First lines are my favorite part of a story to write.

First lines hold so much promise for a story. When they’re good, they hook you in and never let you go until the story is done. I often don’t even know where to start my stories until the first line comes to me. And then – I must write!

But sometimes the first line doesn’t come to you. It doesn’t mean you can’t start writing. For this prompt, we’re going to cheat a little and use other people’s first lines!

The Prompt

Use one of the following famous first lines to inspire a story. Try your best to ignore where it came from and see where that line takes you – guaranteed, it will be completely different from its source!

1. “It was the day my grandmother exploded.”
2. “We slept in what had once been the gymnasium.”
3. “It was a pleasure to burn.”
4. “All children, except one, grow up.”
5. “We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall.”
6. “There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”
7. “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.”

In the next Wednesday Writing Prompt, we’ll attempt to write our own first lines. Until then, happy writing!

Sources:

1. The Crow Road by Iain Banks
2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
5. Tracks by Robyn Davidson
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
7. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith