Story First Line Fun

A novel needs a good first line. It needs every line to be good but that first line in your story needs to grab a reader’s interest. Those few words need to be a flashing pointer toward the rest of the story. A good first line can also help a writer dive into the story. Most writers, including me, work really hard to get that first line just right or at least as right as they can.

The line in the graphic above is from my most recent Shaker novel, The Refuge. This line was in my head practically from the moment I had the idea to write a story about a Shaker widow. “You can’t cheat death.” That is surely one of my shortest first lines ever and one I do feel might entice the reader to read the second line and on.

A first line thought like the one in that book can be a spark of inspiration. Sometimes a random thought or first line grabs my interest and make me wonder what kind of story might follow. So, for fun, here are a few random first lines that I grabbed out of the air.

I wish I didn’t think she was a murderer.

She murdered her husband and got away with it.

Her phone was the only thing that kept her sane.

My ears hurt from the sound of the bugs.

A bird sang in a tree over my head. I threw a rock at it to silence it and then cried when it started up its song again.

A bird sang in a tree over my head. I threw a rock at it to make it stop and then wept when it fell silent.

Today was the day Rita planned to get married, but some plans don’t work out.

The dog quivered as it stood at attention and waited for the signal to kill.

I tiptoed closer to the man on the ground. He was definitely dead.

I’ve not used any of those lines. At least not yet. The one about the bird singing shows how a few different words can change the whole impression of a character.

Here is the first line of my latest release, Along a Storied Trail.

Everybody thought Tansy Calhoun was heartbroken after Jeremy Simpson threw her over for Jolene Hoskins.

I hoped that would give the readers a hint of Tansy’s character and what might be coming for her. I like adding the second line that sheds more light on Tansy. Or thought she should be.

The first line of Murder Comes by Mail in the graphic above is different from most, if not all, of my first lines since it isn’t coming from the viewpoint of a main character.

I did start out with the main character’s viewpoint for An Appalachian Summer.  Many of my first lines will include a main character’s name as this one does and the one about Tansy did.  By sharing Piper’s feelings here I hoped readers would want to know why she was smiling so much and why being happy didn’t seem to be motivating those smiles.

I do often write and rewrite my first lines. Well, I rewrite many of my lines, but that first line is one I want to be the best that I can make it. In my upcoming release, When the Meadow Blooms, due for release May 2nd. I started out with the first line highlighting Calla, a main viewpoint character. 

Calla froze at the sound of her sister’s name.

Then, even though I was still in Calla’s viewpoint, I changed the first line to “Sienna was in trouble again.”

My editors thought a different scene would be a better starting place, so my first line got switched to a doctor talking to Calla’s mother, another of my viewpoint characters. “You will never be completely well.”

That’s different than most of my first lines, but the suggested scene was a better beginning to the book than the scene with Calla and Sienna. I guess time will tell if readers agree.  (If that first line does get you interested, a great place to pre-order the book is Baker Book House. Discount price and free shipping.)

Now I’m writing a new book and while I’m far from finished with the story and have many words to go, I’ve already rewritten my first sentence a few times. This is the latest effort and may or may not be the final first sentence. Many rewrites and edits to go on this story in the next few months. But it’s still fun to share it with you.

Juliana Reed woke with a start when her mother jerked her out of bed with a shushing sound.

A writer wants that first line to be bait to reel in a reader.

Which of these first lines catch your reading interest? How about the random first lines? Can you imagine a story starting with any of those lines or maybe you can come up with a better one?