It's been 'forever'. Yup. (Hmm, I see this is how I usually start this blog...oops)
I have recently been rereading a bunch of books on writing. Every one went on and on about the first line in a story needing to be a magic hook.
I looked at the website with the 100 best first lines. One line made me mildly curious enough to think about wanting to read more. But not enough to go looking for the book. Hmmm. Is it me?
Then I pulled a handful of my favorite books off of my bookshelf. And checked the first line. Nothing all that special there, except for the first sentence in DeLindt's Moonheart; I consider that a sentence with a real hook. But the book I kept reading, that lured me to reread it, didn't have all that exciting of a first sentence.
After thinking about it, I figured I usually give an author a paragraph of my time before I decide whether a book is for me or not.
This reminds me of a recent book I picked up, the first paragraphs were about bird poop. Nope, I didn't want to read a book about bird poop. Put that back on the shelf. This wasn't by an unknown author. Why is bird poop something that would hook a reader??
When looking for a book online doesn't do it for me. I like to inspect the front cover, read the back blurb, read the first page, a middle page, and the end.
Why do I read the end? Because I want to make sure the author uses the same characters to start the book as to end the story. Why? Because I've been tricked before by suddenly whole new characters at the end and I was not amused.
So, now I think I will take the first sentence must be magical with a grain of cliched salt. Although, I have to admit that I have put a book back upon seeing the first word before, but that is because of my personal dislike of first person books.
Are you generous and give an author a whole paragraph's chance? Or are you like the people who write books for writers and think authors only have a one-sentence chance?
merrie day, Sara
