Favorite First Lines
What are some of your favorite first lines in books? From your own work and also from others?
From another writer's work, I'd have to say Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie.
One hot August Thursday afternoon, Maddie Faraday reached under the frontIn my own work, I'd have to say from Awaken Me Darkly (and not just because it's my newest release!). It begins:
seatof her husband’s Cadillac and pulled out a pair of black lace underpants. They weren’t hers.
Midnight. The witching hour some say. Since it was 12:07 am and I was standing over a dead body, I had to agree.We hear how important hooking the reader is in the beginning of our books, so what hooks you? What reels you in?
gena showalter
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10 comments:
What timing! It just so happens I'm writing an article on opening lines - mind if I use yours?
Here's mine:
"Ruby drops of blood spattered the fair cheeks and wheat-colored braids of Chieftain Alrik Gunn’s new bride. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
And the most deceitful."
That's from my second as-yet-unpublished book, Out Of The Ashes.
I love first lines...and a lot of times I'll rewrite my own after the whole book is finished.
My favorite by another author is:
The day Kevin Tucker nearly killed her, Molly Somerville swore of unrequited love forever. - from "This Heart of Mine" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My favorite personal first line is:
"Holy crap!" Ivy Kendall stared at the innocent-looking pink memo slip and crossed herself. Not being Catholic, she wasn't sure what good it would do. Did God have issues with that kind of thing? - from "Moon Magnetism" in STAR QUALITY by Lori Foster, myself & Dianne Castell.
I like humor, especially in a dark moment. :)
Lucy that's a good one!
Kristen ~ use mine (please!) LOL.
Excellent lines, ladies!! See, now I want to read, read, read!!
I did, Gena! The article will be posted at Romance Divas next month and will also go into my RWA chapter's newsletter (Chesapeake Romance Writers).
Favorite line from another author:
"Dageus MacKeltar walked like a man and talked like a man, but in bed he was pure animal." Karen Marie Moning's DARK HIGHLANDER
And omg was that ever a first line hook! Whoa, baby!
And this one's from one of my current works in progress:
"Jillian Salvatora knew exactly how to dress to kill."
Love reading all these first lines! :)
Great first lines, ladies! I have to agree that I think first lines are important (and can be very intruiging). The first line from Shamara (the third book in my Shielder series) is: "She needed to lose her virginity--and fast!"
Here's mine from CARPE DEMON: My name is Kate Connor, and I used to be a demon hunter. (Pretty straight forward, eh?)
My 2nd personal favorite from my own stuff is from Aphrodite's Kiss: Zoe Smith stared at the chocolate bar, wondering if it was going to attack.
I love fun first lines, but I never seem to be able to lay hands on the books when I want them!!!
Oh, I LOVE reading about people's favorite first lines. I wrote a blog entry about this a few months ago:
http://scrapseasons.blogspot.com/2005/03/top-five-first-lines.html
I'm having fun reading your favorite first lines.
Alyssa
Ooh! I love first lines too!! And the first paragraphs of books.
Here is the opening to one of my favorite books of all time, THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, by Zora Neale Hurston:
Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.
Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.
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