In hopes of getting something useful out of it, I've been applying some research methodology to these short stories. I frequently read or hear abotu how important it is to have a compelling first line in a story, something that makes the reader want to keep reading, so I thought I would look at some first lines from pieces of writing that are widely accepted as good literature. It's possible that nothing practical will come of it, but at any rate, I think it will be interesting. From the 131 first lines I posted below, I've divvied them up into 10 categories and assigned them accordingly. These are based solely on the text of the first line, with no other context or content, and are subjectively based on my own viewpoint. Some repeat, since they fit in more than one category.
"Characterization" lines begin the story by revealing to us something about at least one of the characters.
Stories in this category: 28
(20, 25, 27, 30, 39, 40, 41, 44, 47, 52, 53, 54, 78, 79, 80, 88, 89, 90, 91, 95, 100, 103, 108, 109, 110, 122, 125, 126)
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"Setting/Environment" lines begin the story by introducing elements of the physical setting or environment.
Stories in this category: 28
(12, 29, 36, 37, 38, 39, 45, 48, 49, 51, 55, 57, 61, 63, 64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 72, 83, 92, 101, 106, 112, 116, 124, 126)
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"Raises a Question" includes first lines that directly ask a question, or lead the reader to generate one.
Stories in this category: 20
(1, 6, 16, 18, 21, 25, 41, 42, 56, 58, 60, 66, 71, 75, 80, 85, 102, 107, 119, 127)
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"Nonspectacular" lines simply didn't stand out to me in any regard.
Stories in this category: 16
(10, 11, 22, 23, 24, 32, 34, 50, 81, 82, 99, 121, 128, 129, 130, 131)
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"General Statement" lines make a statement about the world or people's behavior.
Stories in this category: 13
(13, 14, 16, 19, 28, 31, 33, 62, 64, 92, 93, 97, 98)
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"Introduction" lines give a sense of beginning with no other particular information.
Stories in this category: 13
(3, 7, 9, 26, 35, 67, 75, 84, 87, 104, 114, 177, 118)
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"Sensory/Imagery" lines begin with a description that incorporates the senses or imagery.
Stories in this category: 11
(43, 12, 36, 38, 51, 72, 73, 76, 86, 106, 113)
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"Bad News/Change" lines start out the story with bad news, such as of a death, or a mishap.
Stories in this category: 8
(2, 8, 30, 46, 96, 111, 115, 120)
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"Instant Tension" lines are my favorite from this study. They instantly evoke emotion or curiousity to see what happens next.
Stories in this category: 7
(15, 42, 77, 94, 105, 115, 120)
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"History" lines begin the story with an historical fact or description of an historical event.
Stories in this category: 3
(4, 17, 59)
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As you can see, most of the stories began with a line about the characters or about the setting, followed by lines that raise a question in the reader's mind, and by lines that I didn't find particularly interesting. I think it is interesting to see these first lines and their distribution out of context of their stories, but it is pretty clear that there are no particular rules about what makes a good opening line.
Is there a lesson in this? I think so: Setting and characters are good to get into the story right away because in a short story you need to ground the reader and get to the dramatic action swiftly, but, that said, don't sweat the opening too much. Just write the story to the best of your ability and come back to the first line at the end. If it fits the story, then good; if it doesn't, play with revision.
Have you got any thoughts on first lines or about the 131 lines?
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