don't you love the perfect first lines in a story? me too.
I'm reading the "Near Witch" by Victoria Schwab and I just love her first line, I've read it out loud, to no one, a million times. I just love it.
"It starts with a crack, a sputter, and a spark."
here's a couple more of my favorites,
"Saving the human race is a frantic business. Or a tedious one.
It all depends on what stage of the process you're taking part in."
"Pathfinder" by Orson Scott Card
does it get anymore epic than saving the human race?
I think not.
and here's a last one,
"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.
It did not end well."
"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor
the woman tells you the whole story in the 1st two lines,
but it only entices you to read the whole book, brilliant!
There are more, many more but these are just from the books sitting by my computer.
tell me, which are your favorites?
Just goes to show how important first lines are! These are great choices.
ReplyDeleteThese are great first lines. I will have to research to find my favorites. I am horrible with first lines. I really like the second one.
ReplyDeleteThose are great first lines. My favourite is still the first line from Book one of HP.
ReplyDeletethe last one is wonderful!!!
ReplyDeletemy personal favourite is the opening to a Stephen King novel 'Duma Key', although its more of a paragraph than a line.
"How to Draw a Picture"
Start with a blank surface. It doesn't have to be paper or canvas, but I feel it should be white. We call it white because we need a word, but its true name is nothing. Black is the absence of light, but white is the absence of memory, the color of can't remember.
See the complete opening here (i'm obsessed with books and quotes and often publish them on my blog):
http://dreamcatcherssay.blogspot.com/2011/08/best-ever-opening-to-novel.html
I love that last one - how can you not read on?
ReplyDeleteOh! I'm just about to read Near Witch. I love that first line. One of my first favorite lines is from Wither. It's short, and to the point. "I wait."
ReplyDeleteThose are good ones! I've been meaning to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and that first line has convinced me that I need to move it further up my list!
ReplyDeleteThe only first line that came to mind that really stood out to me was in BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS by Shannon Hale. It was "My lady and I are being shut up in a tower for seven years."