First Lines with author Elizabeth Nelson

1. Do you consider the first line to be an important part of a story? If so, why?

The first line is extremely important. It sets the scene and gets the reader into the story. Take the first line for Curiosity Killed the Kat, “They say revenge is a dish best served cold; but, I know better.” Immediately it grabs the readers curiosity asking why this person would want revenge and how on earth do they know better? Often, first lines don’t come to me right away. I may get that line in there half way through the story or in some cases after the story is completely finished. First lines are like first impressions; they are everything.

2. Do you find first lines easy to come up with, or challenging? Do you have a technique, or a ritual, that you go by to make it easy?

First lines are not always so easy to come by. Rarely will I have the exact first line nailed in one shot. Often times I will continue writing the story and analyze how the story is developing and go back and rework the first line. I read other stories in all sorts of genres and see if I can emulate great first lines. Basically, I spend a lot of time analyzing first sentences and having it really capture the curiosity of what the overall plot is about.

3. What consequences, if any, do you think there are in having a badly written first line?

I would like to give as much credit to the second line and even the first paragraph as to whether a reader will want to continue on with the story or not. Though I agree the first line whets the appetite and sets the mood, but I think the first paragraph holds greater importance overall.
4. What’s your favourite first line that you’ve ever read? And can you recall a worst?

All this happened, more or less.

—Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five. Can’t recall a worst.

5. What is one of your own best first lines?

I really like the first line for Curiosity Killed the Kat,

They say revenge is a dish best served cold; but, I know better.

I’ve had thousands of horrible first lines. They have since all been deleted.

6. We’re all sharing here! What’s one of your worst first lines?

I’ve had thousands of horrible first lines. They have since all been deleted. Haha.

7. What are some things a first line *shouldn’t* be? What are some things that you’ve read in first lines that really rubs you the wrong way?

I don’t prefer first lines that reveal too much. I want to guess, have my curiosity sparked and want me to read more.

8. Do you have any suggestions for other authors on how to write a great first line? Have you heard any great advice yourself?

Don’t think too hard and let it come from the heart of the story.

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Genre – Romantic Suspense

Rating – R

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First Lines interview with author Joe Hefferon

1. Do you consider the first line to be an important part of a story? If so, why?

No. First lines can be an important to set the tone and engage the reader, but not always. They also can help the author get started. I used to think they were critical, but the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Lonesome Dove, begins,

When Augustus came out on the porch the blue pigs were eating a rattlesnake – not a very big one.

It’s hardly a memorable line, but within a few pages you’re hooked for the next 900. Sometimes I think first lines gain importance retrospectively if the book attains a level of literary acclaim.

 

2. Do you find first lines easy to come up with, or challenging? Do you have a technique, or a ritual, that you go by to make it easy?

I think first lines can be challenging, but sometimes they just flow. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but it’s the early, exciting stage of a new project, so it’s a fun challenge. It definitely helps to propel me forward. When I’m writing a profile of someone I just interviewed, the opening line is like kick-starting the engine.
I have no technique. I just have feelings that come out as words.

 

3. What consequences, if any, do you think there are in having a badly written first line?

If by badly written, you mean poorly constructed, cumbersome, convoluted or otherwise confusing – it’s sudden death. Your book goes back on the shelf or the reader flips to the next article in the magazine. This pertains mostly to unknown and amateur authors. But a first line is like a first impression. It’s why supermarkets put fresh produce in the entrance. A badly written opening line tells the reader that either you have no talent or you don’t care, either way, it won’t be read.

 

4. What’s your favourite first line that you’ve ever read? And can you recall a worst?

Tough question. Some of my favorite books have uneventful first lines, but they introduce some powerful first paragraphs. I recently read “Stiff – The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach. Her opening line is funny and sets the tenor of the book,

The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship.

 

5. What is one of your own best first lines?

It’s the one I wrote for an upcoming novel, but I can’t reveal it just yet.

 

6. We’re all sharing here! What’s one of your worst first lines?

Did the sun just come out or did you just smile at me?

(hey I’m a writer and an ex-cop; I’ve spent a lot of time in bars)

 

7. What are some things a first line *shouldn’t* be? What are some things that you’ve read in first lines that really rubs you the wrong way?

I think it’s obvious when a first line is trying too hard to be a first line. It’s as if you can tell the writer placed too much importance on it and consequently over-wrote it. They shouldn’t be distinct from the initial experience. It really doesn’t matter how good it is, as long as it isn’t bad.
One of my pet peeves in magazine articles or blogs is when a writer opens with a definition. “Websters defines success as…” Shoot me.

 

8. Do you have any suggestions for other authors on how to write a great first line? Have you heard any great advice yourself?

I’m a fan of longer, cumulative sentences, but I think there is a danger if your first line is too long. If it’s going to be long, it better be brilliant. It should be good enough to hold the reader’s interest through the next line, then the opening sequence. If you can grab the reader there, within that opening scene, you’re well on your way. My advice is to make it very good, make it a perfect sentence, not necessarily a memorable one. “Call me Ishmael,” by itself, doesn’t do it for me. If that line were followed by a dreadful book, no one would have ever said, “Too bad the book was lousy; it had a great opening line.”

For an unknown author or an amateur, it’s better for the first line to be polished than remarkable.

A book is an experience. It begins with a great cover, an intriguing title, then a well-crafted opening line that leads the reader thru a portal into the world of the story. It should be a part of the experience, like a professional butler who leads you into a magnificent home; you’re there for the home not the butler, but it helps. That being said, rarely do first lines remain a part of our literary memory if the rest of the book was mediocre.

 

“Do you feel a rage to achieve? Are you unsure how to begin? What are the secrets to building an extraordinary life? What are the best methods for generating ideas, formulating a plan and constructing your vision?

In The Seventh Level, Joe Hefferon guides you through a seven-step process distilled from an exploration of the world’s most ingenious minds—the architects of the great cathedrals and skyscrapers, the visionary galleries and awe-inspiring residences. Nearly every important moment of our lives is in some way connected to a built place, and now that place can be you.

Join forces with the architects to design the life you’ve always dreamed of. This is your pocket renaissance, the new era of you, the quest for that elusive seventh level.”

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Blog http://joehefferon.blogspot.com/