Two Questions to Check if Your First Line Is Good Enough. When your reader picks up your book and reads the first sentence, they want to know two things: 1. What is your book about? The first sentence is often a great place to introduce your premise or core idea. Look back at the examples above. The first sentence relates back to the plot every ...I’m definitely going to read this book. Below are fifty great opening lines for you to ponder. We’d love to know if any of these first lines are enough to pique your interest to read the full book. Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 50 of the most impactful opening sentences in literature: Metamorphosis by Kafka:Call a book a Book of A Thousand Days, and open day one with the only window being bricked up slowly? Do you promise? Because I'm yours.Seems to me we don’t never come to nothin’. Always on the way.”. — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath. 17. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”. — Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights. 18. “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”. 70 Best Iconic First Lines of Books. Amusing lines, moral lines, shocking lines, lines worth remembering, first lines from popular books and first lines by iconic characters. Mysterious lines, romantic lines, lines from classics and so on and so forth. Whatever you’re looking for you’ll find them all here. Feel free to quote them, and share ... Jan 17, 2024 · 12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.”. – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s parents were killed, the weather was perfect.”. – CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE by Cassandra Clare. “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky ... Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash. Never judge a book by its cover, but what about its first line? Writing is not about only plot, it is about the actual art of writing itself — metaphor, world-building, crafted sentences, sharp insight and yanking the reader into Story.A strong first line is necessary — whether it hooks you in your gut and sends …Detharatsh. ADMIN MOD. What's your favorite opening line to a book? Mine is probably the opening line to Salem's Lot: “Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son.”. This line tells us so much. It tells us the relative ages of the two main characters, that they are not related, and that they are currently in a …The 10 best first lines in fiction. Our guide to the greatest opening lines of novels in the English language, from Jane Austen to James Joyce. Gallery. Published: 28 Apr 2012Jul 25, 2013 · July 25, 2013. AP and Library of Congress. When I interviewed Stephen King for the By Heart series, he told me about some of his favorite opening lines in literature. Then, the author had an off ... In the spirit of the 2006 list of best first lines of novels, American Book Review Volume 29, No. 2, published in 2008, featured a list of 100 best last lines of novels. Editor Charlie Harris contacted reviewers, critics, professors, writers, and readers to submit last lines for consideration and then vote to rank the “top 100” last lines.May 7, 2022 · So I browsed through the subreddit r/books and rounded up this list of the very best opening lines in literature (and I even added a few of my own favorites). Getty Images. 1. "Here is a small ... Practice with some of your own writing — take descriptive sentences and try to do what Hume has done here, and create a more vivid version that uses fewer words. 2. Surprise Your Readers. What better way to draw readers into your story world than to present them with a first line that jars them out of their reality.When an author gets it right, though, the best first lines of books are not a choice at all, but a capturing. These are some of our favorite first lines of books, with explanations why they rank among the very best. “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s …When telling a story, your opening sentence needs to be catchy, so readers continue. The best first lines of books show us the common devices authors use to grab our curiosity. We analyzed …I was born in the city of Bombay…once upon a time. No, that won't do, there's no getting away from the date: I was born in Doctor Narlikar's Nursing Home on ...Love it! Every year I go through all the books I read the prior year (novels only) and discuss the opening line from each book on my author blog. (www.dougwalsh.com) The Nightingale was one of my favorite reads of 2016. I can't remember ever highlighting more of a book's opening chapter than I did with that book.100 Best First Lines from Novels Volume 27, Number 2 January-February 2006 Excerpts available through Project Muse; full articles available to Project Muse subscribers. Charles B. Harris’s “Introduction to Focus: In the Beginning Was the Word” and “100 Best First Lines from Novels” Michael Bérubé, Stephen Burn, David Cowart, Jeffrey R. Di Leo,The Gunslinger. by Stephen King. "Sometime during your life—in fact, very soon—you may find yourself reading a book, and you may notice that a book's first …They can be a way to show the reader the mood of a story. If you want to start a story, you can use a simple sentence. You can also use a question or an inspirational quote. In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of …The 100 most powerful and poignant closing lines from literature. From classics such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm to L. Frank Baum’s T he Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Stylist rounds up the most ...Oct 11, 2020 ... 100 favourite first lines of children's books. What's your favourite opening line? Comment below. Use these timestamp below to navigate this ...With really good books, a powerful sense of voice is established in the first line. My favorite example is from Douglas Fairbairn's novel, Shoot , which begins with a confrontation in the woods.Mar 11, 2014 · Tags. 1984 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Series of Unfortunate Events anthem Art of War austen Ayn Rand Bell Jar Book Book Thief books C.S. Lewis CS Lewis Daniel Handler Dante Dante Alighieri Dante's Inferno David Nicholls Delirium Dr. Seuss f. scott fitzgerald Friedrich Nietzsche gatsby Gay Science George Orwell great gatsby harry ... Here are some of the best opening poetry lines according to me: "Let us go then, you and I," from T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock". "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked," from Allen Ginsberg's "Howl". "Because I could not stop for Death," from Emily Dickinson's …Famous Novels, First Lines Quiz Question: “All children, except one, grow up.” Answer: J.M. Barrie based his 1911 novel Peter and Wendy on his hit 1904 play Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.In some later printings, the novel is titled Peter Pan. Question: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want … The line quoted from Pale Fire isn't even the first line in the book, which is odd. The first sentence of Pale Fire is this: Pale Fire , a poem in heroic couplets, of nine hundred ninety-nine lines, divided into four cantos, was composed by John Francis Shade (born July 5, 1898, died July 21, 1959) during the last twenty days of his life, at ... On any list or discussion board on readers’ favorite first lines, Tartt’s The Secret History appears without fail. The sentence, “The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation” compels readers with its detached …Practice with some of your own writing — take descriptive sentences and try to do what Hume has done here, and create a more vivid version that uses fewer words. 2. Surprise Your Readers. What better way to draw readers into your story world than to present them with a first line that jars them out of their reality.Here are some spectacular lines from 2020 books. 1. “I sing the city.”. 2. “The harvest begins, and all that exists is fear.”. 3. “In the deep wilds of the north, there is a Shrine cut ...What makes a good first line? I'm sharing my thoughts/tips and a TON of examples, as well as going beyond the literal first line. In many cases, it's actuall...1. Perfect First Lines Are Vivid. Here's the line from Ulrica Hume's “Poppies” that caught my attention. I was born upside down, the umbilical cord looped twice around my neck. It's a simple sentence, but I love it. “Born upside down.”. There's something at once whimsical and perilous and messy about that image.We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us.Archives: 100 Best First Lines from Novels American Book Review Volume 27, No. 2, published in 2006, featured a list of 100 best opening lines from novels. nina 2022-07-11T17:21:10+00:00Jan 9, 2014 ... The entire weight of the narrative can sometimes be conveyed in a single statement. Think of, “I had a farm in Africa” (Isak Dinesen's Out of ...Spider-Man is action-packed and always thrilling, with a script that was written by David Koepp and then rewritten multiple times until it was perfect. The open lines reflect the dynamic, comic book fun of the rest of the movie and lampshade the origin story it is about to tell. 9. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.Aug 31, 2018 · Gideon the Ninth. By Tasmyn Muir. Similar to All Systems Red, the opening line of Gideon the Ninth combines traditional sci-fi/ fantasy staples with a seemingly out-of-place object—dirty magazines. It bends the genre with a weird new. The first line helps sum up this book, which features badass lesbian necromancers in space. If you own a piece of land, it’s important to know exactly where your property lines are located. This information can help you avoid disputes with neighbors and ensure that you’re...Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd. When you write a query letter, you don’t need to describe every detail of your book’s content in the letter’s very first line. Most literary agents prefer that a query letter begin with the basics— genre, title, and word count: Please consider my 90,000-word science fiction novel, Night Storm.To find the intersection point of two lines, you must know both lines’ equations. Once those are known, solve both equations for “x,” then substitute the answer for “x” in either l...If you own a piece of land, it’s important to know exactly where your property lines are located. This information can help you avoid disputes with neighbors and ensure that you’re...In today’s fast-paced world, time is of the essence. Whether you’re planning a vacation or attending an event, the last thing you want to do is waste precious time waiting in long ...Jan 17, 2024 · 12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.”. – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s parents were killed, the weather was perfect.”. – CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE by Cassandra Clare. “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky ... Oct 11, 2020 ... 100 favourite first lines of children's books. What's your favourite opening line? Comment below. Use these timestamp below to navigate this ...100 Best First Lines from Novels Volume 27, Number 2 January-February 2006 Excerpts available through Project Muse; full articles available to Project Muse subscribers. Charles B. Harris’s “Introduction to Focus: In the Beginning Was the Word” and “100 Best First Lines from Novels” Michael Bérubé, Stephen Burn, David Cowart, Jeffrey R. Di Leo,Oct 19, 2023 · From Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities to Melville's Moby Dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel. This list has the best n ovels with great first lines, bound to make the best impression on readers. These books of fiction are well known for their opening ... Feb 11, 2022 · Greatest opening movie lines. 1. Goodfellas. “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”. 2. Patton. "Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." 3. 21. A Midwife’s Tale By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Pulitzer Prize winner A Midwife's Tale strays away from the typical depiction of historical books. Instead, the book, …The List of the 15 Most Famous First Lines from Classic Books. 1. Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen (1813) “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”. The opening line of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” introduces the theme of …I'm on my second novel of the series. Really good stuff. Here's the opening paragraph from the first book in the series, "Killing FLoor": "I was arrested in Eno's Diner. At twelve o'clock. I was eating eggs and drinking coffee. A late breakfast, not lunch. I was wet and tired after a long walk in heavy rain.First Lines of Jane Austen Novels ... About thirty years ago Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, with only seven thousand pounds, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas Bertram, of Mansfield Park, in the county of Northampton, and to be thereby raised to the rank of a baronet’s lady, with all the comforts and consequences of an handsome house ... I’m definitely going to read this book. Below are fifty great opening lines for you to ponder. We’d love to know if any of these first lines are enough to pique your interest to read the full book. Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 50 of the most impactful opening sentences in literature: Metamorphosis by Kafka: Stephen King. Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son. — Salem's Lot. Stephen King. Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow. — Carrie. Stephen King. The following is a collection of opening lines to horror stories.The first line of a book is a written invitation addressed to the reader. If the reader likes the invitation, they read on. If they don't like it, they close the book and read something else. Finding the best combination of words for that first line can take a while. Some authors devote months of time to develop the opening line of their book.Jul 12, 2012 · Especially in these days of online book excerpts and Amazon.com previews, the opening sentences of a book can cast a spell — or cast readers out of the book, forever. Here are 39 of the greatest ... Puffin team. 'When you wish that a Saturday was actually a Monday, you know there is something seriously wrong.'. 'The first Wednesday in every month was a Perfectly Awful Day – a day to be awaited with dread, endured with courage, and forgotten with haste.'. 'Twilight over meadow and water, the eve-star shining above the hill, and …10 Tantalizing Opening Lines in Books. 1. “We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill.”. Scythe, by Neal Shusterman. Talk about an opening line that makes you want to keep reading to find out what the heck is going on! 2. “The circus arrives without warning.A quote from Ursula Le Guin: "First sentences are the doors to other worlds." In the hands of our best writers, opening lines can make you fall in love with the book right away, start the story off like a gun, set the tone, and even hint at what's to come. In this list, we've chosen 15 of the best first lines in fiction.A blank page can be very daunting. Whether you've planned the perfect story or are suffering from writers' block, you still need to write that first line. Use our opening line tool above to help inspire you to get started. It's ideal for novels, short stories …12 powerful first lines from YA books that promise a great read. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Those first few words are everything. As Brandon Sanderson has taught (and many others have said), the beginning of a book is where the author and the reader come into an agreement. The author …Aug 28, 2023 · Literature's greatest opening paragraphs. 1. A Tale Of Two Cities (Charles Dickens) Read now on Kindle. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the ... Screw up the opening, screw up the book. Like chess, it's really that simple. With a good opening line though, you just know the rest will follow suit. It was like that the other day when I read ...1. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice (1813) 2. "All happy families are alike ...Here are 23 final lines that I have never forgotten. “I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it ...Dec 18, 2015 · Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. "Once, in a house on Egypt street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china." The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo. "The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal." Reckless by Cornelia Funke. A blank page can be very daunting. Whether you've planned the perfect story or are suffering from writers' block, you still need to write that first line. Use our opening line tool above to help inspire you to get started. It's ideal for novels, short stories …Nov 8, 2021 ... 6 Tips for Writing a Memorable Opening Line · 1. Start in the middle of a story. The first lines don't have to begin with long descriptions of a ...18. Sarcastic. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”. — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. Austen didn’t invent the word snark — but she certainly refined the application of the quality.We’ve all noticed them: first sentences of a novel, either overwrought or just plain embarrassing, that elicit a groan or a smack of the forehead. Here are 10 opening doozies, lines that make it difficult to continue reading. Our highly subjective list includes “worst firsts” from famous and infamous writers. We begin with Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who penned […]Feb 18, 2022 ... 30 Great Opening (First & Second) Lines in Literature · 1. Pride and Prejudice · 2. To Kill a Mockingbird · 3. The Great Gatsby · 4...Here are some first line generator tools you can try: 1. Opening Line Generator. This first line generator opens right to a list of 10 random opening line ideas. If you can’t find one that sparks anything in your mind, you can easily scroll down to where it asks if you would like to “Generate Some More.”. 2.If you’re looking to book airline tickets for your next trip, then Delta Air Lines should be at the top of your list. Delta Air Lines is one of the largest and most reputable airli...Jul 28, 2012 · Catch-22. by Joseph Heller“The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off.”. The spirit of Bugs Bunny inspires the finale of Yossarian’s adventures with 256th Squadron. It’s ... Let the first line radiate the excitement to come. Intriguing “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.” If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond. 2015. The first line relates what is unique about the story. The best opening lines will connect directly to the last line.The first lines in Stephen King books set the stage for the stories that follow. Over his long career, King has written opening sentences that are funny, informative, scary, and downright odd. But which one is the best? Is it the simple statement about the gunslinger following the man in black through the desert in The Gunslinger, the novel that begins his epic …100 Best First Lines of Novels. Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff. The titles range from Don Quixote to Middlesex. The editors of American Book Review …First line: “Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.”. This is, perhaps, the most on the nose way for Rowling to echo the previous opening Harry Potter sentences. In case you forgot or didn’t read the previous two books in the series: HARRY POTTER IS WEIRD. He’s weird and he doesn’t belong in the world of the Dursley family. The 27 best opening lines in books Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal ... 70 Best Iconic First Lines of Books. Amusing lines, moral lines, shocking lines, lines worth remembering, first lines from popular books and first lines by iconic characters. Mysterious lines, romantic lines, lines from …Dec 5, 2019 · Here is a list of 150 of the most compelling opening lines in literature. “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”. Best first lines of books
Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd. When you write a query letter, you don’t need to describe every detail of your book’s content in the letter’s very first line. Most literary agents prefer that a query letter begin with the basics— genre, title, and word count: Please consider my 90,000-word science fiction novel, Night Storm.Spread the loveThe first sentence of a story can be powerful. We pulled together some of the most unique, fun, creative, and best opening lines books for children and teens to offer. We hope you will use them to teach writing in your classroom. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” Feed by M.T. Anderson “We went to the moon to have fun, but the …Browse through the subreddit r/books and discover the most memorable opening lines in literature, from The Book Thief to The Gunslinger. See how these …70 Best Iconic First Lines of Books. Amusing lines, moral lines, shocking lines, lines worth remembering, first lines from popular books and first lines by iconic characters. Mysterious lines, romantic lines, lines from …Here are some spectacular lines from 2020 books. 1. “I sing the city.”. 2. “The harvest begins, and all that exists is fear.”. 3. “In the deep wilds of the north, there is a Shrine cut ...How often have you picked up a book and judged it solely by its first few lines? It may be a little short-sighted, but it's natural. As readers, we want to feel …Here are some spectacular lines from 2020 books. 1. “I sing the city.”. 2. “The harvest begins, and all that exists is fear.”. 3. “In the deep wilds of the north, there is a Shrine cut ...Oct 11, 2020 ... 100 favourite first lines of children's books. What's your favourite opening line? Comment below. Use these timestamp below to navigate this ...Books shelved as best-first-lines: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, 1984 by George Orwell, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a...Nov 18, 2014 · Chapter 1: In which a scientist visits hell and a deal is struck. — Johannes Cabal the Necromancer. Jonathan L. Howard. The condemned cell stank of cats. — Johannes Cabal the Detective. Jonathan L. Howard. Chapter 1: In which the Fear Institute visits and Cabal is confronted by the police. Famous Novels, First Lines Quiz Question: “All children, except one, grow up.” Answer: J.M. Barrie based his 1911 novel Peter and Wendy on his hit 1904 play Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.In some later printings, the novel is titled Peter Pan. Question: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want …Jun 24, 2022 ... Great opening lines give me a sense of the narrator's voice, the tone of the tale, and a hook that captures my imagination. A funny cartoon ...The first line of a novel is arguably the most important of the entire work. As any author knows, the first line can be the difference between a reader won over and a book cast aside. It sets the tone, reveals character, and exposes themes. But some first lines go even further and become part of the collective memory of culture all on their won.Raymond Chandler, Goldfish. I rode a streetcar to the edge of the city limits, then I started to walk, swinging the old thumb whenever I saw a car coming. Jim Thompson, After Dark, My Sweet. When the guy with asthma finally came in from the fire escape, Parker rabbit-punched him and took his gun away.Sep 21, 2016 · Following are what I consider to be 25 of the best opening lines in literature, in no particular order: 1) “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – 1984 by George Orwell. 2) “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.”. – The Stranger by Albert Camus. When telling a story, your opening sentence needs to be catchy, so readers continue. The best first lines of books show us the common devices authors use to grab our curiosity. We analyzed …Aug 31, 2018 · Gideon the Ninth. By Tasmyn Muir. Similar to All Systems Red, the opening line of Gideon the Ninth combines traditional sci-fi/ fantasy staples with a seemingly out-of-place object—dirty magazines. It bends the genre with a weird new. The first line helps sum up this book, which features badass lesbian necromancers in space. Here, we delve into ten of the most compelling opening lines from mystery novels, each setting the stage for the riveting narrative that unfolds. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." - '1984' by George Orwell. Orwell's dystopian masterpiece doesn't fit the traditional mystery genre, but the opening line ...Dec 18, 2015 · Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. "Once, in a house on Egypt street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china." The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo. "The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal." Reckless by Cornelia Funke. Chosen by: Miriam González Durántez. “Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. The question of self-pity.”. The Year Of Magical ... Nov 23, 2021 ... Share your videos with friends, family, and the world.The opening sentence of a science fiction novel, perhaps more than any other genre, has a lot of work to do. Like all good fiction, it needs to hook you, jolt you into the story and establish the tone. Yet it also needs to get you interested in a whole new alternative world, a place where you'll live for the duration of the …1. “Call Me Ishmael.”. – Moby Dick, Herman Melville. This is perhaps the most iconic non-crappy opening line in history. While it doesn’t tell you anything about Captain Ahab and the whale, it still paints an intriguing picture.Jun 24, 2022 ... Great opening lines give me a sense of the narrator's voice, the tone of the tale, and a hook that captures my imagination. A funny cartoon ...Dec 2, 2011 · 1. "Cat’s Eye" by Margaret Atwood (1998) “Time is not a line but a dimension, like the dimensions of space.”. Atwood’s novel about maintaining one’s identity tells the story of painter Elaine Risley, who reflects back on her youth and her toxic childhood friendship with a group of three girls. With some books, pretty much everyone agrees on what its most famous line is - this is true of the opening line of "Pride and Prejudice," which you'll find on everything from dishtowels to bookmarks. But with others, there isn't one clear winner. For this quiz, we've picked what we feel is the best-known, most-quoted line. Often it's a first ...Here are my top 15 favorite opening lines from chapter books and picture books for young children. If you are a dreamer, come in, If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer …. If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire. For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.Apr 16, 2015 ... 15 of the Best Opening Lines in YA · Before I Fall · Before I Fall · Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children · Miss Peregrine&#...The pen is mightier than the sword. Since 1982 the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest has challenged participants to write an atrocious opening sentence to the worst novel never written. Our whimsical literary competition honors Sir Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, whose 1830 novel Paul Clifford begins with “It was a dark and stormy night.”.Here, we delve into ten of the most compelling opening lines from mystery novels, each setting the stage for the riveting narrative that unfolds. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." - '1984' by George Orwell. Orwell's dystopian masterpiece doesn't fit the traditional mystery genre, but the opening line ...Has it happened to you? That moment when you open a book, let your eyes rest on the first page, and suddenly, you're transported. Or shocked. Or laughing.An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. First Line: "My big brother reaches home in the dark hours before dawn, when even ghosts take their rest." Named one of the best YA novels of 2015, it's ...Some are first lines, others are from the first chapter. Extra credit if you can identify the following lines with the correct book or author. (Answers below.) 1. “It’s not the killing, that’s not the thing.”. Hinting at more than one killing creates immediate conflict.The pen is mightier than the sword. Since 1982 the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest has challenged participants to write an atrocious opening sentence to the worst novel never written. Our whimsical literary competition honors Sir Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, whose 1830 novel Paul Clifford begins with “It was a dark and stormy night.”.Jan 17, 2024 · 12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.”. – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s parents were killed, the weather was perfect.”. – CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE by Cassandra Clare. “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky ... Its not the opening line, but the last paragraph of the first chapter after Lara, the FMC. The Bridge Kingdom is a complete duology, fantastic enemies to lovers, romantic fantasy. It is minimal spicy scenes but the tension is top notch and the plot/relationship building is fantastic!1984. “Freedom is slavery,” “war is peace,” “ignorance is strength"...These are the haunting maxims of George Orwell's classic book, which imagines a futuristic world in which choice and personal freedoms are limited. Regarded as one of literature’s most chilling first lines, 1984 opens with a statement that is foreign, but familiar.Here is a list of 150 of the most compelling opening lines in literature. “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on …About This Quiz. Some books come out hot right out of the gate with iconic openers. How many of these literary works can you correctly guess based only on the opening line? START QUIZ. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." "A Tale of Two Cities".Greatest opening movie lines. 1. Goodfellas. “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”. 2. Patton. "Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." 3.What makes a good first line? I'm sharing my thoughts/tips and a TON of examples, as well as going beyond the literal first line. In many cases, it's actuall...Especially in these days of online book excerpts and Amazon.com previews, the opening sentences of a book can cast a spell — or cast readers out of the book, forever. Here are 39 of the greatest ...Aug 31, 2018 · Gideon the Ninth. By Tasmyn Muir. Similar to All Systems Red, the opening line of Gideon the Ninth combines traditional sci-fi/ fantasy staples with a seemingly out-of-place object—dirty magazines. It bends the genre with a weird new. The first line helps sum up this book, which features badass lesbian necromancers in space. Aug 28, 2023 · Literature's greatest opening paragraphs. 1. A Tale Of Two Cities (Charles Dickens) Read now on Kindle. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the ... Vote up the most memorable first lines from fiction below. Source: American Book Review. Most divisive: Robinson Crusoe. Over 2.9K Ranker voters have come …If you own a piece of land, it’s important to know exactly where your property lines are located. This information can help you avoid disputes with neighbors and ensure that you’re...Instead, try one of these 6 ways to hook your readers right off the bat: (N.B. One of the easiest ways to check out the opening pages of nearly any book you want is with the ‘ Look Inside! ‘ feature on Amazon.com .) 1. Make your readers wonder. Put a question in your readers’ minds.Aug 5, 2020 · The titles range from Don Quixote to Middlesex The editors of American Book Review selected what they consider the most memorable first lines of novels. The titles on the list span centuries and genres and include classics and contemporary novels that are certain to become classics. Famous First Lines of Books Quiz. As Dickens said in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” And, in this round of our brilliant books quiz, we might just be in the worst of them, as we challenge you and your quizzing contestants to name the book, based on the famous first line. 1.Here are some first line generator tools you can try: 1. Opening Line Generator. This first line generator opens right to a list of 10 random opening line ideas. If you can’t find one that sparks anything in your mind, you can easily scroll down to where it asks if you would like to “Generate Some More.”. 2.7. Inviting first lines of novels orient us with context. Inviting opening lines of novels lay down context for the events that follow. We’re introduced to a setting or a point in narrative time. The first line of Harper Lee’s celebrated To Kill a Mockingbird, for example, establishes the teenage viewpoint of the narrator Scout’s world:Seems to me we don’t never come to nothin’. Always on the way.”. — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath. 17. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”. — Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights. 18. “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”.Spread the loveThe first sentence of a story can be powerful. We pulled together some of the most unique, fun, creative, and best opening lines books for children and teens to offer. We hope you will use them to teach writing in your classroom. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” Feed by M.T. Anderson “We went to the moon to have fun, but the …In fact 64 per cent have stopped reading a book if the opening didn't grab their attention, while 50 per cent agree there is a lot of skill in crafting a good first line. Some 69 per cent feel a ...From “The Hellion Bride” by Catherine Coulter. Susan/DC says: October 19, 2007 at 1:29 am. +1. My favorite opening line is from Diana Norman’s “The Vizard Mask”, which definitely is romantic, even if not officially categorized as Romance: “Penitence Hurd and the plague arrived in London on the same day.”.. Best law schools in the us