Give me the first line of your book & only the first line.

[Bryan]

Give me what you feel is the best first line of your book that you have ever used.

Or give me FIRST line of a book that would make you want to read more!

[Michael]

Very first line of my latest book, Underneath:

Hugh walked into the park and made his way along the path, until he came to a bench.

Thrilling stuff, I'm sure you'll agree.

[Becky]

Michael wrote: "Very first line of my latest book, Underneath:

Hugh walked into the park and made his way along the path, until he came to a bench.

Thrilling stuff, I'm sure you'll agree."

HAHA.

[Bryan]

First line of my book- Home for the night-
Damn him. Damn him to hell.

[Belinda]

Bryan wrote: "First line of my book- Home for the night-
Damn him. Damn him to hell."

I like that.

[Belinda]

First line of my book - After All Is Said And Done


Sarah Williams leaned against the wall as Gavin kissed her neck and throat.

[Helena]

First line of 75x75=Flash Fraction

'She sees there's snow falling as she draws curtains over white ghost-like impressions on the darkening windows.'

[Michael]

This comes from my novel "Don't Hang On": "An unarmed security guard has two weapons: common sense and a maglight."

[Bryan]

Michael wrote: "This comes from my novel "Don't Hang On": "An unarmed security guard has two weapons: common sense and a maglight.""

[Bryan]

Very good- says it all.

[Bryan]

Helena wrote: "First line of 75x75=Flash Fraction

'She sees there's snow falling as she draws curtains over white ghost-like impressions on the darkening windows.'"

[Bryan]

I like it. I feel like I am there with your character. Great.

[Helena]

Bryan wrote: "First line of my book- Home for the night-
Damn him. Damn him to hell."

Yup that works for me!

[Kayla]

First line for my new novella, Under By Duress:

“You got me a stun gun?”

[Bryan]

Kayla wrote: "First line for my new novella, Under By Duress:

“You got me a stun gun?”"

Great opening line!

[Christopher]

First Line from my fantasy novel Parallel.
An office, or what had once been an office, its wood panelled walls, soft lighting and fine furniture, testified to its opulence, but no glory remained.

[K.L.]

First line of Absolom Rex:

“Did you know Jewish Law requires what they call ‘circumcision’ of all male children?”

[Hazel]

Cool topic!

First line of On a Foreign Field: A Story of Loyalty and Brotherhood

"The eve of battle is like the quiet time before the dawn, the calm before the storm breaks."

[B.B.]

Very cool topic! (I found this through YOU Hazel!)

First line, first chapter of The Glister Journals: Bronze

"This moment had been replaying in my life every year since I could remember anything at all."

[Hazel]

B.B. wrote: "Very cool topic! (I found this through YOU Hazel!)

First line, first chapter of The Glister Journals: Bronze

"This moment had been replaying in my life every year since I could remember anything ..."

Haha ;) I'll admit I have a fascination with first lines in books. Can we start a topic of our favorite first lines?

[Steve]

Lucy Kennedy pulled off the motorway following the road signs to the Road Chef restaurant just outside Dundee.

[Valerie]

First line of my novel, Laws of Contrition:

Fuck being in a restaurant with him, Tanya Pryce thought.

[Valerie]

Kayla wrote: "First line for my new novella, Under By Duress:

“You got me a stun gun?”"

I like that; triggers, pardon the pun, all kinds of thoughts. :)

[Carla]

Nice thread, Bryan! Like your style. Keeps us authors on our toes.

A kind commenter just described my short thriller Slaughterhouse as "intriguing".

First line:

Kris Kartofski’s Diary Entry. December 21st.

[Carla]

Michael wrote: "Very first line of my latest book, Underneath:

Hugh walked into the park and made his way along the path, until he came to a bench.

Thrilling stuff, I'm sure you'll agree."

This post really made me laugh, for good reasons! No witches, werewolves or comets hitting houses. Just a bloke walking up to a bench.

Love it Michael.

[Ellie]

Hi everyone. The first line from my book, Ship of Haunts:

Not every girl gets stalked by a ghost. Or haunted by a ship.

No prizes for guessing the name of the ship. Small clue: large iceberg.

[Mark]

From Unforced Error:

It was clear Yukon didn't like what he saw.

[Miles]

First line of Spontaneous Combustion: Enlightenment and the Cosmic Crucible

"Simply stated, life is a mystery."

[[deleted user]]

I cannot say exactly when I fell in love with Paris.

From Mindful Journeys: Paris and Other Illusions
Free book of travel essays right here on Goodreads.

[[deleted user]]

First line of Anne Boleyn and the Zombie Apocalypse
"I could not believe my eyes, my mother was eaten in half on the kitchen floor."

[[deleted user]]

First line of A Rose During the Winter
"Unicorn blood and horns were hot on the black market in the Human Compound, and that's why I'm killing one."

[Bryan]

E. wrote: "I cannot say exactly when I fell in love with Paris.

From Mindful Journeys: Paris and Other IllusionsFree book of travel essays right here on Goodreads."

This was touching to me. I would love to see some "salt" or hear the second shoe fall-

"I cannot say exactly say when I fell in love with Paris, oh yes I can - it was the moment I saw her- I knew I was in love."
But I loved it nonetheless. Great.

[Andrew]

Not really a book but the beginning of a possible short story.

"He got up, eat bamboo for a while and then trudged back to sleep."

I should get better than this.

[Belinda]

Bianca wrote: "First line of Anne Boleyn and the Zombie Apocalypse
"I could not believe my eyes, my mother was eaten in half on the kitchen floor.""

That's an attention grabber! Love it!

[Bryan]

Valerie wrote: "Kayla wrote: "First line for my new novella, Under By Duress:

“You got me a stun gun?”"

I like that; triggers, pardon the pun, all kinds of thoughts. :)"

For our Anniversary?
For my birthday?

[Mike]

“Come on, Andy. It’s time to get up."

First line of The Timekeeper's Son

[R.J.]

I shot him. That's how summer with my swift man began, three shots..

Watching Swifts

[[deleted user]]

This book was never published but:

"I swooped down with my wings."

[L]

Can i ask something...is having someone speaking okay as an opening to a novel??

[R.J.]

Lucinda wrote: "Can i ask something...is having someone speaking okay as an opening to a novel??"

Yes, of course it is.

[Bryan]

Lucinda wrote: "Can i ask something...is having someone speaking okay as an opening to a novel??"

My opinion is yes- whatever works to grab the reader and make them keep reading. Also a great opening line not only sets the stage but is very helpful for the writer to propel them onward to continue writing.

[[deleted user]]

Belinda wrote: "Bianca wrote: "First line of Anne Boleyn and the Zombie Apocalypse
"I could not believe my eyes, my mother was eaten in half on the kitchen floor.""

That's an attention grabber! Love it!"

Oh, thank you so much for the kind words, I was kinda scared it wouldn't grab people

[Missy]

Narrative Non-Fiction: i am the sum of all my fears.
First Line: "This is a story that I don’t want you to know, but it’s begging to be told."

Adult Fiction Horror: Island of Dolls
First Line: "It was the sound of flesh hitting flesh that woke her."

Adult Fiction Romance: Hurricane (Battlefield #1)
First Line: "I’d been walking to class, desperately trying to avoid the bodies pressing in on me in the crowded hall when he’d stepped in front of me and I’d crashed into him with all the finesse of a lumberjack hitting a tree."

Adult Fiction Paranormal Romance: Cadence
First Line: "It was muffled, a glaring silence that was only broken by the crack of his hand against her flesh."

Adult Fiction Paranormal Romance: Untitled
First Line: "He glistened; glistened the way a man who’d worked up a sweat pleasuring his lover glistened."

[Stan]

I don’t recall when, exactly, I accepted the likelihood that my mother and my father and my sister and my brother were dead.

This line is from Surviving the Fog-Kathy's Recollections

[Lakshmi]

First line of my novel "The Second Choice" -

"Pavithra sat in the veranda with her head bowed, holding her four-year old daughter Anu on her lap..."

[Victoria]

First line from my debut Lilith, Twin Souls Book 1

"Silently, I moved through the dark sidelines of the club, barely noticed by the crowds of people who danced long in to the night."

[L]

(Thank you R.J and Brian)

[B.C.]

The First Chapter of Solstice Night opens with...



"Positive/Negative

Light/Dark

Male/Female

Life...

The universe really was that simple."

[[deleted user]]

Bryan wrote: "E. wrote: "I cannot say exactly when I fell in love with Paris.

From Mindful Journeys: Paris and Other IllusionsFree book of travel essays right here on Goodreads."

This was touching to me. I wou..."

It wasn't exactly love at first sight as yours seems to have been. But then, it has endured.
Thank you, Bryan, for this thread. I've had fun reading it.

[[deleted user]]

Wenatef opened his eyes to darkness and a silence so intense that it was stronger than any noise, stronger even than the pounding agony in his head.