 Romance/Love: January 23, 2008 Issue [#2186] |
  Romance/Love
This week: Edited by: darkin
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5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
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Welcome to the Romance/Love Newsletter. My name is darkin and I'll be your editor this week. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride
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** Image ID #1227849 Unavailable **
Opening Sentences
It was a dark and stormy night.
Those few words are the opening line of Snoopy's Great American Novel. Charles Shultz must have had a wonderful sense of humor to use that simple line for the beginning of his character's novel. It brings a wonderful mental picture to mind when I read it. I can see the rain falling, the clouds blocking the moonlight from embracing the cold, wet ground.
Of course, over the years that opening has become the butt of the joke by most writers, and readers. And yet, it's still a great line.
The opening line to a story should hook the reader and set up the mood of the story, preparing the reader for a wonderful journey through the writer's imagination. A bad opening line can turn off a reader and stop them from going any further in the story. A great opening line can ignite a fire in the reader's mind, propelling them through the tale with lightening speed.
But what makes a great opening line?
Starting your story at the first sign of action is a good way to hook your reader and get them interested in your tale. A great example of this is this opening line:
The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. ~~The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
This one sentence is pregnant with impending doom. You can feel the tension of the one who is witnessing the army waiting for the battle to begin.
Another good way to start a story is with a secret, something to bring the reader into your confidence. Here is an example of that:
You better not never tell nobody but God. ~~The Color Purple by Alice Walker
A secret kept from all but the ears of God. What could be so terrible that only God should hear it? This one line made me read this novel in one sitting. I had to know what that secret was.
Romantic interludes are another good way to start a story. An example of this is:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" ~~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Romance is alive and well in written works. Readers love to see two characters brought together by love, then ripped apart by circumstance until they finally find each other to live out their lives together.
Writing a strong opening line is only the beginning. Writing a story that keeps the reader reading is just as important.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Happy Writing!
darkin |
Here are some items I found while traveling the highways and byways of Writing.Com!
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Thank you for allowing me into your e-mail boxes for this week's issue. I had a wonderful time writing this issue and would love to hear what you think about it. Here is some feedback I received from my last newsletter.
darkin
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Submitted By: larryp
Submitted Comment:
Very informative newsletter Darkin. Valuable information about behaving in a professional manner.
Larry
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