I wrote a guest post for Elizabeth Preston of ekpreston, on something which I had been meaning to write about at some point: the subject of opening lines. Personally, I feel the opening line is the most important in the book, it grabs the reader, and sets out the tone for the book. So I set about choosing my favourite, and summed them up in my guest post, ‘Drum Roll Please: Best Opening Lines of All Time‘ (thanks to Elizabeth for the title). We would love your take on it, and to hear of any openings that you especially like.
Please take a look at Elizabeth’s blog, I find it fascinating and varied, and (though not actually on her blog), I loved her (guest) post ‘The Good, the Scary, and the Scarring: 10 Creepy and/or Terrifying Classics‘, along with my favourite ‘Pucker Up: Writing a Kissing Scene‘.
The Book Blogger 
You did a great job!
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Thank you!
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A nice summary of some great first lines – my favourite the Beckett perhaps.
There’s a post devoted to workshopping first lines at http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/03/30/workshop-your-opening-sentence/comment-page-1/#comments It has five pages of comments!
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Thanks for sharing, that’s another fascinating look at the knack. Beckett’s is very philosophical, I think there are a few different types of opening line-there’s the dramatic, the dialogue (often hand in hand), the scene setter, the philosophical… I feel I am missing a few, but you probably get the picture!
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Yes, the first line is an art in itself – so much is rejected on the basis of that first line!
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