Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Compelling First Lines to Capture Your Reader

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  first How to capture your readers attention. It seems like an easy question until you try to write it. There is always the cover, the blurb and, of course the competition of a favoured best seller author's new book compared to yours to overcome. However, it can also be those first few lines glanced at as a reader browses the shelves of their local book store or library. These are the most worked on, pondered and despaired lines by authors. They must capture a reader's attention so completely that they are compelled to continue reading. Sounds easy doesn't it? It is far from easy it though. There are some key elements that draw a reader in:
  1. Make them wonder.
  2. Begin with a pivotal moment.
  3. Create an interesting scene.
  4. Intrigue them with a character.
  5. Begin with an unusual instance.
  6. Use a compelling narrative voice.
  7. Begin with a conflict.
  8. Use a life changing moment.
Here are a couple of my first lines: Celeste watched her daughter, Maralynn; grow over the years while seeing her power increase. She could see her own mother, the previous Eldenma’s movements and expressions reflected in her daughter. Since her own mother, Juliana and her lover, Guillem’s transition to the other realm, Celeste and her lover, Michael, were her daughter’s only protectors in the earthly realm. They knew in time their ability to protect her would end as Maralynn learned how to control and manipulate her powers. "Come back, here, Bubble - you'll get stuck up there." Lenni called to her pet in vain. Bubble climbed up the bark of the tree in her usual wobble side-to-side manner, getting higher and higher. As she watched her pet, Lenni could see the two moons begin to converge in the magenta evening sky. Once they were one moon, she would need to be safely at home behind the dome wall. Lenni realized there was only one thing she could do, climb up the frackist tree and carry Bubble down. These are the first lines from a book I re-read quite often. It was the first book I found that centred around reincarnation, a fascination of mine. Ferney by James Long. As he looked for the bones of his long-dead wife, old Ferney came close to death. Caught in the traffic jam that resulted, Gally Martin’s life changed. Care to share your favourite first lines & links?      

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