What are your favorite first lines? How do your own WIPs (works in progress) start?
There are so many famous first lines: Call me Ishmael... It is universally acknowledged... Happy families are all alike... It was a dark and stormy night...
But favorites? This really isn't going to surprise most of you:
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
and
Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.
Told you.
I've never really understood the hype surrounding opening lines, so my favorite openings are from my favorite books. Unless it's absolutely boring (A piece of paper sat on the desk, perhaps?), I don't see how a single line can make or break a novel. I know most people don't agree, buuuut that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
As for my novel's first line, it is only 3 words, so I'll give you the first two sentences:
Crazy Aunt Patti. Maggie loved her, but Patti was as superstitious as they came.
