Topic 7 Beginnings

Greetings,

Beginnings

Beginnings take different forms--baby, school, job, home, garden, sports, etc. But since this blog today is about writing, let's look at story beginnings. The really good ones pull the reader into the story the instant the books gets opened and the first line is read.

"The bodies had fallen around the table like cards from a spent deck..." Nooses Give  by Dana Stabenow

"Garrick studied the girls face while the older woman did all the talking..."  Dust Devil by Rex Burns

"The Honorable Louis Sears, American Ambassador to Sarkhan was angry."  The Ugly American
by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick

"The Rambler's headlights caught a scrap of paper nailed to a tree, a handwritten sign: REPENT."
Deep South by Nevada Barr

"The cold passes reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting."  The Red Badge of Courage  by Stephen Crane

"My bad luck started just before Christmas 1985."  Legacy by James Michener

"Secrets in Highwater, Texas had a twenty-four hour life expectancy..." A Woman's Place
by D.R. Meredith

Here's one created for this blog. Blood soaked his shirt as he stood at the edge of the precipice and gazed downward where flames engulfed his brother's Jeep.

What's your favorite beginning line from a novel or short story you've read? I'd love to hear from you.

This week open up your favorite novels and see what beginnings grabbed you the most.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot