Friday's Top Ten
Top ten wisest ways not to start your story:
10. It was a dark and stormy night.
9. Once upon a time. . . .
8. It all began long before she was born, when her great-great-grandmother. . . .
7. The story I'm about to tell you. . . .
6. He answered the phone, but little did he know. . . .
5. He yawned and stretched after turning off his alarm.
4. Her heart pounded when the bullet zinged by her head, but then she woke up.
3. She ran toward the subway, her long raven hair flying behind her, afraid of missing her train and not thinking about her breakup with Eddie.
2. He was tired, wet, and hungry.
And the #1 wisest way not to start your story:
1. Once upon a time, it was a dark and stormy night. The story I'm going to tell you began long ago when her great-grandmother ran toward the subway, her long raven hair flying behind her, afraid of missing her train and not thinking about her breakup with Edward, who was tired, wet, and hungry. Her heart pounded when the bullet zinged by her head, but then she woke up. Edward yawned and stretched after turning off his alarm and answered the phone, but little did he know. . . .
10. It was a dark and stormy night.
9. Once upon a time. . . .
8. It all began long before she was born, when her great-great-grandmother. . . .
7. The story I'm about to tell you. . . .
6. He answered the phone, but little did he know. . . .
5. He yawned and stretched after turning off his alarm.
4. Her heart pounded when the bullet zinged by her head, but then she woke up.
3. She ran toward the subway, her long raven hair flying behind her, afraid of missing her train and not thinking about her breakup with Eddie.
2. He was tired, wet, and hungry.
And the #1 wisest way not to start your story:
1. Once upon a time, it was a dark and stormy night. The story I'm going to tell you began long ago when her great-grandmother ran toward the subway, her long raven hair flying behind her, afraid of missing her train and not thinking about her breakup with Edward, who was tired, wet, and hungry. Her heart pounded when the bullet zinged by her head, but then she woke up. Edward yawned and stretched after turning off his alarm and answered the phone, but little did he know. . . .
Comments
#2 could be interesting, depending on "what" the narrator happened to be... ;)
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Aubrie - I know.
Mason - Thanks. You, too.
Lydia - Cool :)
Kathy - I'm editing my wip now ... can you tell?
Helen
Lee
Tossing It Out
Jayne - Love what you want! Just take care before using it in your manuscript :)
Arlee - You can do it. Maybe something like: It was a clear and sunny day. No?
Elspeth - I totally agree. Even better if we could type "First sentence." and our intuitive computer could fill it in as we go, so that by the end it was perfect. If I knew how to write such a program, we could share the fortune.
Jane - Thanks!
Have a great weekend, Carol!
CD
VR - Me, too!
Terry - No plan. I haven't been to her blog yet today, so I see a quick visit is in order. Thanks.
Clarissa - Hmmm ... maybe just a tiny tweak or two.
All these are bad & I really had a good laugh. Thanks! :)
Ann
Ann - Let's see ...
Once upon a midnight dreary. No.
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Nooo.
Sigh.
Holly - I'm smiling :)
Donna V.
http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com
The story beginning is so hard to write, but at least it is easy to see how we shouldn't start even if we can't figure out how we should.
Thanks for sharing this list.
Hold the line for a contact, ya hear now???
P
Cassandra - I always feel as if I rewrite the opening a Brazillian times before it even comes close.
Patti - Ooh, a country song. Now why didn't I think of that - LOL!
My daughter once wrote a fantasy short story that I thought was really good. She wrote one line that may not have been overly used or used at all, and may have been uniquely hers. Whatever, I loved it and teased her about it and do to this day. When something bad happens, I like to lighten it up by quoting her line in that story, "Something happened that NEVER should have happened!"
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Doris Plaster
Doris - Thanks.
Welcome to the Tiki Hut, ladies.