Wriging Thread: Opening Lines

Opening Lines

mrvilhauer — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:11:09

"I told you last night that I might be gone sometime, and you said, Where, and I said, To be with the Good Lord, and you said, Why, and I said, Because I’m old, and you said, I don’t think you’re old."

Marilynne Robinson, Gilead

Opening Lines

andrew784 — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:46:08

Pierre, nice blog. Enjoyed the Mr.T video. From my experience to come up with great opening lines, hooks or even post titles, you have to build your creativity. This also allows you to create random phrases, even new words, or names that can be very entertaining to others.

Of course there is the quick dirty way of "borrowing" other people's hooks, lines or titles, and hey that works, and there is nothing wrong with it. Problem with that is while you might have an exciting title or opener, the rest of the article might still not be very exciting.

Now there is a very simple process I went through that I noticed made my life more exciting and even my writing a lot more captivating. I myself never was the "creative" type by default, yet as I started doing learning more about arts I noticed my creativity increasing. By arts I specifically mean things like acting and improv comedy. Coming from a very technical analytical background, I noticed once I started learning improv comedy and doing stage work that this whole other side of my brain was opened. Now I can talk and even write about anything for hours. I would also recommend you check out my blog because it centers around getting out of one's comfort zone and trying new things which all enable you to add a little spice to your life which will certainly be reflected back in your writing.

Opening Lines

greenghost — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:01:05

For every great first line that draws you in, there are many more that turn you off. A few years ago in Canada everyone was reading a book called No Great Mischief. It is now considered a classic of Canadian literature. The first para had a sentence something like, 'the fields were so beautiful they looked like something from a poem by Yeats...'

What? The fields looked liked a poem written by someone else? You can't do better than that? I put the book down right there, and still haven't picked it up again.

Opening Lines

auburn — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 00:41:35

Folks are correct when they point out the opening line (or two) has a clear goal of 'drawing the reader in'. Within the first few lines of a book or blog, I decide if I want to finish reading it!

Opening Lines

johnbakeronline — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 13:03:47

"My grandfather was a publican - and a sinner, as you will see."

Opening Lines

ckinniburgh — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:15:58

@shadowsun7: The first one is a very good quote indeed. I actually love that quote. Huh, I almost want to change mine, but I have a principle about putting Jane Austen above Bret Easton Ellis.

Opening Lines

shadowsun7 — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:49:27

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

How I love that opening line. Can anyone guess which (extremely famous) book it comes from?

Or how about this:

Call me Ishmael.

Or this:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Ooh! Lovely topic, this.

Opening Lines

dook — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:28:09

The opening lines to my book are "By some mechanical failure, and a lot of exposure to miserable failures, I think I've reached some new form of self actualization".

Though, that's subject to change.

Opening Lines

ckinniburgh — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:23:01

This is something that I have always been interested in. I have a personal favorite opening line which may fall short in comparison to the 'literary greats' most people have quoted so far, however I feel very strongly about the fact that it was the most interesting opening sentence I had read at the time and after reading the book I am more than satisfied with it.

"People are afraid to merge on freeways in Los Angeles." from Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis.

Opening Lines

Pierre — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:40:56

Kweenkong: I thought it was "transformed into a gigantic insect?"

Or maybe my teacher was mistaken.

Opening Lines

kweenkong — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:41:52

PS Few first sentences beat Kafka's in Metamorphosis: "When Gregor Samsa awoke from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into a vermin."

Opening Lines

kweenkong — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:33:59

Yep, opening lines must clench the reader's attention. If a book (or blog entry or whatever) doesn't snap me to attention right away, I don't make it to the second graph.

Opening Lines

bloglily — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 10:40:04

My dear Cooper, I'm looking forward to reading many more such sentences! xo

Opening Lines

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 09:41:19

bloglily:

I must admit I had nothing to write and just wanted to post a redux for my regular readers.

I paid specific attention to the first sentence because of this discussion. I thank you good bloglily.

Opening Lines

Pierre — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 09:05:41

The first line of the new book I just started, Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn doesn't exactly tell as much about the plot as it characterizes the main character:

"My sweater was new, stinging red and ugly"

Opening Lines

Cas — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 04:28:28

The best opening line for me has always been from Ian Bank's Crow Road:
Today my Grandmother exploded...

It's an immediate hook and catches most everyone who reads it - my biggest 'success' and now a rabid Banks convert is an old literature professor of mine.

When it comes to my own writing for the blog, I always try and start with a little story. I write commentary, so I find it helps to give it that personal slant to get people interested. If you can make the reader feel they have a relationship with you, the author, they are more likely to keep reading.

For my non-blog writing, I prefer openings more in the mould of the one or two sentence hook. Maybe not exactly exploding relatives, but in that vein of things that arrest the attention and make the reader intrigued.

Opening Lines

bloglily — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:58:09

Hey Cooper! I looked at your blog earlier today and I really enjoyed myself -- I wouldn't agree that you're not a writer. How about this for a great opening line: "I can’t tell you what to get me for Valentine’s Day, but I can tell you what not to get me."

(And I hope I didn't sound like a terrible snob about those opening lines. We all do stuff like that.)

My larger point is that all bloggers are writers. And if you're going to write, it's much more fun and rewarding if you decide you're going to work at writing well -- which is where those hooks come in, along with lots of other writing skills. A hook is many things. At its worst, it's a cynical lure. But when it's well done, a hook's a great invitation (come in and something good will happen) and a welcome mat (you're in good hands in this place).

Opening Lines

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:42:05

bloglilly:

"not much going on" and "well, thought I'd write today..." and "it's been a while, but..."

I do this all the time and now I feel simply simply horrible.";)

I'm not a writer just a blogger, so I don't look at first lines the way you seem to. I never looked at a blog as something where I have to lure people in with a good line or two. I think because long ago, and until I started reading this site, I hadn't bothered to read any new blogs at least not regularly and never really worried about my traffic, it didn't matter. I had a certain amount of traffic some regular and some search based so I just did what I had always done.

I think I will have to start considering those first lines now though.

Opening Lines

Alday — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:04:31

The opening line of Stephen King's Gunslinger is my favorite: "The dark man fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

It sets up everything in the book, who is the dark man? who is the gunslinger and why is he chasing this guy? why are they in a desert? It hooks you in and in my opinion it's perfectly executed.

Opening Lines

bloglily — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 00:48:29

Pierre -- When that's how a letter or email opens, you just skip over that and move on to the good stuff -- but that's because you know it's coming from a friend, and is likely to contain things that interest you.

When you're blogging for a wider audience, you have to do something a little more enticing than that to get someone to come on in!

Opening Lines

Pierre — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:57:48

Bloglily: The worst opening for a blog post would have to be, "I'm really sorry for not writing lately..."

Opening Lines

bloglily — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:44:07

"They're out there." I like that Cooper. (And a box of virtual chocolates to you for the Orwell.)

And I agree with Lorri, sometimes it's not so much the first line as it is the first few lines that get you. In the blogging medium though -- where every word counts and people don't have as much patience -- the first line of a post can really make or break my decision to keep reading.

Some of my LEAST favorite blog openers are things like this: "not much going on" and "well, thought I'd write today..." and "it's been a while, but..."

Opening Lines

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:47:56

There really are some great first lines, Orwell's above is a classic.
Kafka has some sweet first lines and the first couple lines of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" always stayed with me for some reason.

"They're out there. Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them."

Opening Lines

LorriM — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:41:20

Yes, they are "hooks", like bloglily said. But, often I find the second or third sentence grabs me more.

Opening Lines

bloglily — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:34:55

Those great opening lines are called "hooks" -- you read them and you're caught.

My favorite hook is this one: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Anybody want to guess what book that's from?

Opening Lines

StevenCampbell — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:21:43

Opening lines are certainly very important, but my favorite sentence in a book is always the sentence that comes after the opening line. It expands on the first sentence and adds another dimension to the book.

Well, it does in some cases.

Opening Lines

AdrianL — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:16:33

It was the best of lines, it was the worst of lines.

The opening line of A Tale of Two Cities is one of the most brilliant in English literature, in my opinion.

Another favourite of mine is "In a hole in a ground there lived a hobbit."

Openings are important. Many authors seem to forget this.

Opening Lines

Pierre — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:38:49

Hah, I guess I should practice what I'm preaching. This is a note though, not a book. :)

Opening Lines

Gnorb — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:37:43

You know, when I read your first line, I read it as:

"Hello, my name is Pierre, and enough with the introductions."

Don't know why, but that made me laugh pretty hard, considering the topic at hand.

As for awesome opening lines, you're not the only one: in most books, the best single page (as in "not taken in context") is usually the first one, for the same reason you state.

Finally, remember this in all your writing: brevity is best. Every word should tell.

Opening Lines

Pierre — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:19:55

Hello, my name is Pierre, enough with the introductions.

I think a lot of time I am most influenced and amazed by effective/entertaining opening blogs. This idea can be applied to writing fiction, blogging, non-fiction, or a combination of all three. For example, someone in my creative writing class today started their character monologue by saying, "What if the world were to blow up today; what would I do?"

I don't know about you guys, but awesome opening lines are what make me want to read a book, story, poem, anything immediately. It's this type of good writing, even in blogs, that makes me lovev being in the community.

Matter of fact, I wrote a blog post with a slightly modified version of the my classmate's great opening line. I started the blog post by saying, "If the world were to end today, and I was the only person who knew, this is what I would do." Simple, but effective.