Fantastic First Lines
7 Exercises to Practice Writing First Lines
⋙ Master the Fundamentals, Keep the Streak Alive ⋘
Bookmark these daily “streak savers” from Writing Streak.
This is all you get. I’d love to write some great advice for writing first lines, but I’ve hit my limit just pulling together this week’s exercises. It’s strange to be so sick I can’t even sit at my computer and type. But I certainly do appreciate good health, now. And sleep. Sleep is a sweet relief.
At any rate, everything I learned about great first lines I learned from a series of videos called First Line Frenzy. All I’ll say is that a good first line builds curiosity without causing confusion.
This Week’s Streak Savers 🪦
⋙ Monday, Jan 6: Action Spark
Setup: A character is performing an action. It doesn’t matter what, just start writing.
Goal: Begin with any first line and let the scene unfold. Focus on getting words down, then refine your starting point.
Constraints:
Write a short scene, starting with the first line that comes to mind.
After writing, reread and find the moment that feels like the true beginning.
Rewrite your first line based on that discovery, and continue writing.
Reflection: How did refining the first line change your approach to the scene?
⋙ Tuesday, Jan 7: From Simple to Specific
Setup: Begin with a simple statement—just a subject, verb, and object. For example: "The man opened the door."
Goal: Transform a simple sentence into a vivid, specific paragraph by gradually adding details and depth.
Constraints:
Write a simple sentence with a subject, verb, and object.
Rewrite the sentence, adding one specific detail each time (e.g., about the subject, action, or object) until it becomes a full paragraph.
Focus on sensory details or unique traits that make the scene or action vivid.
Reflection: How did adding specifics change the tone or meaning of the original statement? What choices surprised you?
⋙ Wednesday, Jan 8: Inspired by an Image
Setup: Think of a photo, painting, or moment from a film that resonates with you. It could be the colors, a particular emotion, or the way the scene is framed.
Goal: Use this image as inspiration to write a scene. Start with the feature of the image that resonates with you most and let it guide your opening sentence and paragraph.
Constraints:
Identify what stands out to you in the image—light, movement, color, or mood—and begin your scene with that detail.
Let the description evolve into a setting or action that reflects your unique interpretation, not a recreation of the image.
Reflection: How did focusing on the specific feature of the image shape your scene? What new details emerged as you wrote?
⋙ Thursday, Jan 9: Voice-First Introduction
Setup: Think of a friend, character, or celebrity with a strong, distinctive voice. Imagine how they would describe themselves or their world in their own words.
Goal: Use this voice to write a first-person introduction. The aim is to create an engaging opening that draws readers in through personality and perspective.
Constraints:
Write a short passage in first person, channeling the voice you’ve chosen.
Focus on how the voice shapes the tone and reveals personality in the opening lines.
Reflection: How did adopting a strong voice change the way you approached the opening? What aspects of the character or perspective came through most clearly?
⋙ Friday, Jan 10: Hook, Line, and Sinker
Setup: Think of an engaging hook—something intriguing, surprising, or provocative that would instantly grab a reader’s attention.
Goal: Write a compelling opening that lures the reader in with a strong first line (the hook) and develops it into a full paragraph (the sinker).
Constraints:
Craft an attention-grabbing first line based on your chosen hook.
Build the rest of the paragraph around the hook, adding depth or expanding the idea to pull the reader further into the story.
Reflection: How did the first line shape the rest of the paragraph? What choices did you make to ensure the hook was effective and engaging?
⋙ Saturday, Jan 11: Tone Overload
Setup: Think of a piece of exposition for a story—something you need to explain, like world-building, backstory, or a character’s history.
Goal: Transform pure exposition into an opening that sets the tone. Start by writing a straightforward paragraph of exposition. Then, rewrite it with a focus on tone, letting it shape the opening.
Constraints:
Write a paragraph that purely delivers the information you want to convey.
Reflect on the tone you want for the story—dark, humorous, mysterious, or something else.
Rewrite the paragraph, emphasizing tone over raw information.
Reflection: How did focusing on tone change the way the exposition felt? What choices helped the rewrite connect more strongly to the story’s atmosphere?
⋙ Sunday, Jan 12: The First Line Chronicle
Setup: Think of a premise for a novel or novella—an idea that excites you and feels like it could span multiple chapters.
Goal: Write the story using only first lines from each "chapter." Each line should feel compelling and set the tone for what follows.
Constraints:
Write the first line of the first chapter.
Summarize what happens in the rest of the chapter in a sentence or two.
Write the first line of the next chapter, and repeat until the story feels complete.
Reflection: How did focusing on first lines shape the structure and progression of your story? What patterns or surprises emerged from this approach?