o me, a good story is only as good as its opening line. For instance, Jane Austen is acclaimed for the opening line of Pride and Prejudice.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Just about everyone that you talk to, male and female, can tell you where that renowned quotes comes from. Last night I was watching a movie “Alex and Emma” and Alex explains to Emma that the opening line of your novel must catch your readers attention with just a few short words. It is that opening line, that I ponder over the entire time that I write my novels.
So how about just a peek at the opening few lines/paragraphs of “Third Life’s a Charm”. I would love to know what you think about them.
All my life I have wished I was a beautiful, lively and witty heroine, someone who would be worthy of a sexy, smoldering hero, but in actuality I am more of a meek, rather homely heroine, one who puts a little too much confidence in others opinions, if you could call such a woman a heroine. The confidence that I put in others, even though it should not matter what they think, is how I found myself running away from life, again, leaving my destination entirely to chance and hurting no one but myself. That is how I ended up in the middle of nowhere, Washington, without so much as a friend, a job or a place to live.
Last time my direction had been west, this time it was north. When I arrived the odometer trip meter of my old red FJ read 580.6 miles or more accurately $100 dollars of gas, from my last life and 1,160 miles from my first. My name is Paige and I am no stranger to running away. I just hope the saying is true, “third time’s a charm,” and that it applies to a person’s life in general, but that is yet to be seen.
When I drove past the sign at the edge of town it read “Welcome to the Town of Marcus, population 117 nice people.” I was just about out of gas and thought this as good of a place as any other, but little did I know how wrong I would be. That sign should have read “Welcome to the Town of Marcus, population 116 nice people and one Bray Reeves.”
So, dear reader, what do you think, did I catch your attention? If you read that opening page standing in the bookstore would you turn the page and keep reading or would you set the book back down on the shelf right were you found it?
Dear Emma,
I am so tired of staring at this computer screen and yet when I read your opening paragraphs–I forgot I was reading! It felt like I was listening to someone and maybe to my self at times. Great job! Love it!
Yes, Emma! Loved the first line. Then… Paige seems beleaguered yet warily hopeful, tiny Marcus charms already, and why on earth is Paige heading *toward* Bray Reeves??? Please post more!
Gwyn,
The goal of a great book is to make each of us so lost in it that we forget about the cares around us. It is my goal that the readers can relate to one or another of my characters and that they feel, that they themselves are in the book. If my opening lines have created this feeling with you then I have succeeded in my task.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me.
Emma
Katharine Ashe,
(real life) Marcus is a charming little stop in the road that used to be 150 feet down the mountain, however when the Grand Coulee Dam was built so many years ago the entire town and infrastructure had to be transplanted.
Like Paige the town had to have a second life, then with the discontinuation of the shipping industry and the failing commerce the town has struggled and has been trying to make their third life succeed.
The symbolism of this town parallels Paige and the surrounding area will help her overcome the troubles of her past.
There has ALWAYS been a Reeves in Marcus (this is fictional) and for the most part they have been the Mayor. Bray’s dad is the current Mayor and his large family is known throughout town. Bray offends Paige in the beginning, when in actuality he wanted to to impress her. Her poor self-esteem causes her to overreact and never forgive. He does so much good for her,arriving just in time in at least three situations, one of them being with a released convict just returning to the area. Paige misinterprets everything though and he finally realizes she is not ready for him and makes a hard choice to leave her.
Paige must then make some hard decisions about who she is and who she wants to be. Then she must try to pick up the pieces and decide if Bray is going to be part of her life or not.
I hope this little bit of info wets your appetite to read more as I complete the story.
Katharine Ashe I really appreciate your comment and hope to hear more from you in the future.
Emma
I just stumbled across your blog post. I really enjoyed the first and third paragraphs…I felt “lost” in the second, but overall, I enjoyed it. 🙂
The second paragraph makes sense more as you realize that she has been running away from life for awhile. Each time she has no more than $100 and she sets out in a direction. She is originally from Jackson Wyoming and she headed West, arriving in Oregon. Now she is heading North and ending in Marcus.
Wyoming was her first life, Oregon her second and Washington will be her third.
Before the end of the book there is a 4th, back in Wyoming, but she has to decide if she wants to go back to her third or not.
Thanks for the feedback, I will have to reconsider the 2nd paragraph to see if it is too confusing or if it is worth it to catch people and hook them into figuring out what it means.
Emma