HOW to get a-WAY with MUR-der
No, this post isn't about writing murder mysteries. It's about great beginnings that "start where the story begins."
This recent TV series starring Viola Davis (The Help) opened to a roaring beginning. The way she says the title, "HOW to get a-WAY with MUR-der," might be the most clever way to open a series ever. I read that the producers and Viola worked a long while to get the cadence and the emphasis just right. And, wow, did they ever. I listen for that before every episode.
What grabs your attention when you choose a book? It's been argued that the cover is most important, or the blurb alone determines whether you read it or not, or perhaps the first line, the first paragraph, or the first chapter.
Or if the book starts "Where the Story Begins."
Beginnings. That's what it's all about--how to make a reader choose your book. For this little exercise, I have chosen first lines from ten books written by author friends or acquaintances. In other words, this list does not contain, "It was the best of times, it was..." Or with the weather. You get the picture.
Want to take this poll? Read the ten lines and choose three you like best, or those you think would make you buy the book. Rank your three choices using the letters...and tell me in a comment. If you want to take the time, tell me why your first choice caught your attention.
List them in order of best first in your comment. Ready?
A-The front door slammed shut, silencing Lizzy's
eighteenth birthday celebration.
B-"He has walled us in alive! Our own lord has
abandoned us!"
C-Gideon entered his sister's crowded SoHo gallery
in Manhattan and glanced at his watch.
D-"Reese, if you weren't dead, I swear I'd kill
you!"
E-Her swift fingers rushed over the keys like a
flood of water tumbling over a dam.
F-"Sorry you got shot, Cole. Damn, this is
gonna mess up all our plans."
G-Dallas McClintock sprawled on the ground, three
rifle barrels pointed at his chest.
H-'...but other women my age have a lover.'
I-"Don't kill me! Please!"
J-Absorbed in her thoughts about Mark, the man who
jilted her on what was to be her wedding day, she almost drove past the baby
grand piano sitting out in the front yard of a little cottage.~~*~~
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary
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