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I want to talk about opening lines!
Whenever I think of first lines I think of Melanie in the Gone With The Wind movie. At one point she starts reading David Copperfield, and it goes something like this: "To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I am born."
That's actually the second line. The actual first line of David Copperfield is this: "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."
I bring this up because one of my actual favorite first lines is: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probablywant to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." Which is from Catcher In The Rye. I quite like Catcher, but it is not my favorite book. But I do love this line, and remember very distinctly picking up the book in the bookstore and reading this line. This was my reaction:
1. I did not know you were allowed to start a book in that way!
2. He said crap!
3. Geez I really want to read this now.
4. Geez, I also really want to read David Copperfield.
. . . I was a conflicted child.
Anyway, here are some questions I thought up, because I'm interested in first lines, and want to know what first lines people think of when they think of first lines, and what first lines people like!
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you like?
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you remember off the top of your head?
What's your favorite first line you've written?
What's the first line you've spent the most time on?
What's your least favorite first line you've written?
Also, here is a first lines of English "classics" quiz!
There are more similar quizzes for other genres here. Which ones did you pick? How did you do?
Here's text to put in comments so you can answer more quickly:
That's actually the second line. The actual first line of David Copperfield is this: "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."
I bring this up because one of my actual favorite first lines is: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probablywant to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." Which is from Catcher In The Rye. I quite like Catcher, but it is not my favorite book. But I do love this line, and remember very distinctly picking up the book in the bookstore and reading this line. This was my reaction:
1. I did not know you were allowed to start a book in that way!
2. He said crap!
3. Geez I really want to read this now.
4. Geez, I also really want to read David Copperfield.
. . . I was a conflicted child.
Anyway, here are some questions I thought up, because I'm interested in first lines, and want to know what first lines people think of when they think of first lines, and what first lines people like!
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you like?
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you remember off the top of your head?
What's your favorite first line you've written?
What's the first line you've spent the most time on?
What's your least favorite first line you've written?
Also, here is a first lines of English "classics" quiz!
There are more similar quizzes for other genres here. Which ones did you pick? How did you do?
Here's text to put in comments so you can answer more quickly:
no subject
I'm going to try and stick to the point from now on!
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you like? Oo! There's a book called "Le bonheur des ogres" (the happiness of ogres) which starts with a description of a Santa's grotto in a shop and ends something like "ah yes, the screams of children as they are forced onto a stranger's knee, the essence of Christmas". The book is very dark and very funny, and I love the way the writer plays with expectations. And of course "The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink.", because it is everything that Urban fantasy is in one sentence.
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you remember off the top of your head? It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
I know, I know, me and everyone else!
What's your favorite first line you've written? I've written a lot of drabbles where the first line has to work so hard. I tend to just go into the action straight away. But the fic I wrote for Havemercy that starts with "The city is ringing with the sounds of victory, shouts and bells and the occasional groan from someone who has overindulged in the celebratory wine." is my favourite, just cos its one of the few longer things I've written where I actually put a lot of thought into it!
What's the first line you've spent the most time on? Something that isn't fic actually, and because its a story cobbled together from plot bunnies I've been thinking about since I was about 13, it's the oldest by years! And I still don't really like it...
What's your least favorite first line you've written? "When he had been a little boy Draco Malfoy had run away every time he was brought to Diagon Alley." It's from something that isn't finished and I keep editing away at, but I haven't got round to the beginning yet. Its just a bit dull and the grammar is a bit clunky.
So cutting all the tangents out of this took about half the time again. You're right, it is difficult!