First and Last Lines

The first and last sentences are considered by many to be the most important lines of a book. There’s even a commonly utilized blog topic where authors and readers post first and last lines of their favorite books, as well as tumblr posts dedicated to first lines and even one for all the Harry Potter books.

I thought it might be fun to take a look at the first and last lines from my Loose Id titles. I was surprised at how well the two sentences from each summed up the themes and character arcs of these stories, something I hadn’t consciously worked to do when writing them.

I was not surprised, however, to see how short the lines were. My editor says I have a very staccato style. My natural flow seems to be to write a longer sentence bracketed by shorter, punchier ones.

Here are the first and last lines of my LI books:

MORE
I hadn't seen any sign of my stalkers.
“I'll love you both until I take my last breath.”

BREATHE
Hope you found some peace in jail.
To save each other.

TAKE ME HOME
“Have you guys done it yet?”
So long as he was with Evan, he was home.

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
“You’re mine now.”
“We’ll see.”

What are the first and last lines from one of your favorite books?




Award-winning author Sloan Parker writes passionate, dramatic stories about two men (or more) falling in love. Sloan enjoys writing in the fictional world because in fiction you can be anything, do anything—even fall in love for the first time over and over again. She lives in Ohio with her partner and their neurotic cats where her greatest moments in life are spent with her family, her friends, and her characters. You can learn more about Sloan and her writing at www.sloanparker.com.