Into the Fire

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Passionate: right or wrong. Writes love stories with a passion. Raw Romantic Redemptive

First lines . . .

 

                            
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We all know them when we see them. Those great first lines in a novel or a film make us think we're in for a grand adventure. Whether melancholy, humorous, exciting, or clever, a perfect first line can be enticing.

But I don't base my liking of a story on that great first line. Because if that's all you've got, you don't have much. And that goes for a good first chapter too. You've got to carry it. When you start out explosively, you can't drop your reader off in the second chapter and return to brilliant in the fifth or tenth. And it's hard to sustain near perfection for the length of a story.

So how do you feel about first lines in novels? What's your objective when you begin your story?

 

Lord, you personified a great first line with In the beginning God created . . . Thank you for all the "beginnings". In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

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3 responses to “First lines . . .”

  1. BK Jackson (@BKJacksonAZ) Avatar
    BK Jackson (@BKJacksonAZ)

    The main purpose of first lines is to give future writers something to talk about. 😎
    First lines & first chapters are important and I certainly want to grab the reader from the start, but in my experience, it has been difficult to cram as much into a first chapter as writing teachers are always urging you to do. They want the dead body in chapter one, etc. Sometimes a story needs more development than that.
    On the other hand, it’s inescapable, like Spock’s logic, that if you bore the reader in the opening, chances are most aren’t going to give the second chapter a shot.
    But I only examine first lines as a writer. As a reader, I just want to read the opening chapter, see if they hooked me with interesting characters and situation and move on.
    But unlike many, I don’t quit after one chapter. Since I’m picky about the fiction I pick up anyway, when I start a book, I finish it. Even if it kills me.

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  2. Brenda Anderson Avatar
    Brenda Anderson

    I’m like Brenda K. If I start a book, I generally finish it.
    As for first lines, first paragraphs, etc., I certainly don’t base whether I’ll continue reading on those firsts, although I guess people do. To me, that just seems foolish. The story needs time to develop. I need to get to know the characters. And I certainly can’t judge the author’s prose based on a single line.
    Now if, after the first chapter, I’m yawning or rolling my eyes, then I’ll be more critical (but I likely wouldn’t put it down unless it’s really bad).

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  3. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    I concur with both Brendas. And guilty of finishing most novels I start. You can count on one hand how many I’ve ditched after reading a few chapters. However, I’m getting pickier. Too many I want to read. Too little time. It’s getting easier to say no to those I “might” want to read.
    And first lines, if spectacular, better give me a good book to follow up the beginning. Otherwise, it’s a flash in the pan and disappointing. I give most authors a lot of leeway to develop a story because for genres other than thrillers I think that’s the way a story should be written.

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