This one is pretty simple:
Write an opening sentence.
Post it in the comments below.
Any genre will do, really, though versatility has value.
The sentence should be on the shorter side. Let’s say, mmm, no more than 25 words. Some things to avoid, since sometimes folks fall into these traps: avoid blood, death, dead people, kids being hurt, and so forth. Think original. Conceive of a sentence that, when crafted right, is a strong hook. The kind that makes people want to read further. It makes them want to know more. Compelling and maddening in equal measure.
By next Friday, I will pick between five and ten I really like, and I’ll pop them into next week’s challenge, and you guys can choose one of those I pick to serve as the opening sentence to a new piece of flash fiction.
Today, no story necessary, though.
Just an opening line.
Due by next Friday, 2/26, noon EST.
tinthia says:
The match flashed alive.
February 20, 2016 — 9:22 AM
Daina says:
I gripped the edge of the pew until the joints of my fingers stung in order to remind myself not to take the gum out of my mouth and stick it into the puffy white hair of the woman in front of me.
February 20, 2016 — 9:28 AM
Glen Donaldson says:
FROM THE ADVISE BUREAU – That little’ol church lady might be annoying and the offensive hairstyle could even warrant it but seems like she might have God on her side so best steer clear and continue to enjoy the perfectly good gum yourself.
February 20, 2016 — 7:54 PM
Daina says:
I guess that begs the question: Does the white haired church lady deserve not only a wad of sticky pink gum in her hair but, perhaps, the wrath of God.
February 23, 2016 — 8:07 PM
Owen Banner says:
The writer’s fingernails picked at the useless keys on his laptop, scratching desperately for some speck of genius that would impress the readers of the Flash Fiction challenge.
okay, for real now.
Camilla lay on her back, the leaves of the willow tickling her eyelids as shattered sunlight strobed her vision red and black and red again.
February 20, 2016 — 9:51 AM
moteridgerider says:
That laptop scratching yielded some gold.
February 20, 2016 — 3:19 PM
Maggie Smith says:
“Do you want to know why we aren’t having sex.”
February 20, 2016 — 9:54 AM
Maggie Smith says:
Sorry. “Do you want to know why we aren’t having sex?”
February 20, 2016 — 9:55 AM
Owen Banner says:
Starting with unusual punctuation could work, however.
February 22, 2016 — 12:45 PM
Ken Crump says:
The fly shattered when I hit it with the flyswatter, revealing tiny bits of electronics among the shards.
February 20, 2016 — 9:56 AM
Pavowski says:
Nice.
February 20, 2016 — 11:32 AM
moteridgerider says:
I like it too.
February 20, 2016 — 3:20 PM
Glen Donaldson says:
This one breathes brilliance.
February 20, 2016 — 8:02 PM
Lostcarlson says:
“She was a Star, and I was an extra, critical thinking aside, what could go wrong?”
February 20, 2016 — 10:11 AM
Phoebe says:
I think Friday is the most depressing day of the week. Everyone spends the whole day waiting for it to be over.
February 20, 2016 — 10:53 AM
Coming Full Circle says:
It was a mistake, but Julia believed it would save her, and us; she believed it would wake up the whole sleepwalking world.
February 20, 2016 — 11:41 AM
Owen Banner says:
“wake up the whole sleepwalking world”. I like it.
February 22, 2016 — 12:47 PM
Nicole says:
A pool of tears darkened the topside of her gray maternity shirt as they fell off her cheeks.
February 20, 2016 — 11:47 AM
Glen Donaldson says:
You had me at ‘A’.
February 20, 2016 — 8:06 PM
Lostcarlson says:
He was a strong swimmer, she not so much. He waded in, not looking back. The current sucked from beneath, he laid out atop, his arms and legs sewing a seam in the undulating force.
February 20, 2016 — 12:29 PM
moteridgerider says:
An intriguing starter. So many questions arise from those two sentences.
February 20, 2016 — 3:21 PM
Jonny B says:
Eyes shut against the darkness, counting back from ten, I hope to god it’s gone when I open them again.
February 20, 2016 — 12:53 PM
tlgreylock says:
The star market came only once a year, and this time, this time nothing would keep me from it, not the hollowmen or the emperor’s laws, not even the contessa’s fury.
February 20, 2016 — 12:55 PM
azalegria says:
We had this weird kind of relationship, where his* smile would make my day, but his frown sank me deeper in despair every time.
(his or her, whatever fits best)
February 20, 2016 — 1:34 PM
lisacle says:
Once again, Death is my Tarot Card of the Day.
February 20, 2016 — 1:35 PM
Glen Donaldson says:
Last night I stayed up playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died.
February 20, 2016 — 8:14 PM
Owen Banner says:
They probably had it coming.
February 22, 2016 — 12:48 PM
Glen Donaldson says:
Are you implying the cruel hand of fate has intervened?
February 22, 2016 — 3:10 PM
Monique Mata says:
Molly’s fingers twitched, the urge to roundhouse kick the smugness off his face so overwhelmingly that she didn’t hear his next words, “I love you.”
February 20, 2016 — 1:51 PM
Tori W. says:
I could burn this house – I could burn it with myself inside.
February 20, 2016 — 2:10 PM
Amy Wall says:
It hit me in the chest and I couldn’t breathe. I dropped to my knees. I was alive but unprepared for the next impact.
February 20, 2016 — 3:22 PM
J says:
I am adrift at sea with only my uncle for company.
February 20, 2016 — 3:52 PM
Marina says:
Glowing streetlights are all that’s left of her city, rushing past and blurring through the dirt crusted tram windows.
February 20, 2016 — 3:58 PM
Erik Thorsson says:
Ever since she broke up with Mark, Lisa noticed shadows bending away from her.
February 20, 2016 — 4:03 PM
Fred G. Yost says:
The first breath shattered her world, the second shattered her heart.
February 20, 2016 — 4:11 PM
dmcclure17 says:
“I am in danger – set me free, oh Lord” is perhaps not the most encouraging bumper sticker to see on a student driver vehicle.
February 20, 2016 — 4:14 PM
Andrew Troy Keller says:
Eric drove over to Susan’s house in a van and invited her to go with him to a wonderful house right on the beach.
February 20, 2016 — 4:38 PM
Monique Mata says:
Molly’s fingers twitched, the urge to roundhouse kick the smugness off his face so overwhelming that she didn’t hear his next words, “I love you.”
(I think wordpress lost my previous comment; sorry if this is a duplication.)
February 20, 2016 — 4:46 PM
Madican says:
Note to self, next time don’t ask the elven queen if her surname is Keebler.
February 20, 2016 — 4:59 PM
Susan says:
Tucumcari was 50 miles in the past when I saw the horse.
February 20, 2016 — 6:18 PM
moteridgerider says:
Hopefully it’s not being ridden by a man with know name.
February 21, 2016 — 3:00 AM
Jemima Pett says:
I’m just laying claim to this one for 4th March. 🙂
February 21, 2016 — 1:44 PM
KA Tetrault says:
There are two types of people in this world. Those who wear black and those who don’t.
February 20, 2016 — 6:21 PM
Knish says:
When he turned the corner he couldn’t believe his eyes, she was supposed to be dead.
February 20, 2016 — 6:22 PM
lengray says:
The heavy scent of oleander caressed Nicole’s skin, a fragrant reminder of all the reasons why coming home was a terrible idea.
February 20, 2016 — 9:44 PM
LP says:
Before D.B. Cooper had his public story, there were a couple of other things he taught me; the most recent was last week.
February 20, 2016 — 9:45 PM
LP says:
If you time it just right, and you’re not afraid of a little adventure, there’s a first-class seat waiting for you on the Jupiter Transit.
February 20, 2016 — 9:45 PM
LP says:
Every building has a secret entrance, one even the architects somehow overlooked.
February 20, 2016 — 9:46 PM
moteridgerider says:
Original and intriguing. I could use this one.
February 21, 2016 — 4:24 PM
Anna says:
I really like this one, and the Jupiter Transit one, too.
February 22, 2016 — 1:04 PM
Lisa says:
It wasn’t clear exactly when bad had turned to worse, but as she skittered around the corner she instantly saw this was well beyond what she had feared was happening.
February 20, 2016 — 10:05 PM
Lisa says:
Too long, dang it. New one coming.
February 20, 2016 — 10:20 PM
Owen Banner says:
It’s a good one, though.
February 22, 2016 — 12:51 PM
robohara says:
After the last pin clicked into place, the safe’s door opened to reveal its treasure: a set of car keys and a bucket of fried chicken.
February 20, 2016 — 10:06 PM
Lisa says:
As she skittered around the corner, she saw things had gone from bad to worse than she could have ever imagined.
February 21, 2016 — 12:12 AM
Monica Michelle says:
It was a place to hide from a life to big or a place to disappear into a life too small
February 21, 2016 — 1:08 AM
moteridgerider says:
There’s some juice to that opening, it just needs a bit of mechanical work and it’ll be a gem.
February 21, 2016 — 3:03 AM
Roberta says:
“Narcos,” Liz thought, as she approached the roadblock, debating whether to unsheathe the machete tucked between the seats of her battered old 4-Runner.
February 21, 2016 — 1:18 AM
Roberta says:
“Narcos,” Liz thought as she approached the roadblock, debating whether to unsheathe the machete tucked between the seats of her old 4-Runner.
February 21, 2016 — 1:34 AM
Becca says:
The woman in red paced a small circle quietly around the room; a clipboard held loftily between her clawlike fingers. M
February 21, 2016 — 3:17 AM
Renee says:
My dead ex walked through my door.
February 21, 2016 — 3:25 AM
Anya Evan says:
Whoops, I swear it wasn’t me.
February 21, 2016 — 5:16 AM
Whirlochre says:
The bell rang out, and for the first time in a hundred generations, our people tasted sound.
February 21, 2016 — 6:44 AM
Bill Dezell says:
As giant pools of stagnant water went, Utah’s Great Salt Lake was definitely one.
February 21, 2016 — 7:52 AM
StarNinja says:
I could easily see this in a stand up routine. Very nice!
February 21, 2016 — 1:35 PM
Johan says:
Last night when I had some friends over for dinner, someone told me that the old man next door had been to space on one of the early missions, and I couldn’t help but think that space was better off without him.
February 21, 2016 — 9:28 AM
Anna says:
Shadowfall crept upon Aldietha as she milked the last drops of light from the sunbird’s beak and sealed the vial with a kiss.
February 21, 2016 — 11:01 AM
moteridgerider says:
This is a good one. That sounds like one powerful bird. Btw, I’m assuming the lack of a space between ‘up’ and ‘on’ is a typo. This aside, I’d definitely want to read on.
February 21, 2016 — 11:16 AM
Owen Banner says:
Excellent. So much mythos in just one sentence.
February 22, 2016 — 12:53 PM
Anna says:
Thanks, guys:) And yeah, it was supposed to be up on, not upon, whoops.
February 22, 2016 — 12:57 PM
keruin says:
If she had used the leavening agent perfectly, in just the right measure and tamped down in exactly the correct spot, she would soon be hearing the “pop” of the guy’s eardrum.
February 21, 2016 — 11:28 AM
the story hive says:
I lowered the stethoscope, breathed, as the heavy door swung open.
February 21, 2016 — 11:52 AM
the story hive says:
cut the breathed…
I lowered the stethoscope as the heavy door swung open.
February 22, 2016 — 3:25 PM
the story hive says:
The pink tutu bounced up and down as the little girl ran away from my yard, screaming for her mommy.
February 21, 2016 — 12:49 PM
StarNinja says:
Oh man, this could go so dark in so many ways. I’m gonna stick with the rated G version that the protagonist is like a big scary monster or a weird looking old man with a mean looking dog.
February 21, 2016 — 1:30 PM
the story hive says:
“Less talking, more running,” Ivanov grunted, cranking the control lever on the emergency life support system.
February 21, 2016 — 12:56 PM
Owen Banner says:
You are a machine, my friend.
February 22, 2016 — 12:55 PM