KILLER FIRST LINES...OR AT LEAST UNFORGETTABLE by Catherine Lanigan & Rula Sinara


Catherine: Maybe it’s due to the fact that RWA is over and the authors, both published and unpublished are headed back home with visions of creating a romantic literary masterpiece that caused Rula and me to think about “killer first lines.”

There’s not an editor out there who doesn’t drool over a showstopping opener. And not an author who hasn’t spent sleepless nights and worn paths in rugs trying to come up with something new and fresh. Yep, guilty as charged. It’s one thing to write the entire novel. Snap of the fingers for some. But that first line? Ugh. The blood, sweat and tears over the task. The only thing just as difficult for a real novelist…writing a synopsis. Let me just write the book, send it to you and we go from there. But the synopsis…I’d rather eat dirt.


“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austin wrote those immortal words as the opener to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. This line sets the mood for the entire story. The story of the Bennett family and the matchmaking between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy has set the bar for romances for two centuries. 


Since my next Heartwarming release is a Christmas story, I have to admit that my favorite Christmas story is by Charles Dickens...A CHRISTMAS CAROL. “Marley was dead, to begin with.” Sure wish I’d written that one! But I didn’t. Equally as legendary, this opener is the descriptor of “killer” lines—no pun as it refers to death. 

THE CHRISTMAS STAR, my novel set against the Vietnam war began: “Plunk. Thud. Plunk. Tommy felt numb as pellets of earth fell through his fingers and clattered against his mother’s sleek wood casket.” The story was deeply dramatic and the pall of both death and sacrifice for the sake of true love was exemplified by this opener. 


My favorite opener of my Heartwarming books was from HEART'S DESIRE (renamed The Sweetest Heart when the movie released). At the time when I sold it and got the call, my editor quoted that first line back to me and said, “Great writing.” The line is: “The February fog rolled across the frozen flats of Indian Lake and curled long, diaphanous fingers around the pines and maples at the water’s edge.” Now that I’m working on book #12 in the series, I think back to that first conversation and what it was like to create my loving community of Indian Lake with joy.

What are your favorites, Rula?

Rula: Those are great first lines, Catherine! I'd say that George Orwell's 1984 is one that stands out to me. I remember it making me stop for a second when I first read it back in high school (my copy is the 51st printing with a different cover but the cover shown is the latest). The first line is: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Anyone have a clock with thirteen hours on it? That line really sets the tone for the story.


Another first line (or two) that struck me are from Toni Morrison's BELOVED. I absolutely love Toni Morrison's writing. "124 was spiteful. Full of a baby's venom." I mean, no one thinks of a pure little baby as being venomous, right? That had me hooked.


I was looking through my Heartwarming books and it was hard to pick one because I seem to tie in the first several lines. I seem to be more of a first paragraph person lol. And I wasn't sure if we were counting first lines in prologues or not. But here's one. I'm cheating. I'm giving the first two lines. From THROUGH THE STORM, book 3 in my Kenya series and a story that, like the rest, involves the topic of ivory poaching..."He would come after her. Without him, Tessa Henning wasn't worth the dust left by a mercilessly harvested and exquisitely carved elephant's tusk, but once he discovered she knew too much, Brice would hunt her down just the same."



There's also the line from EVERY SERENGETI SUNRISE, book 4 of my series set in Kenya, that I like because it embodies the story...one where the hero, Haki Odaba, had his fortune read at one time and is torn between a woman he believes he's meant to be with and the one he truly loves. Later in the story, there is a scene where the heroine also has her fortune read by a Masai elder, so it all ties in with the theme that we can control our destinies. Here's the line: "Haki Odaba's future was written in the stones: a few goats, plenty of elephants and a wife who would light up his days like the Serengeti's blinding sun."



So, everyone…what are your all time favorite lines? Please share with us! And, authors, feel free to include your favorite from your own work as well!

EDITED TO ADD RECENT SAD NEWS: Our condolences for the loss of one of the world's greatest writers. Toni Morrison passed away yesterday, August 5, 2019, at the age of 88. She was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel prize in literature. Here is a link to an article on her in the New York Times from just a few hours ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/books/toni-morrison-dead.html


Coming November 2019...

Can a magical Christmas under glass…

…bring them back together for good?

Widowed dad Adam Masterson still doesn’t understand why Joy Boston left Indian Lake and broke his heart all those years ago. Now she’s returned to sell her grandfather’s beloved poinsettia greenhouse—and Joy and Adam’s connection is as strong as ever. But Joy has a life in New York. And Adam has only until Christmas to convince Joy that she belongs in Indian Lake—with him.

Available for pre-order!

Harlequin


Available now!

Can he love her…

And keep her safe?

No one in Turtleback Beach knows that veterinarian Grayson Zale is in the witness protection program—not even the woman who left him at the altar. When a joint inheritance brings Mandi Rivers back to their small seaside town, Gray can’t deny that their connection is as strong as ever. But his mysterious past remains between them; can he reveal the truth without endangering Mandi—and their future?



Happy reading!

Catherine & Rula

Comments

  1. I loved reading those iconic ‘killer’ first lines. You’re so right, ladies,about how important that first line is. I enjoy trying to come up with a good first line way more than writing a synopsis. There have been a couple I’ve been proud of in my career. I look forward to reading the first lines - and more - of your upcoming and current releases though!

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    1. Janice, so nice to hear from you. I gotta say...I need to read Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time. Both Rula and I are working on more and more stories!

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    2. Thank, Janice :). I agree. I'd rather work on first lines than on a synopsis! Looking forward to your books too :).

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  2. Great blog! I agree that killer first lines can really hook a reader and set the tone. I work on mine, but you ladies have set the bar high!

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    1. Thanks, Cathy! I'll argue that you and the other authors here set high bars!

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  3. I remember pausing when I first began reading Beloved! I love the opening lines you included.

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    1. It's so true. That line is KILLER in every sense of the word.

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    2. That first line really does make you pause, doesn't it?

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  4. Just for fun, I picked up a Mark Twain collection from the shelf. It's the second line I like:

    You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly.

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    1. Oh my gosh...I love Mark Twain. And this is absolutely perfect! Thanks, Beth!

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    2. It does make you wonder about that 'truth'...mainly. ;)

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  5. I love reading these first lines. I guess it's only appropriate that one come from a Morrison book on this day of loss for the literary world. Until recently she was writing and lecturing and teaching. Now that's a role model. I love the examples you gave from your own books--just as compelling as those that have lived beyond their authors. They're graceful and lyrical and invite readers into your books.

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    1. What a lovely thing to say, Virginia. And yes, Toni was an icon.

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    2. Oh my gosh, Virginia. I had not seen the news until seconds ago! I went to look it up when I read your comment. I can't believe it. Such an incredible loss. One of the first Toni Morrison books I read was The Bluest Eye, still sitting on my shelf because it was unforgettable. She was a gift to this world. May she rest in peace.

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    3. I edited the post to add mention of her loss and a link to a NY Times article that came out on her a few hours ago. Thanks for the heads up, Virginia.

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  6. I love first lines. And I walk the carpet trying to come up with killer first lines. Some of my favorites and I'm paraphrasing are:

    "The fact that Jack Mercy was dead didn't make him less of a son-of-a-b*t*ch." Nora Roberts.

    "Money, Erika, Like poverty, is one of life's true burdens." Mine from the book Legacy.

    "It was a good day to be free of prison." David Baldacci.

    "My decision to become a lawyer was irrevocably sealed when I realized my father hated the legal profession." The Rainmaker by John Grisham.

    I could go on and on. I love first lines.

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    1. Love those first lines, Shirley, including yours!!

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  7. What a great post. I love reading first lines.

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  8. I love this post. I loved reading that Nora Roberts line about Jack Mercy, too--that was a great book. And now I'm thinking...

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    1. Thanks, Liz! I think reading first lines is inspiring :).

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