably won't last long)

“Hey, what’cha drinking?  Latte?  Espresso?”  Brewster shouted across the parking lot.
“Otter and Brewster”

Uncle Biggie brought home a camel.
“Uncle Biggie and the Camel”

According to the NIMBY orthodoxy, the townspeople should have loudly and repeatedly objected to the county placing a landfill here.  We didn’t.
“The Trout”

I woke up when Mom came in from the bar.
“Pirates”

The naked philologist felt he would come unhinged because of the outlandish itch.
“Nigel and Lady Ashton”

I collect hats.  They hang on a wall in my living room with scarves, bead necklaces, and silk flowers as filler.
“Dreams of the Past”

Most dragons preferred gold.  This one wanted electronics.
“The Electronic Dragon”