#first lines

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Mr Gaiman. I am in year 11, so I've got my English GCSEs coming up, and my only issue is that I have no idea how to start a story. I can write the rest of the story perfectly fine, but I can never figure out how to start it off well. Do you have any advice?

It's ok if you don't respond, but if you do, thank you.

Try to start it in an interesting way that makes people want to go on. A way that, perhaps, asks a question that you need to keep reading to answer, or that will mean something else if you come to it after finishing the story.

Sometimes I write the beginning of the story, the opening lines, last of all.

It can be a fun exercise to just sit and write for yourself first lines of stories that are interesting and make people want to keep reading. They don't have to be any good, and you definitely don't need to know what happens next.

'Everything would have been fine if the Pope had not misplaced the antique silk alms bag containing her birth control pills.'

'The day Julius's mother died was, by no coincidence, the same day that Julius discovered his Jack Russell terrier secretly spoke Italian.'

'The old house squatted on the hill like a toad on the edge of a well, and, like a toad, would occasionally, when unobserved, lumber down from the hill in search of food. It was not choosy. It would eat anything."

Try it. It's fun.

#first lines #advice to writers

[oldshrewsburyian]

All the Lives We Never Lived, Anuradha Roy

[Text ID: In my childhood, I was known as the boy whose mother had run off with an Englishman. The man was in fact German, but in small-town India in those days, all white foreigners were largely thought of as British. This unconcern for accuracy annoyed my scholarly father even in circumstances as dire as losing his wife to another man.]

#adultbooklr #currently reading #all the lives we never lived #anuradha roy #book quotes #that is an opening #first lines #queue

[rhubarb-mage]

First lines - Folie à Deux (Fall Out Boy)

Part 1/2.

#first lines #Fall out boy #Fob #Andy Hurley #Joe Trohman #Pete Wentz #Patrick Stump #folie à deux #Disloyal Order of water buffaloes #I don't care #She's my winona #america's suitehearts #Headfirst slide into cooperstown on a bad bet #The shipped gold standard #Coffee's for closers

[anastasiamaru]

"We just come out of battle..."

Ukrainian director and former political prisoner of the russian federation,Oleg Sentsov,who is currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, sustained a concussion on the front line. Immediately after the battle, despite being on the ground,he recorded a video

"We have just come out of battle,and those who remained fulfilled their mission, overall....Very very

It was very difficult and crucial turning point to continue(incoherently) our counteroffensive...

3 soldiers who remained in formation were injured by shrapnel due to close combat and grenade exchanges.One is in serious condition,and the other too but not in immediate danger .jus

I'm currently waiting here until they are taken away (to evacuation).As for me,it seems I have a minor concussion.l am lying down (sounds of explosions) back in formation.I want to share this with you so that you all know that we will still prevail in this war,but also to make you aware of the price we are paying for it here"

Thank you Heroes defending our Land!

#ukraine #war in ukraine #war #battlefield #after battle #нуль #ukrainian armed forces #ukrainian soldiers #brave ukrainians #brave ukraine #pray for ukrainian soldiers #pray for ukraine #pray for ukrainians #ukrainians #first lines #ukraine under attack #stand with ukraine #support ukraine #fight for freedom #fight for motherland #counteroffensive #history makers #ukraine heroes #glory to the heroes of ukraine #glory to ukraine #glory to the heroes #ЗСУ #Україна #контрнаступ #ukrainians on tumbl

[mintawasalreadytaken]

10 first lines

rules: list the first line of your last 10 fics and see if there's a pattern!

analysis: i sure do love starting off with "it" 😅 not in love with some of these , tbh. seeing them all together has taught me i prefer to land the punch in a second line. the first is often set up. and i'm more interested in when the action begins than where, or with whom.

---

Harry’d have to sell the house. (The One Who Lived)

2. It takes an hour for the cave to fill to their waists. (It’s hard to treat myself well after what I’ve put you through)

3. When Harry told Hermione and Ron what he wanted to do with his life, he knew he was on his own again. (Holes)

4. Draco’s gaze does not rest on the back of Harry’s head. (Bad Dreams)

5. He’s not special. (Alone But Never Lonely)

6. The wide round of Ron's cloudless blue eyes alerts Harry to the blood dripping from the corners of his own smile. (All I Want For Kwithmath)

7. It's unbelievable, the things one does to get off. (Truly Being Alive)

8. It started when Harry caught Malfoy puking behind the greenhouse in eighth year. (Yes, But It'll Cost You)

9. It started with a thought. (Yellow Is The Colour)

10. Draco leans to the left, digging his weight into the elbow at his knee as he digs his toes into the squishy bathroom rug and rises onto the ball of his foot. (Bad Times)

---

thx to @maesterchill @tackytigerfic @vukovich @oknowkiss for the tags xoxo

@nv-md @kittycargo @basicallyahedgehog @citrusses @schmem14 @prolix- @the-starryknight you're up <3

#first lines #tag game #drarry

[eddiebabygirldiaz]

writing patterns

tagged by @kananjarus @rogerzsteven @bigfootsmom @aroeddiediaz @hippolotamus @hoodie-buck @jesuisici33 @thekristen999 @spotsandsocks @wikiangela @honestlydarkprincess @lemonzestywrites @devirnis @jeeyuns @exhuastedpigeon

rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern

1. you fill my head with you

Buck loves how Eddie makes the world blur.

2. baby, it's okay if we both end up afraid

Buck hadn’t forgotten how cold the ocean is.

3. it walks with my legs (to fall at your feet)

There’s something intimate and heady about Texas nights.

4. blue eyes and bare walls

Eddie likes lists.

5. to you i'm just a man (to me you're all i am)

Buck is fucking tired of living with his parents.

6. soft prompt

The soft, sultry croon of Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet filters through the kitchen, its gentle and heartrending notes caressing the floor and cabinets and every inch of Buck’s skin.

7. today i live for a single drop of you

Eddie has such a pretty cock.

8. red life might stream again

The wind is cool, causing the hairs on Eddie’s arms to stand up and goose bumps to pebble across his skin.

9. there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

Eddie Diaz does not panic.

10. we live and breathe words

Buck didn’t mean to snoop, okay?

mmm yeah i think there is a very distinctive, simple one line pattern here asdfghjkl

tagging @elvensorceress @spaceprincessem @911onabc @transboybuckley @rewritetheending @bvckandeddie @colonoscopys @thewolvesof1998 @wh0re-behavi0r @useramor @loserdiaz @buddierights @monsterrae1 and anyone else who wants to do it!

#buddie fic #ryan writes #eddie diaz #evan buck buckley #buddie fics #buck x eddie #my stuff #tag game #first lines #911

[ghaniblue]

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern! Thanks to @citrusses for the tag!

I don't have 10 Harry Potter fics above a 1k word count but let's see.

Draco Malfoy and the Unfortunate Incident With the Horny Potion (Drarry, 1,6k)

"I had it under control, Potter."

Sleeping With Ghosts (Regulus/Harry/Draco, 21k)

Harry startled awake to a wand tip pressed into the back of his neck.

The Day Bleeds Into Nightfall (Jegulus, 4,8k)

Regulus never took Muggle Studies.

Wormwood (Regulus, 13,6k)

There was a book in the Grimmauld library, its pages frayed, the gilded spine cracked and darkened by countless hands.

Human (Drarry, 27,7k)

The little screech owl finds Harry in the shed behind the cabin where he's trying to persuade a piece of wood into turning into a chair leg.

An Improbable Bout of Summer Madness (Drarry, 16,4k)

Scorpius wasted no time in turning Draco into his show pony.

The Problem With Non-Euclidean Geometry (Drarry, 1,1k)

Two straight lines in a plane that do not intersect at any point are said to be parallel.

In the Dark (Drarry, 1,3k)

Hogwarts is dark and quiet in slumber.

My pattern: I go for either short and blunt statement sentences, or pure vibes? My as yet unpublished Blackcest Fest fic definitely fits the pattern. 😬 I don't know. Is there a pattern?

tagging: @maesterchill @sorrybutblog @elskanellis @heyjude19-writing @sleepstxtic @thehoneybeet @nv-md

#first lines #tag game #drarry #jegulus #regulus black #first lines tag game #acari writes

[iamstartraveller776]

Writing Patterns

Tagged by @more-better-words! Thank you! 💜

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

(I'm only doing stories that are longer than 1k words. I've written a lot of baby ficlets lately, lol.)

Alina’s attendants are silent as they dress her. [The Truth in Our Hearts, SAB, Darklina]

"Listen, listen," Jane said, her words a tad elastic at the edges. "I don't like you." [Fun Surprises, MCU, Lokane]

coming home this wknd u free? [Lies, TROP, Haladriel]

Mud squelched beneath Killian’s boots as he trudged up a path overgrown with thick foliage. [To Cleave Destiny, OUAT, Captain Swan]

Your turn for groceries. Pick them up before 6 pm. [Crossing Boundaries, TROP, Haladriel]

His gaze has substance, she’s learned. [Alike But Not, MCU, Lokane]

Alina hadn't meant to fall asleep. [Involuntary, SAB, Darklina]

"And that is why I will never be at your side." [no peace in truth, TROP, Haladriel]

The queen announces a fete for the eve of their departure from Númenor. [Reprieve, TROP, Haladriel]

Killian stumbles across her late at night in a secluded glade. [In the Quiet Moonlight, OUAT, Captain Swan]

I guess my pattern is that I like shorter first lines? LOL

Bonus first lines of some of my favorite Trip/T'Pol stories just for @more-better-words (I didn't include any of my Mirror Universe stories; these are sweet and/or funny stories):

On the scale of one to disastrous for first encounters, this was shaping up to be the worst one yet—at least for Trip. [Mission Gone Awry]

Sometimes a man just had to assert his manhood, and usually in the stupidest way possible. [Connubial Negotiations]

Now this is the kind of "work" I'm talking about! [Unexpected Too]

Note to self: When offered a spot in an exchange program on a desert planet, think twice before accepting. [Three Months on Vulcan]

She's kneeling before her meditation candles late at night when he enters her quarters. [Indelible]

Tagging: @jhalya, @kmomof4, @searchingwardrobes, @scriberated, @coraleethroughthelookingglass, @somebirdortheother, @talshiargirlfriend, @snowbellewells, @hollyethecurious, @demonscantgothere, @bywayofmemory, @jomiddlemarch, @curator-on-ao3, @thecoziestbean, @nenyabusiness, and ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PLAY! (Just tag me back so I can see your first lines!)

#tag games #first lines #darklina #haladriel #saurondriel #lokane #captain swan #trip x t'pol

[themelodyofspring]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge

Sep 06, 2023 - Favourite First Lines

Pa was taking too long to cut the boys' throats.

#jompbpc #justonemorepage #the merciful crow #margaret owen #booklr #mypics #books #books and flowers #bookblr #read #open books #first lines

[skeptiquewrites]

First Line/Last Line

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern! And adding with @magpiefngrl's challenge of the last lines as well. With thanks @lettersbyelise @maesterchill @oknowkiss @wolfpants @magpiefngrl for the tags. Crossed Wires (E, 11k) Minister-elect Kingsley Shacklebolt brings an all-star team to the Wizengamot for a second term in government.  / See page six for pictures of last month's opening of the new Hogwarts Express maglev and new platforms at King's Cross Station connecting to France, Germany, Spain, Italy and more. The Real Thing (M, 5k) It was none of Harry’s business. / As he was, for as long as it made sense. All I Think About (T, 4k) It isn’t really Harry’s scene, is the thing. / "Yeah?"

Winner Takes It All (E, 41k) Aunt Andromeda says an idle Slytherin is trouble, a pack of idle Slytherins is a criminal conspiracy waiting to happen. / "I'll take you home then," Harry says. On The Shore (T, 3k) Every Saturday morning is the same.  / “Noted.” A Little Time (T, 1.7k) The first time they were mistaken for a couple was a week before their second year of Healer Training. / They walked back into town hand in hand. Yours Truly (M, 15k) Dear Malfoy, Have you ever told a lie that spiralled completely out of control? / The kiss was good, too. Lights Down Low (T, 4k) “He was the last person I expected to see in the entire world, you could imagine.  / “We might be a terrible idea,” Draco reassures, but he’s still there kissing him, hot and tender, like he doesn’t want to rush. Thrice Bound (M, 2.3k) Harry had been looking forward to napping at his desk since no one at IntCoop would bother looking for him before the next round of bargaining began at three and would likely continue long into the night. / “I was counting on that,” Harry answered. No Distance (E, 4k) The paper with Draco’s address burns a hole in Harry’s pocket the rest of the summer. / "I think we could have so much more than a year, Harry."

I'm a very straightforward writer, with rather blunt endings. I do love the arcs, I should probably quit the one-word response endings and far fewer begin with dialogue than I thought.

#first lines #about writing

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Writing Patterns ~ Opening Lines

I was tagged by @thelettersfromnoone. Thanks for the tag, my friend!

Rules: list the first line of your 10 most recent (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I chose to limit myself to fics that I knew when I began them that they would be longer pieces and/or multichapter fics. I've excluded drabbles, outtakes, bonus content for completed fics etc, and any stories that I've posted only the first chapter.

Where the Stars Crumble to Life

She was alone.

Maybe Tomorrow

His eyes itch and his head is pounding.

The Baker & The Hunter

How long does it take for the scars of loss to heal, I wonder as I stand next to the door and the train slows down to enter the station at District Twelve.

A Case of the Honeymoons

Six months of insanity all for this moment. 

Unmasked

The rain only exacerbates my headache.

[pauses to go ....hmmmm....]

9000 rpm

The echo of the announcer beats through the trees, tinny and grating.

The Midnight Train

Her father died when she was seventeen.

12 X 12

Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah!

Katniss peels her eyes open and growls at the offensive red numbers informing her that she has slept through six minutes of her alarm clock ringing.

Spellbound

The sun is mid sky by the time I return to the house with my haul for the day.

Outside Expectations

I drive by the place once just to make sure I have the right address. Twice because I know this can’t be right.

[It feels wrong to include OE without including the stories that go with it in the series, even though they've been posted longer and this puts me over my ten]

Outside the Lines

First Line posted: “Three brunettes and a blonde walk into a bar,” Laura says and Heather snorts.

Actual first line if you're reading the chapters chronologically: It’s late and dark. The window only useful to see my reflection. I’m restless and toss in bed.

Outside Chance:

First line of the text: “And that’s it folks. Katniss Everdeen takes the lead.”

First line of the action because split time formatting: “You wanna explain that garbage?” Haymitch snarls and I squint at the target.

BONUS! Because out of all my fics, this first line actually gets regular comments on it, to include multiple people claiming it's the most memorable opening line of anything I've ever shared with you all. If you've read it, you already know what it is. ;)

Pure

It's always snowing when I fuck up.

CONCLUSION: They're all short (concise?) opening sentences, and with maybe a handful of exceptions, they start with my characters at an extremely low point.

I tag! @mollywog, @sohypothetically, @rosegardeninwinter, @littlerosette, @creamytinydays, @endlessnightlock If you so choose to play!

#a tag game #writing patterns game #first lines #behold! procrastination at its finest

[maesterchill]

first sentence patterns 🏳️‍🌈

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thanks to @thecouchsofa @tackytigerfic @ghaniblue and @peachydreamxx for the tags! I loved reading yours! Been ages since i did this game - here is the previous one in Oct 2022.

Analysis: there's a mix of long and short sentences here. i can't really see a pattern except for #5 and #6 which are both "X person is doing Y thing when Z happens." Or maybe a pattern with #3, #9 and #10. (According to... / When it comes to.../The trouble with...)

“The green shirt?” Angelina asked, “or the daft purple one with the rainbow poo emojis?” - Bad omen, right? (Fred/George, dead dove fic)

Dear Deirdre, following a most unfortunate accident rendering my flat unliveable (don’t ask), an acquaintance suggested I lodge with him while Accidental Magic Reversal investigate. - Idiots, of Islington (Drarry, epistolary drabble)

According to Rose Weasley, when it comes to hitting it off with a date, there are a few questions a girl can ask that will save a lot of wasted time and energy. - Girls Just Wanna (Rose/Lavender)

It’s weird, the way it happens. - More than anything (Drarry microfic)

Draco's eyes have only just fluttered closed in that tenuous bliss seconds before orgasm when he hears the shout. - In the lining of your skin (Drarry, Sudsfest)

Malfoy is two knuckles deep inside Harry when he mentions her name. - Call if you ever get desperate (Drarry microfic)

In that moment, everything is solved. - try to fix you (Harry/Ron/Hermione, HP Snooze fest)

“So… should we talk about it?” - heaven to gaudy day (Drarry microfic)

When it comes to what the Employee Code of Conduct evasively describes as ‘personal relationships’, the Ministry of Magic adopts an antiquated policy not too dissimilar to what the Muggle Americans used to call 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. - with your mermaid hair and your teeth so sharp (Drarry microfic)

The trouble with Harry having a genius idea about how to fix things with his high-maintenance husband was that it invariably involved Ron having to do something he really didn't want to do. - Fantasy Fulfilled (Drarry collab, this is the first line of my section, Elise wrote the actual first line!)

Who hasn't done this yet? I've seen a few but how about @skeptiquewrites @lqtraintracks @kbrick @aibidil @lettersbyelise @apricitydays-lazynights @moonflower-rose @squintclover @saxamophone @mintawasalreadytaken

#first lines #tag game #maester blethers #drarry #mostly

[rhubarb-mage]

First lines - Save Rock and Roll (Fall Out Boy)

Part 2/2.

#first lines #Fall out boy #Fob #Pete Wentz #Patrick Stump #Joe Trohman #Andy Hurley #Save Rock and Roll #The mighty fall #Miss missing you #Death valley #Young volcanoes #Rat a tat

[orange-peony]

Patterns Tag

Thank you for tagging me @cassiaratheslytherpuff!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern.

1. See how it shines (Drarry, E, 30k):

Harry hates driving at night.

2. All of the King's Horses (Snowbaz, E, 4k):

“The Creatures are rising in the east,” Father says, his tone more sombre than I expected.

3. Bigger Problems (Drarry, E, 22k):

“I need your help,” he says, avoiding Harry’s eyes and looking extremely awkward in those tight, black robes, his long pale fingers torturing the cuffs. 

4. Lost (Jegulus + wolfstar + rosekiller, E, 16k):

“Look at that cloud!” Barty says, pointing at a white puffy cumulus floating right above their heads. “That one definitely looks like a dick.”

5. Supernova (Snowbaz, E, 25k):

Something’s wrong.

6. At the speed of light (Snowbaz, E, 26k):

I roll my eyes before the next bloke even gets to sit down.

7. Snowflakes (Wolfstar + jegulus, E, 21k):

The first time Sirius meets Remus, it’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

8. Fireflies (Jegulus, E, 26k):

It happens on a Tuesday evening.

9. Once upon a time (Snowbaz, E, 58k):

I look in front of me, and Father seems worried. That’s not a good sign.

10. Hiding (Snowbaz, E, 42k):

I’m in the middle of folding the laundry when there’s a sudden noise that makes me freeze.

I'm not sure if there's a pattern, but my favourite one is definitely number 4! 😂

Tagging (no pressure): @artsyunderstudy, @facewithoutheart, @vukovich, @cutestkilla, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @rockingrobin69, @crazybutgood, @captain-aralias, @peachpety, @fatalfangirl, @hushed-chorus, @larkral and anyone else who fancies doing this (please feel free to say that I tagged you, honestly!).

#first lines tag game #first lines #my writing

[greatunironic]

got tagged by @sharpbutsoft for the first lines of the writing patterns, and @jewishrat420 for the last lines of the writing patterns, so just gonna smush them all together here!

(also not gonna tag anyone because, as usual, i've been absent + idk who's done what -- so if you haven't, and you want to, consider you're self tagged!!)

Writing Patterns 🏁

rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern! / list the last line of the same 10 fics you shared opening lines for and see if there's a pattern!

“So, you gonna put out tonight or what?” asked Robin from where she was reclined on his bed, painting her toenails and drinking his pop.  // “Yeah,” said Eddie. He kissed him again, even softer, sweeter. “Yeah, a promise.” (the valentine experience)

It started when Eddie said, “Seems kind of like a lot of bullshit that I’m about to die a virgin, man,” and Steve’s brain sort of spun out — because what? How? Eddie? He was a what? — as they sat in the middle of the woods, hotboxing the beemer in the late afternoon of what very well might be the day they died. // Eddie pressed his thumb to the corner of Steve’s mouth, said, “Guess we’d better live then, if we’re gonna go to Nationals or whatever,” and Steve said back, “Cool,” and then, smiling, Eddie replaced his thumb with his mouth. (in the backseat of your (boy)friend's car)

Eddie wakes up to sixty-eight unread text messages in his group chat with the boys. // “I mean,” says Eddie, and rolls him, laughing, over into his sheets for round two. (they're going to send us to prison for jerks)

At this point, Eddie’s life had really just sort of become an Aristotelian confluence of events. // “So gimme a sec, baby, and we’ll see if we can’t get this migraine sorted, okay?” (i give myself to you (as long as we move on the floor))

There’s laughter coming from the living room still as Eddie ushers Steve through the open door with a gentle hand at the small of his back. // For now, Eddie tucks his face into the soft, quiet juncture of Steve’s neck and shoulder, holds him close, and breathes, and it’s enough. It’s perfect. (your house is waiting)

On July Fifth — though she learns that after — Heather wakes up in a hospital bed. // “Yeah,” she says, and she means it. “I think we did.” (saint of ongoingness)

Hop buys a house in the Berkshires, after. // He thinks he’s going to like him. (these traces of available light)

November 1st, 1986 | Eddie, Well, man, you fuckin called it: fully got “gang-pressed” or whatever into hosting a Halloween party for the twerps last night. // “Well,” he repeats, the sun on his skin, the future like the ocean stretching out before them, way out and past the horizon. “Here’s to firsts then.” (scheming on a thing)

Ever since they walked out of Hawkins Middle for the last time in June, Lucas has been thinking about what high school is going to be like. // Maybe Max will show up for it, if he asks, he thinks. Maybe they all will. (zen, and the art of three point throws)

Getting shot, Eddie thinks, sucks balls, and not in the fun way. // With his hand still on his wrist, and Steve’s smile small and warm across from him, he’s kind of leaning towards a happy ending. Why not hope for the best for once? (three inches above the floor)

#fic #stranger things #tag games #first lines #last lines #apparently i like some in medias res #and ending on some dialogue #also hopeful open endings i think

[melestasflight]

10 lines from my last 10 fics.

tagged by @sallysavestheday @polutrope and @thelordofgifs. Thanks for sharing your own friends, a great inspiration for starting stories!

1. as a naked flame - An Edain story from the far East, as woven by the wise-women of the House of Marach, recorded in Sindarin by Andreth daughter of Boromir of the House of Bëor, F.A. 394.

2. Scion of Kings - Finduilas stands in the Great Hall of Kings, the gem-lined marble heart of Nargothrond. 

3. Darkness and Light - Maeglin comes to understand his father, at times.

4. Against His Wisdom - Fëanáro begins the bloodshed at Alqualondë but it is Findekáno who ends it.

5. Heat - Fingon avoids traveling to Himring during the vast majority of the year.

6. To Find a Home in the Twilight - Aredhel runs the tip of her finger along the intricate carving on the table in Celegorm’s chamber. 

7. And He Was Loved by the King - Hador loved the Prince of Hithlum since the first time he laid eyes on him.

8. Red - On the rare occasions when Fingon allows himself to think of Beleriand, one image takes shape in his mind’s eye above all others. The last moments of sunset spilling down the prairies of Ard-galen. 

9. Mothers - At times, Nerdanel longs for the feeling of carrying a child.

10. Thus our hearts burn, oh brother mine - Oh brother, you were always ice, a howling wind that sharpens the peaks of Taniquetil high in the skies where even the bells of Valmar fade. 

no pressure tagging @ettelene @searchingforserendipity25 @imakemywings

#tag games #writing #first lines #silmarillion #fic