“The hardest part of running is the first step out the door.”
– some running guru
“The hardest part of writing is the first decisive keystroke.”
-Mickey Miller
I don’t plan on doing much ‘author-splaining’ in this blog. Every author finds what works for them, and what works for one doesn’t work for another. I merely plan to use this as a means for you to see the man behind the madness, so to speak. Second, it’s just a way for me to work through my thought process. I’m not Stephen King–and I fully admit that. I’m not trying to be, either.
So take everything with a grain of salt. But it’s fun to go behind the scenes, right? Let’s have some fun with this next analogy.
Writing and physical activity may seem to be on totally different spectrums, but I would argue they are not. In fact, the physical and the mental have a stronger connection then many think, in my humble opinion.
A part of writing at that often gets called over analyzed is ‘what should the first line of the book be?’
Or maybe it’s just me that does the over analyzing. However, in a world where there are so many options for books, the cover and the first line are key for giving the reader the best possible experience. And it makes sense. Hey, if you can’t write a good first line, why would someone think you’d be able to write a good book?
All this being said, I don’t call myself an ‘expert of the first line’ by any means. But here’s the key to the very first line of the book:
Rule 1 of writing: You can always rewrite it.
I know, it’s a little cliche, but it’s true. The first lines that I write are rarely the lines I end up using.
Here are some sample first lines from books that I’ve written
Playing Dirty:
My Boss was a world class dick.
My analysis: Not a horrible first line. Already, we know the main character (Andrea) is an employee and has a boss, so it conveys some meaning. However, it doesn’t give the reader a clue about the romance to come.
The Casanova Experience:
“Last call, flight two-zero-two, direct from Chicago to Barcelona.”
I’m a fan of this line because it conveys to the reader one of the main settings of the stories, Barcelona. However, it doesn’t pack a lot of emotional punch.
Professor with Benefits
Never sleep with a student. Shit, I could have told you that. I went to Harvard. I don’t need to go to a damn seminar to understand it’s a bad idea to mix with the ones you’re teaching.
I love this first line/sequence. The main character, Professor Hanks, is expressing what is essentially the administration’s moral policy which he’ll go on to (spoiler!) break when he hooks up with a student. Gotta love when characters are proved wrong.
Mechanic with Benefits
Ever have one of those days where it feels like the universe is messing with you?
Not horrible. The female MC (Haley) is going through a very tough time when our story starts, and the final straw is when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. I think we’ve all had one of those days.
Now let’s take a look at one more. This one is a WIP (work in progress). I may or may not keep this line for the final draft of the story.
Boss with Benefits
I gaze out the window of the tallest building in Blackwell, hands on my hips as I rapidly become more irate with my talent recruiter.
These are my first lines.
For me, it’s a lot less of a science, and more of a gut feeling of “what would this character be thinking/saying/doing when inserted into their situation.
If you’re an author, how do you come up with a first line?
And for all the readers out there, are there any famous first lines of books that stick out to you?
And as a last thought, I find when the worst part about obsessing over the first line is I’m not working on the second. Once you get rolling, the last thing you’ll be worried about is the very first line. Going back to that first quote about how writing is like running–often the toughest part
Mickey Miller is a member of RWA, avid reader and romance author. You can catch his books on Amazon here.