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.

[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.

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.

[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. :)

[leatherzebra.livejournal.com]

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

[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