(no subject)
(Excuse the spam - two posts in one night! It is partly using my mood theme, yes, but partly gotta get posts in while I'm actually home.)
That First Lines meme!
I had to go back to Dec 07 to get twenty actual stories. Excluding ficlets/drabbles. How far back did anyone else who did this meme have to go? Or would you have to go? I don't think that's too bad - a story every couple of weeks - given my work schedule, but if others only have to go back a month or so I shall feel very unprolific.
1. The table is knocked over, papers and pens scattered to the floor. - Oblivio
2. The scene unfolds before Sam as if he's looking on from afar. - Break into a thousand pieces
3. How I Will Change the World, by Dean Winchester - How I Will Change The World
4. Sam twisted the dial and listened for sound - music or voice, anything that he could turn into company to go along with his studies. Just Go Somewhere And Hang Out
5. The fire grasps him with thick, heavy flames that threaten to drag him into its depths and never let him go. - Hellish
6. Dean traced the route with his finger, snaking along until he found their destination.- The Song That Never Ends
7. Ghosts - Following the Lead
8. Missouri hears about it first, sees it in her mind’s eye before it even happens. - Smells Like Volcanoes
9. The smooth beige paint of a wall swims into focus.- Half The World Away
10. The harsh, impatient rapping at the door continues. - PS I Love You
11. Professor Michaels is holding his palms toward the sky and is giving Peter an eager smile
- A Helping Hand
12. There’s a secret among the Winchesters. - Half the Lies You Tell Ain't True
13. A new state and Sam’s shaken off his sulk already, shed that skin and is already slipping on a new one. In Sight
14. The thin curtains are no match for the sunlight. - And I Feel Fine
15. Chuck raises his sights from scuffed shoes up to a sneer. - Martinis and Manipulations
16. Matt knows Julie doesn’t see him anymore.- To Be Seen
17. Sam had to give both Dad and Dean credit for teaching him how to speak. - Unspoken
18."It is Christmas, Sam. It's one in the morning!" Dean gave Sam his best pleading eyes but Sam leaned back onto his elbows and stared at the ceiling- There Really Is A Santa, Dean
19.Light blazed into Dean’s eyes, white heat burning his retinas. - Searching For Lost Time
20. Dean’s sacrificed himself for Sam and the burden hangs heavy around Sam’s neck. - Slipping Through His Fingers
What do these lines tell me?
Only one starts with dialogue.
The HUGE MAJORITY of them start with action. A couple generally set the scene or theme of the piece, but most start with action. I don't know what to make of this. I guess I feel it's important to get going with the story, to provide immediate interest. Where I have generically scene set or set the theme of the piece, I'm not sure it's entirely effective.
They're pretty evenly split between past and present tense which is interesting.
A Gossip Girl and a Friday Night Lights fic squeeze in there. (I didn't include the GG fic I just posted as I collated this last night, LOL, before I posted it). Interesting that in the past year I've started to experiment in other fandoms.
I think No 8 is one of the most effective first lines - makes me want to read on. It's interesting to see how 'grabbing' the lines are when taken by themselves. I'll certainly think more carefully about my opening from now on. Perhaps experiment more with scene/theme setting in a more subtle manner - I feel I hit it too obviously in a couple of these.
Thoughts about first lines? What makes an effective first line? Or a bad one? How do YOU like to start stories?
That First Lines meme!
I had to go back to Dec 07 to get twenty actual stories. Excluding ficlets/drabbles. How far back did anyone else who did this meme have to go? Or would you have to go? I don't think that's too bad - a story every couple of weeks - given my work schedule, but if others only have to go back a month or so I shall feel very unprolific.
1. The table is knocked over, papers and pens scattered to the floor. - Oblivio
2. The scene unfolds before Sam as if he's looking on from afar. - Break into a thousand pieces
3. How I Will Change the World, by Dean Winchester - How I Will Change The World
4. Sam twisted the dial and listened for sound - music or voice, anything that he could turn into company to go along with his studies. Just Go Somewhere And Hang Out
5. The fire grasps him with thick, heavy flames that threaten to drag him into its depths and never let him go. - Hellish
6. Dean traced the route with his finger, snaking along until he found their destination.- The Song That Never Ends
7. Ghosts - Following the Lead
8. Missouri hears about it first, sees it in her mind’s eye before it even happens. - Smells Like Volcanoes
9. The smooth beige paint of a wall swims into focus.- Half The World Away
10. The harsh, impatient rapping at the door continues. - PS I Love You
11. Professor Michaels is holding his palms toward the sky and is giving Peter an eager smile
- A Helping Hand
12. There’s a secret among the Winchesters. - Half the Lies You Tell Ain't True
13. A new state and Sam’s shaken off his sulk already, shed that skin and is already slipping on a new one. In Sight
14. The thin curtains are no match for the sunlight. - And I Feel Fine
15. Chuck raises his sights from scuffed shoes up to a sneer. - Martinis and Manipulations
16. Matt knows Julie doesn’t see him anymore.- To Be Seen
17. Sam had to give both Dad and Dean credit for teaching him how to speak. - Unspoken
18."It is Christmas, Sam. It's one in the morning!" Dean gave Sam his best pleading eyes but Sam leaned back onto his elbows and stared at the ceiling- There Really Is A Santa, Dean
19.Light blazed into Dean’s eyes, white heat burning his retinas. - Searching For Lost Time
20. Dean’s sacrificed himself for Sam and the burden hangs heavy around Sam’s neck. - Slipping Through His Fingers
What do these lines tell me?
Only one starts with dialogue.
The HUGE MAJORITY of them start with action. A couple generally set the scene or theme of the piece, but most start with action. I don't know what to make of this. I guess I feel it's important to get going with the story, to provide immediate interest. Where I have generically scene set or set the theme of the piece, I'm not sure it's entirely effective.
They're pretty evenly split between past and present tense which is interesting.
A Gossip Girl and a Friday Night Lights fic squeeze in there. (I didn't include the GG fic I just posted as I collated this last night, LOL, before I posted it). Interesting that in the past year I've started to experiment in other fandoms.
I think No 8 is one of the most effective first lines - makes me want to read on. It's interesting to see how 'grabbing' the lines are when taken by themselves. I'll certainly think more carefully about my opening from now on. Perhaps experiment more with scene/theme setting in a more subtle manner - I feel I hit it too obviously in a couple of these.
Thoughts about first lines? What makes an effective first line? Or a bad one? How do YOU like to start stories?