Killer First Lines. Killer First Lines By Susan Sundwall Consider this: there's not a single person on this planet who cares whether or not you ever write another word.
I'll bet you pulled away from this newsletter and instantly formulated an answer back didn't you? That's because my first line is loaded, and it gets your attention by touching a nerve. Firstlines can do that. Dynamic versus static The root word for dynamic and dynamite are the same; dynamis, meaning power or strength. The first line imparts information that often touches us on a subliminal level. "Where's Papa going with that axe? " You may recognize this as the first line from E.B. . - Someone's child, Fern, is speaking. - Curiosity and a touch of fear are expressed in her question - There are at least three people present at the beginning of the story - The story begins in the third person - It's morning. Words in Good Order There are all kinds of mysteries in the world and why some firstlines are killers and others are not is one of them.
Mike Shultz's Writing Lesson #11-Writing Great Opening Lines in Fiction. Ten Great Openings (and Two to Grow On) or If You Can't Start Something Nice, Don't Start It At All Writers learn pretty quickly that you're supposed to start with a bang.
I sifted through about 400 short stories and found the opening lines that grabbed me the most. But first (and I know the suspense is killing you), let's talk a wee bit more about openings. First, I chose to look at opening lines only. Yep--just one sentence. . - It's clear-cut. . - It's a grammatically sensible place for a reader to decide to stop reading your story. - If you hear words in your head as you read, it's a reasonable place to stop reading from an auditory standpoint as well.
Second, let's remember the basics. Third, what's compelling to me may not be compelling to you. I've broken the openings into a dozen different types to give you ideas for how to construct openings yourself. 1) In the Midst of the Ordinary, the Not-So-Ordinary (or Downright Bizarre). 2) Okay, Now You Gotta Tell Me (AKA -- A Good Mystery) Jump-Start Your Imagination with Story Starter First Lines. Write as often as possible, not with the idea at once of getting into print, but as if you were learning an instrument.
–J B Priestley When you are a writer, you hear over and over again the important job of the first line: to draw your reader into your story. The first line is a “hook” to grab the reader. But another important aspect of the first line is when it grabs you as a writer. One way to fire up your imagination? Write the one that interests you most at the top of the page and then start writing. I can’t help it. So there you are, enough for a month. Random First Line Generator. Writers First line Generator - start your story with a compelling opening.
20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story. By Mark Nichol As Glinda the Good Witch says in The Wizard of Oz, “It’s always best to start at the beginning.”
That’s where editors and literary agents generally get going, so perhaps you should, too. Here are some strategies, accompanied by exemplars from literature, for making the first line of your novel or short story stand out so that the reader can’t help but go on to the second and the third and so on to see what else you have to say: 1. Absurd “‘Take my camel, dear,’ said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass.” — Rose Macaulay, The Towers of Trebizond Are you in the mood for amusement? 2. “The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children’s games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up.” — G. 3. “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” — William Gibson, Neuromancer 4. 5.
“Justice? 6. Ho-hum — huh? 7. Short Story Ideas - First Lines. First Lines The first line of a short story is very important, a good one can hook the reader and make them want to read on.
A weak first line and they might pass your story by. The 7 Types of Short Story Opening, and How to Decide Which is Right for Your Story.