“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
My favorite first sentence. It sucks me into the dichotomy and narrative to come. It feels like a frame for the tension to come between the aristocracy and the revolutionaries, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, and London and Paris.
I learned as I typed it out that it is 119 words long. Longer than AI editors would recommend these days, but I think we can still write great first lines. Except that in practice, I often dither and obsess about my last sentence or paragraph, and just skim past the opening sentence of the piece. I treat it like it’s just an on-ramp to where I’m going, just a place for everyone to get up to speed before we’re off to the races.
So I went looking for some good first lines on WordPress.
“I spent most of my life not watching television.”
From Esoterica on Television: Mindless Mush or Unequivocal Delight?
Doesn’t that do a great job to make you wonder what she was doing instead? “
“Never did I imagine writing a post that would link my mom, Sue, with Dostoevsky, yet here I am.”
From Vicki Atkinson on Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – The Weight of Lies
Ah, this feels like such a great tease. It presents an unlikely juxtaposition about Sue and makes me think of the unpredictable nature of life.
“Out of nowhere, a robin landed on the concrete fountain.”
From Garden Gifts by Stuart M. Perkins
I love that one because it places me in a location – in a garden or looking at one.
“Have you ever watched a kid with a helium balloon in absolute terror because, at some point, they will let go of the balloon, and it will drift out of their reach before anyone has a chance to respond?”
From Cheryl Oreglia in Belonging
Yes, yes, yes – I can feel the tension.
“A round, green door, slightly ajar”
From Chaya Sheela on Inviting Imagination
Ah, that sentence, especially combined with the title, and I’m primed for discovery.
These examples remind me to spend a little more time with my first sentences. They are more than an on-ramp to where we are going, they are the signage that gets us there, the GPS that confirms we are going to the right place, and also a reminder to buckle up because it’s going to be a great ride.
How do you feel about first lines?
I’ve posted a companion piece on my personal blog in which I use a snippet of story for my first sentence: What To Do With Our Inner Meanness.
Please check out these other items of interest:
More about Wynne Leon and the personal journey to become a single mom, writer and speaker
Workshop about cultivating resilience through creativity that I delivered with Dr. Vicki Atkinson
Speaking and workshops on how to use creativity to spark innovation, problem-solving and strong teams
Podcast about the how and why of creativity
Resources for corporate creativity
Corporate needs assessment for cultivating team creativity
Individual survey for stoking the creative fire
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @wynneleon
(featured photo from Pexels)