First Lines in Stories: You Be The Judge
Do you like stories that start fast? In the middle of the action? That cause you to want to keep reading?
I do.
I appreciate when an author pulls me in early with an interesting and engaging inciting incident. It makes me want to turn the pages.
Drilling down even more, I’ve become more interested in the first line in a story or article. They offer hints as to where the story is headed and what you’re going to get.
Many authors tinker for days, weeks, and months on their first line prior to publication.
Recently, I wondered how I’d done with my first lines, now that I have published six fiction books, eight non-fiction books, and over a dozen short pieces. When I took a look, I was happy with some and realized others could be better. Can’t we all get better as we continue to write?
I have compiled my first lines below. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope as readers and writers you will read and write many engaging first lines.
My Books in Order – First Lines
The Christmas Heist: Book 1 in The Christmas Courtroom Trilogy
The county courthouse was opening for business two hours late.
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The Legally Binding Christmas: Book 2 in The Christmas Courtroom Trilogy
The twelve jurors shuffled into the courtroom and down the two rows of seats they had occupied for the past three days.
The Christmas Redemption: Book 3 in The Christmas Courtroom Trilogy
A blunt object pressed against Hank Snow’s back and nudged him forward, toward a one-story building with a large sign that read, “County Jail.”
Deadly Declarations: Book 1 in the Indie Retirement Mystery Series
Yeager Alexander’s motto for retirement living was, “Ain’t dead, yet,” but when he heard a siren and saw an ambulance, lights flashing, heading for one of the residential buildings at the Independence Retirement Community, he said aloud, “Waking up dead is rarely a good thing.”
Death by Podcasting:
In six years of podcasting, Raspy Fuse had received many text messages, but never a death threat.
Deadly Gold Rush: Book 2 in the Indie Retirement Mystery Series
The narrow alleyway walls muffled the gunshot as uptown Charlotte slept.
The Write Quotes: Book 1: The Writing Life From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
One of the biggest lessons I learned from the quotes in this book is that no matter how much or how little money writers make (or loose) in their writing lives, or how demanding writing can be for them, they grab for their pens and fire up their computers mostly for the love of it.
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The Write Quotes: Book 2: Learning to Write From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
One of the biggest lessons I learned about the topics covered in this book is that these authors have been through the grinder and know what it’s like to learn to write.
The Write Quotes: Book 3: Writing Process & Tools From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
One of the biggest lessons I learned about the topics covered in this book is that there are as many writing processes as there are writers.
The Write Quotes: Book 4: Storytelling, Inspiration, & Research From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
The three biggest lessons I learned about the topics covered in this book are that story ideas come to writers in many ways, writers cannot always explain where or how their ideas originate, and the stories they tell are often underpinned by some form of research.
The Write Quotes: Book 5: Writing Techniques & Characters From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
I am excited to report that this book has sold more than one million copies and that Oprah has put it at the top of her list of best quote books ever, saying “Book 5 of The Write Quotes series is a must-read for anyone seriously thinking about writing a book.” Also, none of this is true, but it’s a heck a hook, right?
The Write Quotes: Book 6: Writing Community, Revision, & Editors From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
When I retired from the practice of law, I wanted to spend time with people who liked to write and who were good at it.
The Write Quotes: Book 7: The Emotional Writing Journey From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
Before you strike the match to produce the next great work of literature, you now know at least three things from the quotes in this book: One, the universe loves to dump on writers. Actually, she enjoys it. Two, if the universe weren’t already a most sizeable antagonist, writers make life more difficult with their self-doubts. And three, writers are tough. They persevere to persevere.
The Write Quotes: Book 8: Publishing & Book Marketing From my essay in the book titled: Lessons Learned From the Quotes in this book
The authors I interviewed in this book offered me inspiration–that feeling that your goals are attainable if you put in the effort–and a valuable education on how to put a book in the world and sell a few copies along the way. But also, they offered me their publishing stories and humor, a few laughs about their experiences in the world of publishing and marketing.
Published Short Stories – First Lines
The Deliberation [published in the North Carolian State Bar Journal, First Prize]
The door banged shut behind the six of us and we stood still, measuring the jury deliberation room with our eyes.
The Cape Fear Debacle [published in Pamlico Writer Magazine, First Prize]
I’ve often wondered what made my dad think that he and a friend could take four young boys on a trip down the Cape Fear River without much planning.
Tried and Convicted [published in Flying South competition]
One of my handlers told a detective that I had some bad shit go down in my personal life and that’s why I hate the court system, but that’s the trouble with what’s true and what’s not.
Shelby [published in Bearing Up: PSPP April 2018]
My wife says my legal career is divided into two parts: before and after Shelby.
Two Good Swings [published in Exploring: Spring 2019]
In the fictional movie, Little Big Man, Dustin Hoffman played 121-year-old Jack Crabb, a white man with a remarkable but hard-to-believe life story set against the backdrop of the Great American West.
Southern Tides [published in That Southern Thing: PSPP Spring 2020]
When I think of the South, I think of Wrightsville Beach, where warm waves lap up on miles of white sand separated from the North Carolina mainland by Harbor Island and the Intracoastal Waterway.
What Luck These Friendships [published in Luck and Opportunity: PSPP Spring 2021]
It’s DOWN…. the STRETCH….they COME!
Water Lessons [published in Trouble: PSPP Fall 2021]
When I was a toddler, my mother tried to kill me.
The Application [published in Lost and Found: PSPP Spring 2023]
Completing an application is meant to be an exercise toward a more perfect, hopeful, exciting, and fulfilling future.
Riding the Memory Trail [published in Sooner or Later: PSPP Fall 2023]
Two weeks before we took the final, emotional step of selling our house of 30 years and transferring the deed to a couple who, we hoped, would do what we had done—turn that house into a home, we had a yard sale.
Yahweh’s Football Team [published in High Country Writers Headwaters III]
In our first two weeks as college football players, my classmates and I suffered deceit, kidnappings, a gun fight and racial insensitivity.
Published Articles – First Lines
Border Wall Advocates Should Remember Charlotte’s Cemetery Fence [published in The Charlotte Observer]
Charlotte named a road after former mayor Stan Brookshire, but in 1969, if he had voted a different way, we might have Brookshire Fence rather than Brookshire Freeway.
I Hope We’re Not Losing The Handshake [published in The Charlotte Observer and Other McClatchy newspapers]
I grew up in the South, which meant I was raised on manners. “Yes, sir” and “No, sir,” and “Yes, mam,” and “No, mam,” were ingrained in me by my parents, passed down to them from theirs.
47 Things Longmire Author Craig Johnson Taught Me About Writing Fiction [published in writersdigest.com]
Many great writers don’t know how to talk about their craft, or worse, they are unwilling to do so.