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We open in Venice . . .
Feb. 27th, 2008 09:38 pmThe February Ask Oxford newsletter contained a pointer to a discussion of John Mullan's new book, How Novels Work. The Website has an excerpt on openings, which, of course, made me think about my own openings for novels.
I looked at them all and came to no conclusions. I don't know that any of them are "resonant" or examples of my "narrative spirit and confidence." I do know that for most of them, reading the opening sentence pops me back into the world of the book, living with the characters in their problems. All I can do is hope that readers will be drawn in to feel the same way, maybe even rereading the books.
Opening lines are as written below:
Changeling (2003 NaNo; complete rewrite someday; contemporary YA fantasy)
Summer looked down at the note in her hand. It was the only tangible evidence she had of her father.
***
Christmas Tree Farm Murders (2004 NaNo; in edit queue; cozy mystery)
Isobel counted out twenty-five dollars into Drew Scott's hand.
***
Four Lakes (2005 NaNo; in progress; contemporary fantasy)
Four Lakes City, a city of glass and clean lines, where form follows function, sits on a thin isthmus between two bottomless lakes -- at least, no one has ever found the bottom and come back to tell of it, and the Navy gave up on sonar after the kraken took out their third ship, so now the residents just call the lakes bottomless to scare away the tourists.
***
Shadowed Sight (in progress; traditional fantasy)
Aliya Grimeye hadn't deliberately hidden her origins from her employer.
***
Bodyguard of Lies (2006 NaNo; currently editing; SF)
Sabra slammed her locked fists into the small of Lipinski's back. He reeled across the ring, tripping over his own feet.
***
Sekhmet's Secrets (Ivory & Bone) (in progress; urban fantasy)
The crowd at the museum was just as I'd pictured it, except for one small detail--the woman in the tweed skirt dogging the docent's heels.
***
Witchy Woman (2007 NaNo; in edit queue; urban fantasy)
Revenge is a sticky business, but it's also lucrative.
***
Phoenix (in progress; middle-grade SF)
The boy who would be known as Phoenix Anderson fell for a very long time.
============
Note that both Four Lakes and Phoenix are working titles only.
I looked at them all and came to no conclusions. I don't know that any of them are "resonant" or examples of my "narrative spirit and confidence." I do know that for most of them, reading the opening sentence pops me back into the world of the book, living with the characters in their problems. All I can do is hope that readers will be drawn in to feel the same way, maybe even rereading the books.
Opening lines are as written below:
Changeling (2003 NaNo; complete rewrite someday; contemporary YA fantasy)
Summer looked down at the note in her hand. It was the only tangible evidence she had of her father.
***
Christmas Tree Farm Murders (2004 NaNo; in edit queue; cozy mystery)
Isobel counted out twenty-five dollars into Drew Scott's hand.
***
Four Lakes (2005 NaNo; in progress; contemporary fantasy)
Four Lakes City, a city of glass and clean lines, where form follows function, sits on a thin isthmus between two bottomless lakes -- at least, no one has ever found the bottom and come back to tell of it, and the Navy gave up on sonar after the kraken took out their third ship, so now the residents just call the lakes bottomless to scare away the tourists.
***
Shadowed Sight (in progress; traditional fantasy)
Aliya Grimeye hadn't deliberately hidden her origins from her employer.
***
Bodyguard of Lies (2006 NaNo; currently editing; SF)
Sabra slammed her locked fists into the small of Lipinski's back. He reeled across the ring, tripping over his own feet.
***
Sekhmet's Secrets (Ivory & Bone) (in progress; urban fantasy)
The crowd at the museum was just as I'd pictured it, except for one small detail--the woman in the tweed skirt dogging the docent's heels.
***
Witchy Woman (2007 NaNo; in edit queue; urban fantasy)
Revenge is a sticky business, but it's also lucrative.
***
Phoenix (in progress; middle-grade SF)
The boy who would be known as Phoenix Anderson fell for a very long time.
============
Note that both Four Lakes and Phoenix are working titles only.
