At the Anvil of the Wordsmith

Everybody says that the first line is necessary — vital, in fact, especially if you want to be published. 

 I disagree.  The first line is important, but only to an extent.  It is as important as the following paragraphs, it is as important as the words on the next page.  

I would hazard to say that the middle of your story is more important than anything else.  A story should crescendo, you should always strive to keep building either the characters, the tension, or the plot.  It must have direction, and purpose. 

Do first lines help?  Hell yes.  But, remember, put as much thought (probably more) for everything else after the first line.  Because if you have a gripping first line and a mediocre story…who gives a crap? 

I did a midnight examination of the first line in some of my favorite stories (and not so favorite):

 1.  Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn’t go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda.  — The 13 Clocks, by James Thurb

2.  They had tried to destroy the Will, but that proved to be beyond their power.  — Mister Monday, by Garth Nix (Prologue).

b.  It was Arthur’s Penhaligon’s first day at his new school and it was not going well.  — Mister Monday, by Garth Nix (First Chapter).

3.  The night before he went to London, Richard Mayhew was not enjoying himself.  — Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman (Prologue).

b.  She had been running for four days now, a harum-scarum tumbling flight through passages and tunnels.  — Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman (First Chapter).

4.  It’s still my favorite book in all the world.  — The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Introduction).

b.    The year that Buttercup was born, the most beautiful woman in the world was a French scullery maid named Annette.  — The Princess Bride by William Goldman (first chapter).

5.  Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and of having nothing to do:  once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,”  thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”  — Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.  

6.  All children, except one, grow up.  — Peter Pan, by J.M Barrie

7.  The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon.  — Lord of the Flies by William Golding (god you won’t believe how I often I confuzzled this with William Goldman).

8.  [insert mirrored title of a book shop]  This inscription could be seen on the glass door of a small shop, but naturally this was only the way it looked if you were inside the dimly lit shop, looking out at the street through the plate-glass door.  — The Neverending Story by Michael Ende translated by Ralph Manheim (another book I’d love to read in the original German).

9.  It was little more than three miles from the Wall into the Old Kingdom, but that was enough.  — Sabriel, by Garth Nix (prologue).

b.  The Rabbit had been run over minutes before.  — Sabriel, by Garth Nix (first chapter).

10.  I’m ten years old, my whole life you’ve called me Vanya.  Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

11.  “You’ve think you’ve found somebody, so suddenly my program gets the axe?”  Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card (random quote thing some may or may not read).

b.  Poke kept her eyes open all the time.  — Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card (first line proper).

12.  You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which have regarded with such evil forebodings.  — Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

13.  Left Munich at 8:35 p.m on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next monging; should have arrived at 6.46, but train was an hour late.  Dracula by Bram Stoker.

14.  Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. — Eragon by Christopher Paolini (prologue).

Because I don’t have access to the first chapter, I’ll make it up with the first line of the second trilogy:

15.  Saphira’s breathing quickened, and she opened her eyes, yawning expansively.  Eldest by Christopher Paolini.

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I think most of these first lines have one thing in common.  They make the reader question:

Why?

Why are the clocks stopped?  

Why is [the Princess Bride] his favorite book in the world?  Of course, The Princess Bride first line is, in and of itself, unimpressive to me.  I see beautiful women every day, I don’t care if one happens to be a scullery maid and that’s not even considering the fact that my contrary nature kicks in at the words “most beautiful” since it’s too absolute.  However, the brilliant introduction more than makes up for the lack luster first line.

Now for the exceptions…

Alice doesn’t make me question why, personally, but I can’t help but read on because it’s as if someone is actually speaking to me, and it’s hardly polite to interrupt before one has even finished.  

Lord of the Flies is a brilliant novel with an absolutely unimpressive first line, along with an ok opening paragraph.  But there’s something in the tone, the matter of factness, the almost gloomy rhythm of the words and sentences that make me keep reading it.

A note regarding Enchantment:  Instant conflict.  And how human beings love our conflict and our drama.

Sabriel’s first lines I found to be utterly unimpressive with a prologue that I had to wade through.  Yet I luff that book to death, I really do.  I can’t even say it’s because of a conversational tone, or because the characters are interesting because Sabriel doesn’t become interesting until a good deal later, and you don’t meet Mogget until a quarter through the book.  So what, exactly kept me reading?  An interesting idea.  I really do believe that Garth Nix’s writing has improved in comparison to the Abhorsen books and Keys to the Kingdom books.  Or maybe I just like boys named Arthur with awesome last names like Penhaligon.  

A note regarding the last four.

Who can’t help but continue to read Frankenstein with so much forboding of dark and morbid doings?

As for Dracula.  *pause*  I can’t really think of anything more boring, I really can’t.  I know it’s supposed to be a journal…but I’ve read plenty of journals and…no, just no.  I just don’t care about mundane details like that.  

And the last two.  No question why is forming in my thoughts as I read.  When the author says that the scent will change the world, does that  include those who are olfactorily challenged?  The second offense is even more pronounced:  what sort of scent is this?  He never deems to explain in the following paragraph, nor the following chapter, nor the rest of the book. 

And why do we care about yawning dragons again?

Personally, I think that too much emphasis is placed on first lines — they’re just words strung together, just like the rest of the book/journal/novellette you’re reading.  Are they important?  Yes, they are.  But so is the rest of the novel.  How many times has a comedy been funny the first half, but stupid the second half?  The same principal applies.  Your words must be honed, crafted, sculpted.  They must be poetry, even if they’re prose.  They must be a willow the wisp in front of the reader and lead him deep into marshes.  It must have a satisfactory ending which can be either happy, unhappy, or bitter sweet, or none of these.  

The reader must want more.  Even when he reads the words The End he must want more of the world you’ve created.

Warning:  this might cause the reader to write Fan Fiction that will probably be abysmal.

There was a time where I used to stress out about my first lines.  Is it catchy enough?  Is it interesting enough?  I’d stress out so much about it that I’d forget to write the second line and so on and so forth.  And let’s face it:  Someone’s first line won’t be another’s.  There are such things as personal taste. 

Someone once said:
Writing well is knowing all the rules and then throwing them out the window and just writing.

I don’t know who said it, but it sounds ok to me.