Openings I’ll Never Forget : My Favourite First Lines in Fiction

There's nothing like a killer first line to grab the reader's attention. Apart from your cover and blurb, it's their first impression of your story. And with hundreds of titles on the shelves, you want them to buy yours.

There is no one way to craft a memorable, effective opening sentence. Yet, all these authors nailed it.

Classic Books

• Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell opens with the following statement, "it was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking 13." It starts seemingly ordinary, before turning extraordinary in the next moment. The image of a clock striking thirteen creates a sense of something strange and unknown to the reader, mirroring the uneasy themes explored in the novel.

• J.M Barrie's Peter Pan sets its main character in the first sentence. "All children, except one, grow up." This leaves the reader intrigued and questioning what the author means, prompting them to keep reading.

Contemporary

• The Book Thief, by Mark Zusak, has my current favourite first line in fiction. "First the colours, then the humans." It highlights the non-human narrator in an effective way while introducing a motif of colours. If you haven't read The Book Thief, I would recommend it. Make sure you keep some tissues nearby, however.

• Paula Hawkins captures the tense atmosphere of her novel The Girl on the Train straight away with "There is a pile of clothing on the side of the train tracks." In a way, this is its own little mystery, and it draws the reader into the mysteries surrounding this character's world.

• The Star Outside My Window by Onjali Q Rauf is a phenomenal middle grade novel exploring grief and family. The opening line, 'my mum is up there somewhere,' is heartbreaking, especially in the context of the rest of the novel. Don't mind me while I sob in the corner.

If any first line I ever write has even a fraction of the impact on someone else that these have for me, I'll be the happiest woman on earth.

What is your favourite first line? Let me know in the comment box on the home page 😊

You can also email me at emburtonbooks@gmail.com, or check out my insta at e.m.burton_

Love,

Em