Writing a Killer First Line - A Fantasy Case study
Decoding the art of first lines from bestselling Fantasy novels
Hello everyone and welcome The Writer Story!
Today we are back with another First Lines Case study. This time we are looking at Fantasy bestsellers.
If you are interested in looking at the previous First Line case studies, find them below.
Okay, let’s begin before the day grows weary, what.
Starting off with a Brandon Sanderson book, because he has somehow got the fantasy readers in a chokehold, in all the good way. Following by another great, Leigh bardugo, who’s eight-figure book deal sparked quite a lot of conversation in the trad-pub community.
Trees of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - In the middle of the ocean, there was a girl who lived upon a rock.
Hell bent by Leigh Bardugo - Alex approached Black Elm as if she were sidling up to a wild animal, cautious in her walk up the long, curving driveway, careful not to show her fear.
A Day of the Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon - Her name was Dumai, from an ancient word for a dream that ends too soon.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - Shadow is not at all happy with me.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree - “Eighteen!” bellowed Viv, bringing her saber around in a flat curve that battered the wight’s skull off its spine.
The Fragile Threads of Power by Victoria Schwab - It came in handy, being small.
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare - It began with a crime.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - God as my witness, none of this would have ever happened if it were not for those two fools back in Salalah.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow - I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet - The walls of the estate emerged from the morning fog before me, long and dark and rounded like the skin of some beached sea creature.
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff - The dead boy opened his eyes.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal - The streets of White Roaring grew fangs at night.
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi - In the beginning there were three gods.
The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black - Oak jammed his hooves into velvet pants.
The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow - The sky was strewn with pepper-pot stars, reflected in the pond below.
An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson - Massachusetts greeted me with a riot of autumn color.
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White - My father always says: ‘You can’t run from your responsibilities,’ but he lacks imagination.
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers - In Paris, a child goes missing.
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel - Do you know how a river forms?
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown - In Kellner Books on the Upper East Side of New York City, a few minutes before his death, John Webber was reading The Count of Monte Cristo.
These are just examples of First lines of some of the recent Fantasy novels. And I find all these first lines do is to create intrigue for the character or the theme or plot. They make the reader ask question, that they can find only when they read on.
Creating intrigue with the first line or the first paragraph or the first page is great, but what matters in the long run is always going to be if the author can maintain the intrigue throughout the book, until the end.
Tell me, what are your thoughts in comments below. I love to know what you think.
Writerly TO-DOs
In this new section, which I’m planning every other week, I’m going to share interesting todo items we can do to forward our writerly journey.
To Read : I recently finished reading Starter Villain by John Scalzi, and it’s absolutely hilarious. It’s about a man, you very average American, who is down on his luck, and who gets a surprise bequeath from his uncle, who is a villain, and now has to his uncle’s villainous operations. It is a ridiculous story in the best way possible. From the craft perspective, it is worth a read just to notice how more than 85% of the book is just dialogues.
To Watch : Brandon Sanderson talks with author Lynn Buchanan about how trad pub has changed from the 90s to now. It’s worth a watch for anyone starting in trad pub or wishing to get their foot in the door.
P. S. it’s not easy.
To Listen : These alpha waves are supposed to enhance your creativity and get you into the flow state. It’s definitely soothing.
To Write : Try writing some world-building exposition of a story you’re working on or something new through dialogues and see how much world building you can actually provide through characters talking instead of exposition.
That’s all for today.
Thanks for reading The Writer Story. You can find me on social media - Twitter/X - @authoranima or Instagram - @authoranima
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Until next week,
~Toodle-oo~