One way of choosing a novel is to open several books and read the opening sentences. Novelists pay particular attention to their first sentences for just that reason. To take an example or two from the following list, look at Orwell’s famous opening of Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
It could also be because of the cover. However, the first paragraph of a story can also pique curiosity and make you want more. This post lists some of the best opening lines from books that will keep you engrossed in the story. 100 of the most compelling opening lines to must-read books. Some books don’t even need a paragraph to draw you in.
Every once in a while there comes an opening line that seems to have an entire story folded up inside it. But it’s just the label on the envelope. And I challenge you to withstand the urge to open it up and read the message. 15. Poetic “We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall.” — Louise Erdrich, Tracks
Which is to say: in the hands of our greatest writers, opening lines cast an immediate spell, grab your attention like a starter's gun, set the tone and even foreshadow what is to come. ... This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. Call me Ishmael. I am an ...
4. "The Gunslinger" by Stephen King (1982) “The man in Black fled across the Desert, and the Gunslinger followed.” Stephen King began writing The Gunslinger when he was a sophomore in college; he has said that the opening sentence came to him as a forceful inspiration that he could not ignore.Twelve and a half years later, the novel was published; thirty-eight years after he wrote the ...
Opening lines don’t have to be loud, subtlety is just as effective. Opening Lines To Novels / Short Stories: Examples. So much for the preamble. Now for the sentences. (No authors are named because very few of the sentences I had had named authors on the page.) Example #1
A great opening line is a promise, and the best ones keep us turning pages to see if the rest of the story delivers. Iconic Opening Lines: Best Book Opening Lines in History. Some opening lines are more than just words on a page; they become part of our cultural lexicon, seared into our memories and instantly recognizable.
Don’t you just love it when the first line of a book hooks you instantaneously? You settle in and start reading, devouring the story one chapter at a time. Suddenly you’re flipping pages with a feverish urgency, unable to put the book down. You’re neglecting all your real-life responsibilities. You haven’t answered anyone’s texts in days.
Literature's Greatest Opening Paragraphs A collection of great opening paragraphs from ShortList including the opening from Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, "It was a pleasure to burn." Seven Types of Short Story Openings This article from io9 describes seven different types of short story openings and give examples. Stephen King Opening Sentences
Story Openers Examples PDF. This free PDF is a summary of the post, including all of its opener examples. Download it, print it, and quickly go through it next time you need inspiration and guidance for an opener. Now let’s take a look at the most important parts of that perfect opening. How to Start a Novel
This example of our best book opening lines comes from Rebecca, a gothic thriller written by Daphne du Maurier and published in 1938. Just as the opening line possesses a haunting quality, so does the entire book. #6 No comet blazed when I was born. Denis Healey uses an intriguing technique to begin his 1989 memoir, The Time of My Life. Instead ...
The opening lines that go down in history are ones that, just like Once upon a time, arrest the reader in some way and transport us immediately into the story.. Anna Funder’s novel, All That I Am, has a memorable opening line – ‘When Hitler came to power I was in the bath.’It’s arresting and intriguing, providing a startling contrast between the warm comfort of a bath and the cold ...
A library wall displays great opening sentences. (Image credit: “Great First Lines Display” by Pesky Librarians on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) “I remember the day I was born, the day of my recent birth.” I Remember the Day I Was Born by Kemi Ogunniyi. “The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created.
The word 'year' is the largest (indicating the highest use count) for good reason. Many opening lines refer to the specific year or time of year, giving setting context for the story (for example, opening number 7 below where Sarah Blake personifies the seasons). Place is an important part of context. From the image above you can see that many ...
A killer opening line could win you a few more moments before the dreaded ‘ After careful consideration’ email. I asked some sharp-eyed lit mag editors what they look for in a first line. Their insights are a goldmine of practical tips to help you grab readers and editors with your story opening. But theory only gets you so far.
