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.
Andreah says:
The tablecloth hung like a beautiful drapery over the round table, intricate handkerchiefs were folded like flat ice cream cones.
February 21, 2016 — 1:02 PM
StarNinja says:
“I’ve waited my whole life to kill you,” my mother said with a cruel smile.
February 21, 2016 — 1:23 PM
the story hive says:
This could go soo wrong – I like it!
February 21, 2016 — 2:06 PM
StarNinja says:
Thank you 🙂
February 21, 2016 — 2:15 PM
Bagels says:
The story of my life, right here
…
Jk, that was weird 😀
February 21, 2016 — 8:26 PM
StarNinja says:
“Grab a seat and I’ll tell you how your Grandpa made the Grand Canyon.”
February 21, 2016 — 1:24 PM
StarNinja says:
“Gang activity is exploding across the city and no I don’t mean literally!”
February 21, 2016 — 1:26 PM
StarNinja says:
“Man wasn’t meant to fly!” he cried as he plummeted to Earth.
February 21, 2016 — 1:26 PM
StarNinja says:
“Our clans been fightin’ so long, I figure the only way to end it is a good old fashioned orgy.”
February 21, 2016 — 1:28 PM
the story hive says:
Now that’s something I’d want to read!
February 21, 2016 — 2:06 PM
moteridgerider says:
When in Rome …
February 21, 2016 — 4:07 PM
StarNinja says:
Or Kentucky, or Glasgow, or Lima, or anywhere really 😉
February 21, 2016 — 4:31 PM
addy says:
HEY! ain’t no orgy like a glaswegian orgy
February 22, 2016 — 4:03 AM
StarNinja says:
Where my Glaswegians at? Oh, they’re at an orgy…
February 22, 2016 — 12:43 PM
addy says:
exactly
February 23, 2016 — 4:02 AM
Owen Banner says:
What do these three things have in common? Hmmmm….
February 22, 2016 — 12:26 PM
StarNinja says:
They have clans? Lots and lots of alcohol? There is sex there sometimes in an organized and plural fashion? I don’t know. Good question 😛
February 22, 2016 — 12:47 PM
Rich Hayden says:
An old fashioned orgy, nice. It’s important to uphold tradition. New fashioned orgies can be so empty.
February 22, 2016 — 6:20 PM
StarNinja says:
Orgies are the foundation great nations are built on.
February 22, 2016 — 6:22 PM
moteridgerider says:
– or the ultimate depravity that marks their crumbling decay and demise, the seeking of ecstasy in ruin – nah, I like the foundation idea better.
February 23, 2016 — 1:50 AM
StarNinja says:
Little known fact: the Founding Fathers of America spent most of their time in the Continental Congress totally boning. Ben Franklin was exceptional because he didn’t stop boning after the country was founded. Also, there’s a reason they called him John Hancock and it wasn’t because of his huge, ahem, signature.
February 24, 2016 — 12:33 AM
Jemima Pett says:
It’s a ridiculously over the top humorous romance with a vampire under the sea in a spaceship eating sushi in a convent.
February 21, 2016 — 1:28 PM
the story hive says:
“Not that you could ever use it, but that’s the secret of creation,” Lucifer nudged gently the leaves of the potted daisies.
February 21, 2016 — 1:30 PM
StarNinja says:
Never took you for a gardener, Lucy. Though I guess in retrospect it kinda makes sense. You don’t happen to grow figs, do you?
February 21, 2016 — 1:33 PM
the story hive says:
“I’ve been thinking,” she cut the foxglove flowers into fine stripes and put them into the teapot, “maybe you need a long nice holiday, darling.”
February 21, 2016 — 1:37 PM
the story hive says:
“That ridiculous excuse of a human being was the god of locks,” Paine shook his head in disbelief.
February 21, 2016 — 1:56 PM
moteridgerider says:
That’s a great line. Perhaps it would work even better in the second sentence of the story as it’s clearly a response to something that has just happened.
February 21, 2016 — 4:11 PM
Lani says:
No one noticed the little redhead girl with flowers in her hair, but she noticed them.
February 21, 2016 — 1:59 PM
StarNinja says:
Tee! Little redhead girls with flowers in their hair are so cute! Except when they’re invisible…
February 21, 2016 — 4:33 PM
the story hive says:
“Now everybody, repeat,” I stood at the speaker’s desk, pausing for effect, “I AM FREE!”
February 21, 2016 — 2:01 PM
the story hive says:
“Yeah, I’d go for a big, hairy ‘n all teeth sidekick,” Lev wrung his fist with a fit of elation, as the goblin nodded approvingly.
February 21, 2016 — 2:14 PM
the story hive says:
-producing a big slobbery pug in the size of a pony…
February 21, 2016 — 2:43 PM
StarNinja says:
“That’s a huge bitch!”
February 21, 2016 — 4:30 PM
the story hive says:
I heard him snicker over his “Ladies first”, so I threw a chair at his face, that’ll teach him.
February 21, 2016 — 3:18 PM
pawan minz says:
The decrepit, malfunctiong life-pod didn’t seem such a bad place to die in space with my dead girlfriend’s last Valentine’s gift to me – a chocolate bar whose last bits was licked off the plastic wrapper by now and an original Pink Floyd’s Echoes vinyl record, which would be perfect song to die to, but I didn’t had a player.
February 21, 2016 — 3:23 PM
the story hive says:
“Why are you shooting at me?”
February 21, 2016 — 3:24 PM
grrlwanderer says:
I looked out the window and it was very clear to me that our house was floating away.
February 21, 2016 — 3:25 PM
pawan minz says:
The Confounding Valley, to be honest. was terrible name for the most picturesque location in the entire Southern hemisphere of Mars, but it was surprisingly appropriate given its history.
February 21, 2016 — 3:34 PM
pawan minz says:
Sorry typo….*The Confounding Valley, to be honest, was terrible name for the most picturesque location in the entire Southern hemisphere of Mars, but it was surprisingly appropriate given its history.
February 21, 2016 — 3:37 PM
Doug Zeigler says:
The dizziness that came each time the ringing in her head peaked was a strange release from the horrors that brought on the klaxons.
February 21, 2016 — 3:48 PM
the story hive says:
I shared a bunk with a quiet man, a huge afro-american cyborg, with the average of ten words and two facial expression a week.
February 21, 2016 — 3:55 PM
moteridgerider says:
Hope this one gets through Chuck’s filtering process. I’d really like to work it into a tale.
February 21, 2016 — 4:13 PM
pawan minz says:
Jason, awestruck, gently nudged on his friend’s giant mechanical arm, trying to find humour in the horror, – “Welp, this looks worse than a zombie apocalypse”.
February 21, 2016 — 3:56 PM
the story hive says:
The tall shadow of Lieutenant Rizzo appeared in the doorway, bubbling drunken zombie words, „sowhyamupnwhuusresponsble?”
February 21, 2016 — 4:24 PM
Emily Howitt says:
I woke up with shimmering pixels of glass coating my body.
February 21, 2016 — 5:53 PM
Owen Banner says:
I like it.
February 22, 2016 — 12:30 PM
Brenna not Brenda says:
Not many people could say they’d had their honeymoon on Mars.
February 21, 2016 — 5:59 PM
Brenna not Brenda says:
He shot the toaster with silver bullets.
February 21, 2016 — 6:02 PM
StarNinja says:
“I should have guessed what you were since you only burn my toast on full moons!”
February 22, 2016 — 12:50 PM
john freeter says:
“Today’s secret ingredient is… human!” announced the grey-green tentacled monstrosity–the contest’s host.
February 21, 2016 — 6:15 PM
StarNinja says:
Iron Chef R’lyeh. My favorite show!
February 21, 2016 — 6:47 PM
Jenny says:
I was stuck inside a giant penguin costume that reeked of fiberglass and booze.
February 21, 2016 — 6:51 PM
Bagels says:
Thursday morning started out likea wildly intense game of chess, but ended up turning into something haphazardly resembling a poker match, only with more tazers
Pffffff. I didn’t accidentally type two words without a space to get under the 25 word limit. What are you talking about, you crazy person
February 21, 2016 — 8:04 PM
Bagels says:
Just in case: Judging by the frazzled state of the contestants, what had once been a chess tournament was now a poker match with tazers
February 21, 2016 — 8:10 PM
Sandra Burton says:
Children’s fiction – It was no longer night, but not yet day, when the crew of four and-a-half set off down the Brisbane River that misty, spring morning.
February 21, 2016 — 8:19 PM
Bagels says:
k last one (sorry, this is fun 😀 ): “Ladies and gentleman,” the man in the sweaty suit sighed and looked around: “I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no more winter in Canada.”
February 21, 2016 — 8:24 PM
Charles F Willard Jr says:
Oley Bendtson was more frightened than he had ever been in all his thirty years, and that included going over the top from the trenches at Chateau Tierry.
February 21, 2016 — 9:08 PM
Glen Donaldson says:
Honorable mention in the Best Character Name Awards for the magnificient Oley Bendtson.
February 22, 2016 — 2:53 PM
addy says:
“i totally don’t have a fridge full of human skulls and bones!” he said when no one asked
February 22, 2016 — 4:11 AM
addy says:
based on my reply when i was asked what i have been up to in fallout 4….. I was decorating my evil characters house!!!
February 22, 2016 — 4:13 AM
theunbookreporter says:
“First I’m going to kill you, then I’m going to offer you a job.”
February 22, 2016 — 4:15 AM
Owen Banner says:
I’m intrigued.
February 22, 2016 — 12:37 PM
Glen Donaldson says:
More evidence of the impending employment crisis.
February 22, 2016 — 3:07 PM
StarNinja says:
“Oh whoops, sorry got that backwards. You know what? Forget I, uh, said anything. So, how are you with Excel?”
February 22, 2016 — 12:57 PM
theunbookreporter says:
Hansel had been careful to never ask Gretel what she wanted with the witch’s bones, and Gretel had been careful to never to answer him.
(Or, if you don’t like “bones” substitute “frying pan”.)
February 22, 2016 — 4:35 AM
fabiosuccicimentini says:
Things started getting rocky when the house told me “You know, I’m getting back to being a human.”
February 22, 2016 — 5:57 AM
addy says:
I knew i shouldn’t have trusted him with the defence codes.
February 22, 2016 — 6:39 AM
Nashelle says:
I never did return the scissors, which seemed like a big deal at the time…
February 22, 2016 — 7:35 AM
Phoebe says:
Artificial intelligence is taking over my city – and yes, I know that is such a first world problem.
February 22, 2016 — 7:47 AM
davidoff85 says:
She just sat there as he walked away – impassive, onlookers were stunned still, but she just smiled.
February 22, 2016 — 8:36 AM
mannixk says:
Number three on Anya’s list of ‘ten rules to live by’ was no sex under a full moon, but that night she made an exception for Jay.
February 22, 2016 — 9:26 AM
StarNinja says:
Looks like Anya’s been itching to get some of that Lycanthrope strange.
Hopefully the dogs and cats will play nice together, if you get my drift 😉
February 22, 2016 — 1:09 PM
mannixk says:
When the girl with two hearts reached her thirteenth birthday, the citizens of Refalia were invited to the castle for a celebration.
February 22, 2016 — 9:27 AM
mannixk says:
After the sixth day without sleep, the skin under Karen’s eyes looked squishy and bruised, like the flesh of a rotting peach.
February 22, 2016 — 9:28 AM
StarNinja says:
NIce! Very evocative
February 22, 2016 — 1:14 PM
deliriumend says:
Lord Nestram’s men caught up with Alva a day outside of Granshire.
February 22, 2016 — 9:28 AM
mannixk says:
The first thing you need to know about Herman is that he’s never eaten chili.
February 22, 2016 — 9:28 AM
Eric Pederson says:
I like this one – simple, but pulls me right in.
February 22, 2016 — 1:47 PM
Greg Levin says:
My sister was a real son-of-a-bitch back when she was my brother.
February 22, 2016 — 9:35 AM
davidoff85 says:
Something was different; something in the air, something intangible, something in my gut, every fibre of my being was screaming at me to run.
February 22, 2016 — 9:46 AM
thatcalamity says:
Medics aren’t supposed to look worried, especially not when they look at your chart.
February 22, 2016 — 10:17 AM
StarNinja says:
“Ma’am, I don’t know how to tell you this but, your body is basically 98% hemorrhoids.”
February 22, 2016 — 1:29 PM
C. B. Matson says:
Six beetles, six beetles in the jar, not nearly enough for a meal but too many to just release; she searched again beneath the rocks.
February 22, 2016 — 10:27 AM
Owen Banner says:
This could go a couple of interesting directions.
February 22, 2016 — 12:42 PM
Nicholas Jozaites says:
“Don’t complain to me about your shitty job. Mine is the literal definition of cannon-fodder.”
February 22, 2016 — 10:29 AM
C. B. Matson says:
Like Brahms cranked from a hurdy-gurdy, like John Keats scrawled in the sand, the mural spoke of more than just urban angst and drugs.
February 22, 2016 — 10:37 AM