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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
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you like?
"She sings, "Here come I, the death watch beetle. Chewing away at the great cathedral." " Lamp In The Cooling Room (http://hdworldcup.onnedhiel.net/teamewe/lamp_in_the_cooling_room.html), Draco/Harry slash. I had this opening line stuck in my head like a song.
"The summer she was fifteen, Melanie discovered she was made of flesh and blood. O, my America, my new found land." The Magic Toyshop, Angela Carter. I'm not even saying this book was that good (I like her short stories far better) but these first few line are excellent.
What are some first lines to novels/stories/fanfic that you remember off the top of your head?
"I was the shadow of the waxwing slain/By the false azure in the windowpane" Pale Fire, Nabokov.
"I just want to touch you a little." Lethal, Joyce Carol Oats.
What's your favorite first line you've written?
"Fucking Weevil is a lot like fucking Logan." my inner poet loves a good BAM first line.
"Spike woke up feeling light." I love that little emphasis.
"Seeing her, perched on the cliff face above him like cathedral gargoyle, with that playful little smile, Spike could just rip out her fucking throat." Probably one of my better setting the stage first lines.
What's the first line you've spent the most time on?
"The reason she pauses:/that scent." Moths and rainwater. I spent hours agonizing over the entire thing, but this first line took me forever.
What's your least favorite first line you've written?
"Hers are everywhere." Desire Lines. I've written some mediocre lines in my time, but this one still bothers me. It didn't do what I wanted it to do, and I am still convinced I used 'hers' incorrectly.