First and last....

maestrowork · Apr 19, 2007

Rich said:
Never start a story with a boring first line.

Never start a story with a boring first paragraph.

Never end a story with a boring last line.

So, what are your first and last lines, and together, do you think it would "hook" the readers just by the first and last lines?

What do you think?

---

The Pacific Between:

First line: "Betrayal makes us do strange things."
Last line: "I do."

NeuroFizz · Apr 19, 2007

For the one I just finished (Title = 3.99):

First line:
Have you ever felt an overwhelming urge, a need, to do something totally inappropriate?

Last line:
For me, today was one of those metamorphic days.

maestrowork · Apr 19, 2007

Now, that sounds interesting.

Claudia Gray · Apr 19, 2007

My first: "Today was the first day of school, which meant it was my last chance to escape."

My last: "I'd burn it in a few minutes, but not yet, not just yet."

Devil Ledbetter · Apr 19, 2007

[FONT=&quot]First line: Clive crouched on the basement floor near his dismantled furnace, fascinated by the young woman on her hands and knees.

Since I'm about 4/5ths of the way through draft two, I don't yet have my final line.
[/FONT]

davids · Apr 19, 2007

first line-Quint’s face left blood scratched into the alley pavement, and Harry's insanity pushed him closer to discovery

last line-“Off to our next adventure dear Paul, off to our next adventure!”.

Beats the heck out of me but so far so good!-not a part of the book-HA!

David McAfee · Apr 19, 2007

33 A.D.

First Line - They are coming.

Last Line - "I have you now, Pritchard," Ramah said aloud, the words echoing against the walls of the makeshift tomb.

Chosen:

First Line - My death was never reported to the police.

Last Line - in revision.

May 15th:

First Line - Manny Rosado sat on his bunk and waited for the screws to bring in the new fish, knowing one of them would be his cell mate.

Last Line - Not Done w/book yet.

Jenan Mac · Apr 19, 2007

First: He was tense, had been tense for more than a few days.

Last: But I must, for the generations of us yet to come.

Would it hook anybody? Beats me.

Jenan Mac · Apr 19, 2007

maestrowork said:
First line: "Betrayal makes us do strange things."
Last line: "I do."

Someone might observe that those two lines alone are a story.

ccarver30 · Apr 19, 2007

First: :Bloody hell," Alyssa sighed.

Last: "Finally we agree on something."

Will Lavender · Apr 19, 2007

Jenan Mac said:
Someone might observe that those two lines alone are a story.

And a pretty good one, at that.

Anonymisty · Apr 19, 2007

First line: "Cold waves splashed across the railings, nearly knocking Kestrel over."

Okay, I admit...I broke the rule. I opened with weather.

Last line: "Kestrel put her lips together and began to whistle."

But I ended with music. Is there a rule about that? *grin*

underthecity · Apr 19, 2007

First line of Ghost Machine:

Greg Sadler wiggled the final vacuum tube into its socket.

Last line: She waved goodbye and got into her car and drove off as police cars, fire engines, and even an ambulance pulled into the formerly quiet neighborhood of Newport Avenue in Pasadena.

That last line has yet to be revised. The first line has been revised and rewritten at least a hundred times.

If you want me to post the last last line, then it's: Scientists are baffled.

That "last last line" comes from an Afterword consisting of two follow-up newspaper articles. The previous last line is the last line of the story.

allen

Will Lavender · Apr 19, 2007

The last line of my book is a major spoiler, so for those who might (please God) read it when it hits the shelves in early '08, I'll keep that a secret.

First Line of Obedience:

The strange thing about Professor Williams was that nobody had ever seen him.

Will Lavender · Apr 19, 2007

underthecity said:
That "last last line" comes from an Afterword consisting of two follow-up newspaper articles. The previous last line is the last line of the story.

*head explodes*

Rob B · Apr 19, 2007

First Line: "Fucked"
Last Line: "Goddammit, it was worth it."

108,000 words in between.

Jack Nog · Apr 19, 2007

I'll bite.

First: "I'll Kill You"

Last: Sometimes, she could just kill her eleven-year old.

Kinda wicked if you think about it.

WildScribe · Apr 19, 2007

Rob B said:
First Line: "Fucked"
Last Line: "Goddammit, it was worth it."

108,000 words in between.

Perfect.

WildScribe · Apr 19, 2007

Jack Nog said:
I'll bite.

First: "I'll Kill You"

Last: Sometimes, she could just kill her eleven-year old.

Kinda wicked if you think about it.

Are you feeling... angry?

underthecity · Apr 19, 2007

Rob B said:
First Line: "Fucked"
Last Line: "Goddammit, it was worth it."

108,000 words in between.

I can't wait to read it. It sounds awesome!

allen

Jack Nog · Apr 19, 2007

WildScribe said:
Are you feeling... angry?

LOL nope, I have a one year old. Love him TOO MUCH.

scribbler1382 · Apr 19, 2007

First: Blane sucked in a wheezing breath and increased the pressure on the trigger.
Last: "Sally?" Frank said, dropping to one knee in the morning's dew-strung grass.

Andre_Laurent · Apr 19, 2007

New WIP.

First line: Julian Wilkes was about to visit hell.

No last line yet.

The other one I'm working on.

First line: He'd done nothing wrong, yet they were going to kill him.

No last line yet.

Tachyon · Apr 19, 2007

First line: A cacophony of sounds permeated the inn by the roadside, a stark contrast to the bleak and silent rain coming down in torrents outside.

Last line: The sun set on Torsanyn, and the long day ended.

The last one's metaphorical and makes more sense after one has read the entire novel, of course. It basically sums up the consequences of what happens.

Southern_girl29 · Apr 19, 2007

First line, which will probably change because I am in rewrites: Gracie gripped the door knob and turned the handle.

Last line, which again, will probably be changed due to the rewrites: They shared a bond not too many possessed.

First and last....

Fear the Death Ray

The grad students did it

Fear the Death Ray

Come on you stranger, you legend,

God of Squirrels

The Deadliest Bunny

The Deadliest Bunny

Nicole Castro

Everything is what it seems.

Finestkind

Everything is what it seems.

Everything is what it seems.

Brain-farts are useful too.

Slave to the Wordcount

Slave to the Wordcount

Finestkind

Brain-farts are useful too.

Write For You, Edit For The Reader