The Best First Lines

[Robinne Weiss]

So, I'm working on a new young adult book, and I've been writing a series of potential first scenes to work out where and how I want to start the story. I haven't been satisfied with any of them yet, and so I decided to check out some popular YA books and examine how they started. I gave up after less than a dozen books--nearly every one of them started with one of those 'no-nos'. Person wakes up, person looks in the mirror, info dump, prologue... I chose the books based on their runaway popularity, but not one of them started in a way that was compelling. Not one.

I have read some amazing first lines that grabbed me ... though I have to say the books didn't always live up to the first line. And obviously it doesn't take a good first line (or even first page) to have a popular story. But, I still feel like I want to see some kick-ass YA first lines/paragraphs to help me decide how I want to start my story.

So, toss out some awesome first lines for me. What's the best first page you've read? How do you like to see a story start?

 

[Jackson Banks]

“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..”
SE Hinton -The Outsiders

 

[Nikky Lee]

Here are a few recent examples that sprang to mind:

I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me. -- Sam Hawke, City of Lies

The stranger came out of the sea like a water ghost, barefoot and wearing the scars of his journey. -- Samantha Shannon, The Priory of the Orange Tree (I haven't read this yet, but reading this first line was what made me purchase the book).

It is important, when killing a nun, to bring an army of sufficient size. -- Mark Lawrence, Red Sister.

"Take your clothes off."
Rin blinked. "What."
-- R. F. Kuang, The Poppy Wars. I especially like this one as it is an example of simple opening done well. There's nothing flashy here, no clever turns of phrase, but the content/topic grips you in. Especially as Rin's response is the same as the readers ("Whaaat?").

 

[Leonora]

“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..”
SE Hinton -The Outsiders

Crikey. A blast from the past. I loved that book.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Here are a few recent examples that sprang to mind:

The stranger came out of the sea like a water ghost, barefoot and wearing the scars of his journey. -- Samantha Shannon, The Priory of the Orange Tree (I haven't read this yet, but reading this first line was what made me purchase the book).

It is important, when killing a nun, to bring an army of sufficient size. -- Mark Lawrence, Red Sister.

I've read both these, and now that you mention it, yes, they are good opening lines. I liked both books, too.

 

[RK Wallis]

There are so many! But if I confine myself to YA/MG, do any of the below inspire you (bearing in mind you write dragons)?

Naomi Novik, Uprooted, "Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley."

From one of my kids' books, Tai Sutherland's, Wings of Fire Series, Book 10, Darkness of Dragons: "A dragon was fleeing across the dunes."

Cressida Cowley, How to Train a Dragon: "There were dragons when I was a boy." (a disguised prologue called A note from Hiccup) and the first chapter, "Long ago, on the wild and windy isle of Berk, a smallish Viking with a longish name stood up to his ankles in snow."

 

[Robert M Derry]

There's quite a few good opening lines on here: 21 classic opening lines in books

 

[Leonora]

Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening Hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen.

 

[Ancora Imparo]

The wolf tasted the babe's face with the tip of his tongue and pronounced her sweet, and the fox licked the back of her head to see if it was so.
Faeries of Dreamdark. Blackbringer by Laini Taylor. I haven't read the book yet, so I don't know if the rest of the story lives up to that first line but that's what helped me buy the book (that, and I was researching dark fae).

The End
Logan lunged through the trees, bare feet slipping and sliding on the wet earth, the slush, the wet pine needles, breath rasping in his chest, blood thumping in his head.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I liked how he started the book with The End, and right in the middle of something happening (and it didn't SEEM to be the end quite yet so that intrigued me).

 

[Robinne Weiss]

There's quite a few good opening lines on here: 21 classic opening lines in books

My problem with all the lists online is that 99% of the books on those lists are ancient. Not that they don't have great opening lines, but thinking about what YA readers today want/expect out of an opening, I'm not sure they help.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

There are so many! But if I confine myself to YA/MG, do any of the below inspire you (bearing in mind you write dragons)?

Naomi Novik, Uprooted, "Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley."

From one of my kids' books, Tai Sutherland's, Wings of Fire Series, Book 10, Darkness of Dragons: "A dragon was fleeing across the dunes."

Cressida Cowley, How to Train a Dragon: "There were dragons when I was a boy." (a disguised prologue called A note from Hiccup) and the first chapter, "Long ago, on the wild and windy isle of Berk, a smallish Viking with a longish name stood up to his ankles in snow."

Great dragon lines. Too bad this story isn't a dragon story. LOL!

 

[Rob Reid]

"First, I'll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then the murders, which happened later.”

Canada by Richard Ford

I picked up this book out of curiosity about an American's view of Canada, but is was the opening that got me hooked. Reminds me of my Grade 11 English teacher's advice, "First tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em."

 

[Rich.]

Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening Hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen.

Gah! Ya stole me idea, so ya did! I went and pulled this one off the shelf and everything. Thought I'd best read the whole thread before posting, and then... gah!

Anyhoo, the opening of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, the prosaic and the fantastical, a world in one line. Genius.

*shakes fist at Leonora* (good taste in books though)