The Usual First Sentence begins with...

Once upon a time...

Now, change it. You are about to start on your best journey: through your senses, your emotions, and your life. In the same way that you can't simply begin your life knowing everything, you can't start a novel with a first sentence.

Sounds weird?

Your first sentence has to draw people in, and make them want to read your work. Can you do that immediately without agonizing over it, and therefore crippling your chances of going forward? If you can, by all means, write your first sentence and go from there. If you can't, admit that you can write your first sentence later, and just write.

What do these two scenarios have in common? You just need to write. Whether your first sentence comes out all polished the first time, or you decide to write it when you're done with your novel, you simply have to write.

Go and make your mark on literature! Write!

A First Sentence for a New Season!

In many parts of the world, spring has come into fullest bloom. Bring forth the spring of your own writing by starting off with this sentence:

"The world began to die."

Yes, it's not exactly the happiest start - but here's your challenge. You need to make a HAPPY story, not a sad one. Your story has to end happily even with the sad start. You have only 1000 words or less, your choice of characters and plot, and your choice of setting. You only need to have a happy story.

This exercise should allow you to flex your writing muscles as you shift from a sad start to a happy ending - effortlessly. When you are done, post your work in the Comments section, or provide a link to it.

Good luck, and happy writing!

A First Sentence for a Bitter Story

Pick your plot, characters, and settings, and get set. Here is the first sentence for your story.

"He was a liar of the first class and was fooling her - while she had a good heart."

You have 1000 words or less to write your story. When you are done, post your story in the Comments section or provide a link to your story.

Good luck and happy (bitter?) writing!

A First Sentence on the Heels of Christmas

The holidays are upon us, and if you aren't careful, you could end up not writing anything and getting into Writing Muscle Atrophy. Make sure that you take time off from shopping and greeting card writing/sending to write just a little bit and keep your creative juices flowing.

You need to write a story now, and you don't have to go very far. In fact, you have only 200 words, and no more. You need to write something on the basis of this first sentence:

This December is going to be hot.

You need to write in first person, and you can have as many characters as you like to people your 200-word masterpiece. When you are done, post your work in the Comments section, or provide a link to it. Good luck and happy writing!

A First Sentence that has enough prose in it...

...for a whole novel altogether.

Your job is to use the following first sentence as the basis of a short story that is no more than 1000 words long (including the first sentence!). The plot and characters are entirely yours. When you are done, post the story in the Comments section, or post a link to it so that people can read your work.

Here is your first sentence:

"There were many ways to get lost at the farmers' market, especially when you had to go through a maze of turnips, eggplant, peas, peanuts, green beans, and lima beans; when you had to listen to your thoughts above the negotiations on prices for gourds, squash, zucchini, mustard, and radish; and when you had to balance a bag of tomatoes and garlic on one hand, and a basket of onions and ginger on the other."

Good luck and happy writing!

It's One Word, but It's All You've Got

Today's first sentence is going to be a challenge for you. Here it is:

No.

You have 10,000 words at your disposal, so don't go way above the 10,000 word mark as you tell the story that starts with one word. You have your pick of characters and plots. You can write in first person or in third person. Whatever you do, start with that single sentence.

When you are done, post your work in the Comments section, or if it's too long to see the light of blogging comments day, post it on your blog or site and provide links to it. Good luck, and happy writing!

A Short, Snappy First Sentence

Sometimes, the best first sentences are so long and flowing, they lull you into the tale and make you believe that you have crossed into another reality. But sometimes, the best first sentences are so short and arresting, they take you by the throat and hurl you right into the book. Here's a first sentence that you should use to start your new story.

“She was surprised.”

So, why was she surprised? And who is she? With 2000 words or less, make a story that is fun, exciting, and yes, surprising. You can use as many characters as you want, and you can use any plot. When you are finished, provide a link to your story in the Comments section, or post it for blog readers to read.

Good luck and happy writing!

Try a Cliche Today!

“It's strange how someone can take your heart and break it so easily.”

Does it sound like a cliché? Does it feel icky to hear such words? You are now in charge of an almost impossible task: turn a hackneyed sentence into a power beginning for your short story.

You have a thousand words at your disposal, and you can choose which characters and what plot you can use. However, you do need to use the first sentence above and turn a crumbly start into a solid masterpiece.

Ready? Don't forget to post your work in the Comments section, or provide a link to your work. Happy writing!

A Sad First Sentence

Emotions can make or break a short story. Too many emotions can drown out your plot and collapse your work into a sloppy, muddy melodrama. Too few emotions can turn your characters into mindless cardboard cutouts who act without thinking or feeling. You need to balance everything in your story, as in real life. The same goes for a novel: can you imagine dragging your readers through a protracted soap opera, or characters so dry you can crumble them into powder?

It's your chance to try your luck at using emotions. You have 5000 words at your disposal, your choice of characters and plot, and this as your first sentence:

“I didn't think he would disappoint me, but he did.”

Post your work in the Comments section, or provide a link to your short story. Good luck, and happy writing!

First Sentences: The High School Exercise

What was high school like for you? What was that first day like? It's time for a creative essay: you may choose to do it in fiction form, or you can make this your confessional. In any case, you need your pen and paper (or keyboard, monitor, CPU, and some disk space) - and you need this to be your first sentence:

"It was my first day in high school."

It's that simple! You can make the essay as long or as short as you would like it to be. Don't forget to post your work in the comments section, or post a link to your work if it's too long. Happy Writing!

This May Not Look Like a Good First Sentence...

...it could still be - and it may be the biggest test of your mettle yet.

Use this as the first sentence of your soon-to-be short story:

"This wasn't really my first sentence - and I didn't think I wanted to start this way - but surprise, here I am!"

Make sure that your story contains at least two other characters besides you, and make sure that you actually have a story (and not a random collection of thoughts that would turn this into an essay).

Good luck and happy writing!

A First Sentence for NaNo

National Novel Writing Month is almost over, but if you have that spare chapter to write and that last hurdle of ten thousand words to go, then maybe you need a first sentence prompt!

Here's something you could try to get your neurons firing:

"It was blue."

All right, maybe that isn't so neuron-firing-magenic. But still, you could try it! Now, go ahead and write as many words as you want. You're nearing the finish line! You can do it!

A First Sentence Exercise: Something for the Seasons

Dear writer, wherever you are in the world, the weather and climate will be different. You might be in the United States, where leaves change their color at this time of the year. Or you might be in the Far East, where storms come and go every week like friends who decide to trash your house and leave you helpless. What is the weather like where you are right now?

Tell the world about it in a few paragraphs. About 3 or 4 will do. You need to be creative, and you need to describe the weather without sounding like you're rattling off the Weather Channel's script. Moreover, you need to use the following first sentence when you start off your work.

“Today, I looked outside.”

Do share your work in the comments section of this blog, or provide a link that readers can go to so that they can read your work. Good luck, and happy writing!

The First Sentence #2: How's This for Ambiguity?

All right, novelists, short story writers, and writers of the planet! It's time to start your fiction once again!

This week's First Sentence task requires you to stay within a 500 word limit. This is flash, quick fiction, with very little word allowance, and a lot of creativity required. So there it is: you need to write a short story that is, at the very most, 500 words long, and with this as the first sentence.

"At last, it happened."

Now don't forget to post your stories or links to them in the comments section. Good luck! Happy writing! And happy snipping and editing, too!

The First Sentence #1

Get your writing muscles working. It's time to write. Your task is to write a short story of no more than 5,000 words. Here's your first sentence.

"He promised to call, but he didn't."

Be sure to share your stories by posting links in the comments section!

A New Class of Tips: The First Sentence

Once upon a time, a sentence stood, all by itself, waiting for a second to come by and join it.

This is your new class of tips, ladies and gentlemen: a sentence. The first sentence, for that matter. I will be sending sentences your way, and all you need to do is take your thoughts from there. You don't have to be profound, your work doesn't have to be perfect, and you don't need to get it published. You just need to write.

Watch for more first sentences!