In the comic strip Peanuts, Snoopy works often on his great American novel. It always starts out with the title words to this post. (*trivia note* A very famous book does start out in just that way. Can anyone name it? For a prize of course :). )
First lines are vital to a story. After all, the reader makes a decision to either stop or keep going. If an author snags the reader’s interest in that first line, they might just have them for the whole book.
There are many ways to start a book from dialogue to action. What’s best? Depends on the story and the type of tale you’re telling.
One recent line that drew me in, “This month my name is Mary and, apparently, I'm as contrary as the nursery rhyme.” It's from Broken by Megan Hart. It drew me in immediately to this woman’s world. I hadn’t read the back blurb so made it that much more thrilling to figure out what was going on in those initial sentences.
Another good one: From Raine Weaver’s “Incubus,” “It was the kiss of the night wind through the open window that first attracted her."
So, what’s the best first line you’ve read of a book? Can be recent or in the past. I’m curious to see what’s grabbing interest.
Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
http://www.mechelearmstrong.com/
http://www.melanylogen.com/
Mar 27, 2008
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8 comments:
Was it Paul Clifford? I read that in wikipedia, so it's not like I knew. I was just curious. I like the 'It was the best of times; it was the worst of times' opening of Tale of two cities. And 'It is truth Universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," from Pride and Prejudice.
Abstractrx
Six thirty on a Sunday morning, a pliceman at my door and me with no doughnuts.
From a friend's story I'm helping her polish...:)
Hmm I didn't know about Paul Clifford. I might have to look that up but it wasn't the book I was thinking of.
Ohhhh good lines. I think about Tale of Two Cities' opening a lot.
Trista, that is an excellent opening line!
Horace Walpole's Castle Of Otranto I think...
Chuck
DC, a friend of mine pointed out that more than one book have that as a first line *sigh*. I should have Googled apparently!
The book I was thinking of is a children's book. It's one of my favorites.
I wasn't going to chime in, but good lord, my darlings. Surely you recognize one of the most famous (for all the wrong reasons) opening lines in the English language?
Sheesh. There's a whole writing contest named after it -- and him.
I give you the original:
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
--Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford (1830)
Abstractrx, I am shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. In fact, I'm in wonderment at you.
Yes, next time I will Google. I should have realized more than one book would open that way...
And I'm going to have to read Paul Clifford. I do love that opening line.
I was thinking of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. It's a favorite and I think it started me on a paranormal track early in life.
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