Flash Fiction Challenge: Find Your Favorite Opening Line


Last week’s challenge, I asked you to come up with an opening line for a story.

This week, you’re going to write a story based on one of those opening lines.

(Er, not your own, thanks.)

Look through them:

Choose one.

(Choose one that complies with the original mandate of keeping to 15 words or less.)

A lot of great options in there. (Though, to be fair, a surprising lot of not so great options in this batch. Lots of errors and over-the-limits. People: read your entries before you click SUBMIT. It’ll take you like, 30 extra seconds, I promise.)

Please identify in the comments below which opening line you’ll choose.

I’ll tally and, presuming there’s a winner, I’ll send that person The Kick-Ass Writer.

Then: you write 1000 words using your chosen line. Post at your online space and link back here.

I’ll choose one of the participants (by random) and toss you a copy of — well, I dunno what. I’ll grab something off my shelves and mail it to you. (Or, if you’re international, I’ll give you something digital.)

Due by noon EST on November 22nd.

Get your fingers tapping.


189 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Find Your Favorite Opening Line”

  1. I’m using jebdarsh’s line, “Now, I’m not exactly saying the cat was plotting to kill me. But.”

    Drafted the story this morning.

  2. Emily Measor’s – “The first time I prayed I received an email in return; I gather that’s unusual.” Will do my best to whip this one off by next Friday…we’ll see…in case I don’t manage it, thanks for a kick-ass and thought provoking first line, Emily!

  3. I’m new here and a little nervous. I picked CCalhoun’s: The Autumn mist obscured the chasm, and muffled the screams of the creatures trapped within.

  4. Stevie Jennings approaches her baby blue Chevy Cavalier, and says to me, “This is Ivan. He’s undergoing a mid-life crisis at the moment. So be gentle, ‘K?”. – Autumn Marie

    I like this one…

    • Yes, Chuck made his own mistake with the link. You can hit the ‘blog’ button at the top of the page, get a list of the last posts, scroll down and hit ‘older posts’ and get to the Nov 8th post.

  5. I’m using ‘Someone once told me bourbon was great for removing blood stains.‘ don’t remember who’s it was, though.

  6. last minute mind change: instead, i’m going for – “The car came at full speed, with no choice I stood in front of it.”

  7. Stupid question alert2: yeah, where’s the link to the lines? I’m new, didn’t contribute a first line, but would like to give this a whirl. That ok?

  8. It’s only THIS MORNING that I’m noticing that, oh, hey, an earlier draft of this posted. Sooooo, yeah, whoops. Post is still good, mostly, though the title was wonky, and the link was gone. It looked good when I proofed it before posting, but should’ve looked *after* posting.

    This, in a post where I chastise folks for the editing of their entries.

    Irony is alive and well, kids.

    DON’T DO SCHOOL EAT DRUGS STAY IN MILK

    — c.

    • I liked the completeness of it, that you didn’t need to go any further with it. We know there’ll be trouble. Interesting road you took that line on. 🙂

  9. Hmmmm,.. Just a FYI:

    According to the prompt”s rules, choosing a disqualified opening line (over 15 words) automatically disqualifies the story.

    “This week, you’re going to write a story based on one of those opening lines.

    (Er, not your own, thanks.)

    Look through them:

    Choose one.

    (Choose one that complies with the original mandate of keeping to 15 words or less.)”

  10. I will use “It’d been awhile since I’d killed someone with kindness, or any other weapon.” by flyawaybluebird. And I will separate “awhile” into its constituent elements, making the sentence 14 not 13 words. 🙂

  11. I’m going with Caroline Arbelay’s “The bloody Arc de Triomphe is up the arse end of the Champs-Élysée again.” but adapting it for a G-rated blog (I know, I know!) It’ll be on my blog early on Nov22.

    I was sorely tempted by garypo705’s “Bang” and Krud’s Shetland ponies… maybe another time 🙂

    • Really amusing. It sent my thoughts scampering down a lot of different fun paths, like the notion of bringing women over being out of the question. Just what would come to life if a woman stayed the night? With this poor guy’s luck, it’d be a Trojan mid-unwrapping. I definitely wanted to hear more stories about other things that had previously come to life. Had the sofa chair ever gone all Pee Wee’s playhouse? Has the lamp followed him around the house, desperate to find out what’s so good about reading? And is there anything he could do to fix his condition? Fun one!

      • Thanks! I had so much fun writing this one and good thing (or not?) that there was a word limit or this could have really have blown up in my face. Though your questions are tempting… 🙂

  12. I’ll be using Julia H’s line: “I flicked the lighter open and watched the flame dance in the wind.”
    Story forthcoming.

  13. Using: “My story should have ended on the day I died. Instead, it began there.” The opening line in “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window” by Rachel Swirsky.

  14. (And then there’s that awkward moment where you realize you somehow overlooked the part of the prompt where it’s connected to last week’s challenge of coming up with the damn lines yourself! *Insert Homer Simpson’s ‘DOH!!!’ here* >.< FORGIVE ME! — I didn't add a opening line last week but I would like to participate? Don't clobber me with your laptops, please!

    Just in case it's useful I can provide an opening line here and choose one!

    My (late) opening line: I covered my mouth and nose while digging deeper into the trunk.

    I've chosen cats: "A small noise escapes my face, something between a snort and a laugh."

Speak Your Mind, Word-Nerds

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: