That classic challenge is back:
Do not write a story.
Nope. Mm-mm, don’t do it.
Instead:
Write only an opening sentence.
Not two sentences. Not three. One. Good. Sentence.
Drop the opening sentence in the comments below, and then next week we will make use of some of those sentences for the next challenge. You’ve got one week — due by next Friday, the 17th, noon EST. Get cracking, word-herders.
510 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Time Again To Write An Opening Sentence”
The mad-eyed squirrel had followed her to work and now sat outside her window preening the small tufts of fur that covered its battle scarred body.
Interesting!
Helen’s Home and Guidepost for the Wandering and Lost sat on the edge of a forest, in the middle of nowhere, and at least half a day’s walk from anything relevant.
oooohhhh. there is an old english word I learned recently that goes with this sentence. apparently people went into the forest just looking for trouble back in the old days..
Daddy, are you listening?
As Willow wiped the blood from her face, she regretted her decision not to wear a hat.
I’m nabbing this one for the 2k challenge. It should be up tomorrow. 🙂
So there it is.
You wouldn’t believe some of the things that wash up on this beach.
Haha… this could go so many ways. Nice!
How did his body end up on the moon?
Someone forgot to yell ‘duck’/’incoming’/’heads’ when space junk came hurtling?
The unnatural end of a natural life leaves an indelible mark on all it touches.
Elegant, thought-provoking and snappy – very cool!
I really, really, really like this line. I’m curious to see where this goes.
Norah sat at her computer looking at hundreds of photos of young Indian men dancing and throwing color.
With horror reflected in his eyes, the blood draining from his face, he reached back and felt that indeed he had sharted.
Bahahah
I woke with the certainty that someone would be dead by nightfall, I just didn’t imagine who.
At 4:13 AM the damn cat stuck his ice-cold nose in her ear, and Varina shot upright with a yelp.
UGH.. as someone who owns a cat who does just that… I feel her surprise and irritating at being woken up so very early! 😀
irritation^ (obviously. le sigh)
AAAAND true story. That very morning. *sigh*
I was far from Earth, the limitless cosmos laid open before me.
Then the peyote wore off and I was like, “Holy Fuck.”
Nice intro. Lots of potential!
I awoke to the lingering taste of tarnished copper on my tongue, startled by the slow, cold drip piercing the flesh on the back of my left thigh.
Like most of the times something went wrong, I had a brilliant idea.
That is so one of my characters… Odd that I was just reading that last night, looking for somewhere to start on editing.
This is actually me. Are you stalking me?
Great line!
Thank you, guys. That means a lot to me :3 and yes, I am stalking you 😀
At least now I understood what Dad meant when he said running for your life is good exercise.
This one made me laugh but also made me think… Hmmm….I could write something around that. Good job
Best way to burn calories lol
A note, and a cold cup of tea.
Even when I’m reborn, I still want to know you
Ignoring his sexy neighbor’s claim to be psychic and her warning of danger had landed Jim in hell…literally.
“Welcome to the Galactic Tea Party!”
“So, I was supposed to press the other button to stop World War III?”
Made me laugh!
This is so clever! I love how you can tell a little something about the character already by this one line. Good job.
No matter what everyone else said, Fox Grey wasn’t an international terrorist.
Very nice. Sets up a good back story and future one.
“When I was young I stole two things: money from a bank, and a priest’s heart, it was delicious.”
A man after my own (delicious) heart!!
*blush*
It’s actually really hard to kill someone with a knife.
oh my….
Seven milliamps.
“You’are a cancer on society, on me.” He said to me in the darkness of our bedroom.
The 3rd time I killed Mr. Jenkers I knew i had a problem.
I had to use this one. Good stuff happened. https://pavorisms.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/the-immutable-mr-jenkers/
He was an ordinary man, living an ordinary life until she entrusted him with an extraordinarily deadly secret.
“I could’ve lived my whole life without crossing that bridge.”
Every night I risk getting caught when I come out of page 26 to whisper into her ear.
The End began on an ordinary day.
Layla woke up with a dry mouth and a raging headache.
I quit!
It seemed I had been asleep my whole childhood and suddenly awoke, somewhere in my twenties, hugging the inside corner of a musty broom closet.
Dread filled her when she heard the sound of liquid pouring over the tile.
11:38 on a brilliant January morning, as he gasps his last breath, and I stand there, a numb witness, imprinted on the moment like a newly hatched bird.
The earthquake and bat infestation shocked everyone at the wedding but Gwen, who had conjured them.
All those disapproving looks — was it HER fault she misjudged the purpose of the duct tape, bull whip, handcuffs, chocolate sauce and eye mask that sat in such a peculiar arrangement on the coffee table?
BIG LAUGHS.. most of them out loud. Thumbs up.
I like the attitude implied in this. Did she stumble on to a movie set?
As the cackling glee of her disembodied, high pitched voice echoed down the walk, Gerald wondered “Why is she at it again?”
With a calculated swing of his net, Garoul captured the Janiquid and placed it in the pink crystalline container with the others.
Clearly I’m the only weirdo that doesn’t write SFF on here. I write personal narrative and fictional short stories and poetry. Here goes:
Laying on my back, in a 8 X 10 room; surrounded by pills, notebooks, clothes, and items for health and beauty; feeling nothing but the cold floor beneath me; I began to think about and dread the inevitability of my death.
I don’t either, so you’re not alone. 🙂
That’s the great thing here, you don’t have to be an SFF writer to have fun with the friday flash challenge. 😀 (Or read all the incredible advice and apply it to your writing in some way.)
Sooo, would you be offended if I turned this into sci-fi?
Richard’s good eye robbed the screen of its information as his hand idly flicked ash into the open mouth of his bosses corpse.
*Shiver* Damn. Nice line.
Rain poured on the day the God of Justice was sentenced to death.
I learned an important lesson today: When making a deal with the devil always, ALWAYS, get a receipt.
Awesome!
love this one!
“It’s me, calm your tits!”
Ha! Is “calm your tits” a common expression? I have never heard this. I must use it.
I think I’m just done living for today.
I SO know just what that means! Sounds like magic and mayhem are about to ensue, and I want to read it!
Never say “you found my diary” when they discover the necronomicon, despite how true that statement is.
Love it :3
Oh man, did I leave it lying around somewhere, AGAIN?
Or
I really shouldn’t have put my address on the inside cover… (ahahahaha)
The worst part was that they were chanting a soup recipe in my ancient language.
Ha ha. I’m glad you like it. and i look forward to seeing what happens next. Thanks!!
Yes! Made me laugh. I want to read more.
thanks!
If you don’t mind, I’d love to use this as my opening sentence for this week’s challenge! I’ll give you credit for it, of course. 🙂
Absolutely. I look forward to reading it!
Oh, yay! Thanks! 😀
I thought the world would never finish ending.
Nice. I guess it would be better if it happened quickly.
There were only three cigarettes left, but Frank held the pack out, offering it to the others, and muttered, “What the hell – we all gonna die anyway.”
Awesome. You packed so much character into one line.
It all started with a chinchilla named Carl.
Doesn’t it always? I love this line.