Writing for the Weekend

Did y’all see? I changed my blog theme. Oooh, shiny! Let’s take a moment to celebrate, shall we? 

This weekend’s writerly plan includes a final read-through of HAPPENS FOR A REASON, agent research,  and reading.  Oh, and there must be tea!

My precious.

What’s on tap for your weekend? 

Road Trip Wednesday: The One That Got Away

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question. This Week’s Topic: What book is your ‘one that got away?’ (What book have you always been dying to read but still haven’t yet?)

L.M. Montgomery’s ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I’ve always wanted to read it and for some reason never have. It doesn’t make sense, especially considering how much I adored the 1980s TV adaptation. Maybe it’s my affection for spunky, red-headed orphaned girls named some variation of Anne, but I love a good underdog story and this one fits the bill. I’m definitely pushing it to the top of my to-read list.

What books have you been meaning to read? 

You Had Me At Hello

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles. By Probably Valentin de Boulogne, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

I’m definitely a first-chapter junkie. I live for stories that grab me from the start and never let go. Some of my favorite openers:

From THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

From THE COLOR PURPLE

You better not never tell nobody but God.

From A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT

Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead.

From CHARLOTTE’S WEB

‘Where’s Papa going with that axe?’ said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

The start of a story is where expectations bloom and stakes rise. It’s where characters are revealed and motivations are discovered. As Chuck Wendig wrote, “A good opening line is stone in our shoe that we cannot shake.”

Now how do you do that? Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not an expert by any means. And with all things creative, it’s completely subjective. But I try to approach my writing as if I was the reader. If my opening line and/or first chapter makes me care about my protagonist and want to know more, then I feel like I’m on the right track.

Favorite opening lines? Tips on crafting a killer intro? Please share!