7 First Line Prompts to Start You Writing

Here’s another article and list of writing prompts from my freelance writer, Emily – Enjoy!

 

This may seem unimaginable to book lovers, but there are people who truly don’t like reading, they prefer watching movies and would never hold a book unless they need it for an exam.

 

When they even get hands on a book recommended by a friend or parent, they just make a few flips and get tired of it. This doesn’t mean the story is bad, but they are just not interested.

 

The rules change when the book has catchy first liners.

 

Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

 

Both book lovers and the people described in the category above have this trait in common — they stay glued to a story that starts with an interesting first line.

 

What this means for you, dear writer, is that everyone can read and enjoy your novel if you get this technique right. Think of it as the power of a first impression the book gives a reader. There are people, even book lovers who just don’t like a particular author, but when they get hold of the book, they find themselves at the last page and don’t remember how they got there…all because of the powerful first line.

 

So, how do you use this trick for your next story?

 

Here are some characteristics of an enticing first line in a story:

 

• It invites the readers to an image. Once they read the first line, their minds are fed with a picture of something that makes them more curious…and they just continue reading.
• They are easy to understand. You don’t want to confuse people from page one, line one of your book. Use clear and easy words to enable them to continue with the book.
• For a first line to completely hook a reader, it has to lead into a scene.
• Another great feature of a good first liner is that it has an element of surprise. This ensures your reader is engaged and willing to read till the end.
• They can be more than one sentence. In such cases, we call them first line ideas.

 

Here are seven first-line prompts you can use to begin your story and keep readers fixed into your work:

 

1. Amidst the noisy crowd, before he said his last prayers, Joseph looked into the eyes of his executioner, and as if time froze…he takes us back into the beginning of the journey that was about to end his life
2. It has been said many times that is it not good for a man to be alone, but Michael was bent on changing that.
3. I have closed the doors behind me and set fire to all memory. I am leaving everything behind…for what I don’t know.
4. Natasha, bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh.
5. “A man’s weakness is in his daughters”. This statement came to life when my little girls were kidnapped.
6. My name is Daniel, and I am the greatest Casanova on Planet Earth.
7. Mr Smith, the “no-nonsense” preacher, is the last person you would ever expect to be involved in crime…but is he about to spend the rest of his life facing the walls of a Russian prison?

 

I’d love to hear how these prompts work for you – please leave a comment – or a snippet of your writing, and I’ll reply as soon as I can.

 

Happy Writing!

 

Erica

 

 

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For unlimited story idea generation, my go-to resource is Holly’s Writing Classes:

Check out her Free 3-Week Flash Writing Class Here:

Write Flash Fiction that Doesn’t SUCK 

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(this is an affiliate link btw 🙂 )

 

 

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