Fabulous First Lines in Fiction

Happy Friday, Seeker villagers! Every third month, when my Friday rolls around, I suffer from a serious case of imposter syndrome. Panic sets in over the dreaded questions - What will I write about? Do I HAVE anything to contribute that anyone will care about? Will this be the month that I turn in my Seekerville badge and slink off to the 'I'm not a writer' corner? 

As predicted, I talked myself off that same ledge this month too. I came up with - and rejected - several ideas and finally remembered this little tidbit: on my own blog, I recently celebrated completing 200 'First Line Friday' posts. That's 200 posts of potential Seekerville post material! Eureka! I'm saved to survive on Seekerville for another three months!

Now, I am admittedly not an author. So I can't talk a lot about the technique and craft of first lines, but I can share some of my favorite first lines in fiction and look at what they have in common. (And fortunately for me, Debby Giusti talked about first lines/chapters last year!)

Let's start out with a little game! Can you match these classic first lines to their books? (I'll post the answers in the comments) 

The books you have to choose from for the above first lines are: 

• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville

And here are some recent faves I've loved from the 200 'First Line Friday' posts I've done on my blog: 

     

Aren't they great? What are some things they have in common (including the classic first lines in our little game)?

• They immediately grab your attention. Maybe you're chuckling at some poor soul being voluntold for horrors unknown, unfortunate Eustace Clarence Scrubb of the almost-deserved name, or a crime-committing mama raccoon. Maybe you're captivated by the clever (or poetic) wordsmithing. Maybe you're just plain intrigued by what comes after that first line - where could it go from here? Regardless, each of these twelve first lines definitely (and immediately) has you committed to discovering the rest of the book. 

• They are a bit vague. By that, I mean that a captivating first line raises more questions than it answers. Who was voluntold for what? Who is Ishmael & why do we care? (spoiler alert - we don't.) Why did poor Eustace almost deserve his name, and why only almost? What caused that 'swell of instant silence and intense heat'? This immediate need for more information again engages the reader's full attention & keeps them reading. 

• They can be poetic. The first line from Pepper Basham's The Thorn Keeper is one of my very fave first lines because it's so beautiful and wistful and a bit sad, too. Reading a first line like that - or the one from Beth Troy's Lu or quote #5 in the game list above - tells me I must keep reading to discover what other poetically beautiful gems are tucked inside this book!

• But they don't have to be. Lines like the ones from The Cupcake Dilemma by Jennifer Rodewald or More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson (and even #4 from our guessing game) are more humorous and maybe a little bit snarky. That doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the book is written in that tone - though it might - but yet again it keeps me reading to find out. 

Like I said, I don't claim to be an author. I don't know all the technical craft speak to tell you why these twelve first lines are so captivating. All I can tell you as an avid reader is 1) they are captivating and 2) they all kept me reading. Your first line doesn't have to look like these; it should reflect your style and your story. But a great question to ask as you re-read during edits or at some other point in your writing process is: "Would I want to keep reading this book if this is all I had to go on?" No cover. No back cover copy. No author interview. Just that first line. Would it intrigue you enough to want to know 'the rest of the story'?

If so, you've found your own fabulous first line! Go forth & write, dear authors. I am cheering you on! 

What do you find the most difficult about writing a first line?
What is one of your fave first lines? (either your own or another author's)
What intrigued you most about it?

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Carrie Schmidt is an avid reader, book reviewer, story addict, KissingBooks fan, book boyfriend collector, and cool aunt. She also loves Jesus and THE Story a whole lot. Co-founder of the Christian Fiction Readers' Retreat and JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC, Carrie lives in Kentucky with her husband Eric. 

She can be found lurking at various blogs and websites (because she can't stop talking about books) but her main home is the blog she started in 2015 - ReadingIsMySuperPower.org.