I am terribly introspective most days, but there are moments–plenty–when my attention span runs short. Too much coffee, too many things to do, too short on time for all that “doing,” I have to force myself to slow down.
Take a breath.
Focus.
I don’t want to make myself focus, though, when it comes to reading. I want to dive into story. It’s true that a good book is worth the wait through a slow opening or a few introductory chapters. But a great story, as Lisa Cron says in her book Wired for Story, is marked by a compelling hook from the very beginning:
[W]hat draws us into a story and keeps us there is the firing of our dopamine neurons, signaling that intriguing information is on its way. This means that whether it’s an actual event unfolding, or we meet the protagonist in the midst of an internal quandary, or there’s merely a hint that something’s slightly “off,” on the first page, there has to be a ball already in play. Not the preamble to the ball. The ball itself. . . . and it has to have our complete attention.
Now, I’m not an action-packed kind of reader. If you look through my author interviews, you’ll see I prefer a slow build, a quiet novel. Still, a slow building story doesn’t mean slow-to-intrigue; first lines in these quiet stories can be just as intriguing as in a plot-driven novel. Here are a few of my favorite first lines from past and recent reads:
“It was bitter cold, the air electric with all that had not happened yet.” ~ from A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick.
Have you read this book? Oooh, really good stuff (okay, worst book review ever–“really good stuff”–but suffice it to say this is one of my “I want to write like that some day” books).
“Mama left her red satin shoes in the middle of the road.”
~ from Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (you can read my interview with Beth HERE).Another one of my all-time favorites from the first line through the first scene and beyond.
“Daily, men descended into the earth, going where no man belonged, taking more than men deserved, their faces wracked with indifference, their hands dirtied with soot from the depths of the mountain.” ~ from American Copper by Shann Ray.
I received an advanced copy of this book, and I knew immediately from this line that I would absolutely love it. Everything about this story is woven into that first line: industry and power, the harm a man may cause, and the scars he leaves behind.
We’ll talk a more about Lisa Cron’s book and story structure in my upcoming online class, Principles & Prompts. Join us if you can. And, consider picking up Wired for Story or one of the three novels mentioned above. American Copper doesn’t come out until November 2015, but it’s definitely a book to claim for your shelves.
What’s your sign of a good story?
We are very much alike. Like you, I am introspective and I also like a character driven story that’s a slow burn. I’ll bet our bookshelves look a lot alike! I’ve read all of Robert Goolrick’s work, but Shann Ray is new to me. I’m going to pick up AMERICAN COPPER right away.
Thanks so much for giving CeeCee’s story a shout-out! It was a lovely surprise.
You’re so welcome, Beth. And, I bet you’re right about our bookshelves!
I know, too, that you’ll love Shann Ray’s book. It’s one of those books you read once and then head right back to the beginning to read again (a lot like CeeCee’s story).
My book is nonfiction, but I tried to apply that same advice when crafting the opening sentence: “When the refrigerator started floating across the kitchen, Adam Suire knew it was time to get out of the house.”
Ron,
Yes, I agree, storytelling in nonfiction works in the same way. And great first line!