Open Wide...

[naomi_jay]

So the challenge about opening lines raised some interesting reponses, both here, over at Blogger (shout out to the Blogger crew!) and on Lisa's post. Now that I've seen what people like in a story opening, and seen some people's story openings, I'm wondering...

... What's your favourite story opening? Which book captured you from the first line and didn't disappoint? And why?

I can't pick out my very favourite, but one of my favourites is this, from Angela Carter's novella, Love:

"One day, Annabel saw the sun and moon in the sky at the same time."

Now, I just love Angela Carter anyway, but I think this is great. We have a protagonist (Annabel). We have a question (Why did she see the sun and moon at the same time?) We have a beautiful visual image and we have (possibly) a time of day. There's a lot packed into that single line and it fits in perfectly with the dreamy, surreal story that follows.

So come on, step up and tell me your favourite opening.

Comments

[jleemoffatt.livejournal.com]

I don't like the opening line of Ante Up. I keep opening the file or the hard copy, and I just stare at it. I guess I hope it'll rewrite itself into something I like.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I feel like that about the opening of Fire and Moonlight. It was such a last minute effort and I think it really shows, lol.

[leatherzebra.livejournal.com]

This is one of the blog entries I've been preparing for my "Success" series. I'll be looking at, and asking about the elements that make a book work.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Cool, when are you planning to start that?

I dunno........

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I don't really care about opening lines. It just really bothers me when an author has a great setup but then, doesn't follow through.

Re: I dunno........

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

What would you give as an example of that? I read a Mary Higgins Clark novel recently that I felt did that. The set up was a serial killer finding his victims through personal ads, which I thought was pretty cool. Unfortunately the killer was obvious a mile off and the heroine was so TSTL I couldn't stand her.

well......

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

As you know, I'm a huge fan of Hamilton and I'll rec her forever but there was this one story (I think it's in the anthology "Bite") where she has the Blake character being talken to by a client whose daughter is dying of cancer and wants to be a vampire. I think the daughter might be underage so then, Anita should go out and kill the vampire. It was a great setup but then, moved off in Jean Claude sex which was nice but could have been a much better story.

Still, only one story out of all that she has written is a great track record. I do love her work:)

Re: I dunno........

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I read that in Strange Candy and thought exactly the same thing! It seemed like such a waste of a cool concept.

I adore her first nine Anita books but haven't read any of the newer ones. I still re-read the early ones every now and then - LKH inspired me to write urban fantasy.

[heroineforhire.livejournal.com]

hey, thanks for adding me back. I was going to introduce myself but got distracted. I added you because I want to get back into writing and you are so focused on it yourself that I thought you might inspire me, or at least through posting and what not I might find something that sparks.

I read you're post in urban fantasy fans and it really impressed me. :)

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Shucks, thanks! Always nice to make new friends ^-^

[chaostheory.livejournal.com]

Unlike me, who just stalks you for giggles.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Lol, you're an invited stalker.

[leatherzebra.livejournal.com]

As soon as everyone is back from vacation and out of the first week of school. Probably the beginning of September.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Cool, I'll look out for it!

[eldestmuse.livejournal.com]

"I woke up in bed with a man and a cat. The man was a stranger; the cat was not." -- Robert Heinlein, To Sail Beyond the Sunset

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Lol, I love that. I need to find that book now.

[eldestmuse.livejournal.com]

http://www.wegrokit.com/to_sail_beyond_the_sunset.htm <- has an excerpt of the beginning.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Yay, thank you!