Opening Lines - Tumblr Posts
An aye-write Guide to Opening Lines!
Let’s face it. Opening lines are tough. Along with your last line, the opening line will probably be the toughest part of your book to write. A good opening line should be intriguing, inviting, or captivating - enough to hook your reader and reel them in for the rest of the story.
So what should an opening line do exactly? Here are five main guidelines:
Spark the curiosity of a reader
Create an emotional connection
Provide entertainment (especially humour)
Shock the reader
Set something in motion
Some opening lines might only do one of these. Some might do more than one. There are some that may not do any of these at all. Ultimately, you do what works for your story - but these are good to keep in mind.
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So How Do we Do This?
There is no definitive way to write a good opening line. Good opening lines, like stories and writing styles themselves, are very subjective. Every writing “rule” can be broken if you can use it effectively. But here are some of my guidelines - and examples - to get you started:
Mystify Your Readers
Make your first sentence shocking, intriguing, open-ended or foreshadowing something as-of-yet unknown. Your reader should be full of questions about what they’ve just read.
Example: “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.”
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Establish a sense of setting/tone/character
This is a very broad one and can fall in under the umbrella term of “description”. If your novel has a strong sense of place, atmosphere or character, beginning with your unique “selling point” is an excellent way to involve readers in what you’re all about.
Remember to be genuine, though. Start as you mean to go on. For example, there is (usually) little sense in beginning with a dark and sombre tone if the rest of your book is light-hearted.
Examples:
“The sky was the colour of cat vomit” (Setting)
“All children, except one, grow up.” (Character)
“The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel.” (Tone)
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Begin with action/conflict
Action doesn’t need to be fast or blisteringly exciting. It doesn’t have to be sword fights and explosions. Action is simply a character doing something, anything, in an active and engaging way.
Similarly, with conflict, you can start a book with the exact moment a character figures out they are in trouble to create a sense of urgency, or you can highlight conflict between two characters, for example, through dialogue.
Examples:
“Hala is running for class when her cell phone rings. She slows to take it from her pocket, glances at the screen: UNKNOWN CALLER.”
“They left Abal in a hurry, after Ozam’s mother killed the constable.”
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My Handy Hints for Opening Lines!
Don’t deceive with an opening line – a false premise is disappointing.
Keep it purposeful and relevant!
Be bold! Resist the temptation to be “fluffy” – get to the point!
Starting with dialogue can be confusing to some readers if there are no context clues who is speaking or to whom.
Unusual/unexpected ideas or descriptions are a good starting point, especially if you can catch a reader off guard.
I only have eight to share D:
The rest of my wips are mostly in bullet point format, so there's not really a first line(s) to them. Please accept my humble offering.
His steps were heavy, crashing through the underbrush with no regard for stealth. Escape was the only thing on his mind; if he could get far enough from the huntress, he could focus on removing the silver bullet in his leg, then he could shift and flee.
(The Huntress)
The smell of tobacco reminds me of home: of Grandfather chewing on his pipe and rocking on his creaky old chair, of Auntie Huan scolding him for smoking around us orphans, of sitting on the straw-covered floor around the rocking chair until my legs went numb while Grandfather told us about the world long past.
(Stories Grandfather Used To Tell)
If you're reading this, then you already know that I am dead, and that I did not go quietly.
(Silver and Steel)
Roger watched her as he used to watch her years ago. How long had it been? Many years, at least. He thought they would never meet again... And yet, there she was, sitting at a cafe across the street, her belly so rounded that she had to sit sideways to be able to reach her tea.
(Reunion At Last)
"Rachel. Psst! Rachel!"
I wake to the sound of Molly whisper-shouting my name. Reluctantly I roll over, and nearly crash to the floor. Even after four months, I'm not used to how narrow my new bed actually is.
(Belltower)
When Mercy was four years old, she burned her hand when she tried to grab a loaf of bread Mama made while it was still hot from the oven. Her fingers stung with heat, her skin red, and she cried, as children often do when injured. Mama scolded her for grabbing the hot bread, then gently blew on Mercy's fingers to cool them. Her hand hurt for many hours afterwards, but the pain was gone by bedtime.
(Burn the Witch)
She stared into the bubbling vat of bluish-gray liquid, its noxious, sulphurous fumes stinging her eyes. For the millionth time, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Though she was extremely proficient in magic of all sorts, from combat to theatrical to healing, this was SO far beyond the realm of what her textbooks taught.
(Necromancer, placeholder title)
The world is really quiet now. It used to be so noisy, what with the cars and people and airplanes and such. Then it was less noisy, but there were the Biters, who never stopped making all kinds of little noises. Groaning, gurgling, chomping. Bumping into things, tripping over shit. Occassionally they banded into hordes so big that the very ground rumbled from hundreds of shambling feet in search of their dwindling food supply.
(The Author Dies at the End)
Tags: @voidcreativity @yourlocaldragondealer
10 First Lines
Saw this challenge going around and thought I’d try it! Most lines are from WIPs since that’s all I got. Reblog with your own! No pressure tags: @stesierra @queen-of-the-weenies @lordfenric-writes @octoberconstellation
BANG. BANG. BANG. Someone was pounding on the door of her tiny apartment. (God-Touched, Book 1, still untitled)
Nobody is going to believe this story, and that's the only reason I feel safe enough to tell it.
(The Lightbringer Chronicles)
“Alice!!!” My brother’s scream pierced the early-morning quiet.
(Untitled WIP)
I floated through the abandoned underwater base. The hissing of my respirator was the only sound, the faint glow of my headlamp the only light.
(Untitled WIP)
I could start this story in a lot of places.
(The Changeling Trilogy, Book 1, Changeling Rogue)
Never sail out to the Old Fortress. That’s the number one rule whenever I go stay with my Aunt Robin in England. I’ve always been able to resist the temptation before.
(The Banshee, Short Story)
The cemetery was filled with music tonight.
(Untitled WIP)
The young tavern hostler yelped, jumping back. She’d heard stories of predator birds big enough to ride on, but having one land right in front of her stables was another thing entirely.
(Tales Of Kaurian, Book 1, Storm Crosser)
Kharim would have killed the Princess and gotten his money by now, if it hadn’t been for the cats.
(Untitled WIP)
The sleek golden car wove through the perpetual parking lot that was Manhattan traffic, music blaring from the open windows. In defiance of the ongoing pandemic, neither the older male driver nor the girl in the shotgun seat were masked. Although in their defense, neither of them were affected by human illnesses.
(Untitled WIP)
taylor swift albums + opening lines