Writer Wednesday: First lines

I love picking up books and reading just the first line.
If it grabs me, I could disappear for the next few days.

Same with movies.
Same with plays.

In fiction, first lines can establish tone, who’s telling the story, the world, the question of the story — even genre.

In film, TV, and theatre, you get visuals and sound to accompany the words. Even if the screen or stage is black and a voice comes through — that’s already a choice.

On Homicide, it was a close-up on shoes. A siren in the distance. Night. An alley.

Then you hear:

“If I could just find the damn thing… I could go home.”

(Slow pan up. We’ll later learn this is Lewis.)

But the first person you actually see saying something is the other guy:

Crosetti: “Life is a mystery. Just accept it.”
Lewis: “In your own world, Crosetti.”
Crosetti: “The quest is what matters. Not finding. Looking. I read about it in this book.”

Nice setup.

Two characters.
A philosophy.
A relationship.
A world.

All in just a few lines.

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Prompts

1. Break Down the Scene

Break down the first four lines of this scene.

As if you knew nothing about Homicide: Life on the Street, what could you say about:

• Who these two people are

• Where they might be

• Their personalities

• Their relationship

What do the dialogue, visuals, and sound suggest?

Remember — just the first four lines. Let your imagination go wild.

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2. The Novel First Line

Find your favorite first line from a novel.

If you don’t have one, here are a few classics.

Now — as if you know nothing about the novel — tell us everything you can imagine from just that one line.

Tone.
World.
Voice.
Genre.
Questions.

Let your imagination guide you.

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3. Bonus

Write your own first line.

Just one.

No explanation.
No backstory.
Just the line.

See what happens.

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Some Fun News

Writers Circle
Saturday, April 11th
8–9:30am PST
11–12:30pm EST

Also — starting next week:

Guest Prompters Series

Once a month, I’ll post a video from a fabulous colleague, friend, or family member. They’ll talk you through a prompt. You can post your response — and if you like, I’ll send it on to them.

Should be fun. Cheers!