Sometimes a writer gets stuck on the first few words of their project. Whether its an email, a Christmas card or an epic fantasy novel, it doesn't make much difference. The opening line, or few lines, have to grab the reader and bring them into your writing.
A Christmas card that starts with: The Holidays are Garbage... will likely get less attention than most. I mean, honestly? I'd read that card because what? why is this even a Christmas card? But generally speaking I'm sure you know what I mean. It needs to be catchy.
The first time I can remember even thinking about the first few lines of a story were when I read The Wheel of Time:
“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of time. But it was a beginning." - Robert Jordan
If I ever create an opening paragraph to a story I enjoy as much as that one, that's when I will consider myself a true writer. Until then I tend to feel more like an impostor in most creative writing pursuits.
And never downplay a little alliteration in your opening, "Mountains of Mist" is remarkably evocative even though its three simple words. Using alliteration is a great way to get more across more quickly and more effectively than some drawn out phrase.
What are we getting from that "Mountains of Mist"? Well here's what I see, obviously this will likely be influenced by where you live, I'm in Canada for the record.
1- Mountains. If you've never seen a mountain directly, it isn't an easy thing to describe with any accuracy.
2- Mist. Presumably you have seen fog before. But again, words on paper will never truly explain how fog or mist feels without you having experienced it.
3- Forest. Yup, now we will start on the unwritten information. A mountain wreathed in mist is most likely surrounded by forest. Plants like wet places, at least in Canada they definitely do.
4- Rivers and streams. That much moisture in one spot at high elevation means rivers or streams are almost certainly twisting their way through the area.
5- Life. Anything as described above, has life in it. Both in itself and higher animal life as well. This is just the basics of how life works, no sense arguing against it unless you have the new answers already.
But why does this happen? How do these three words translate into this in someone's mind? Without getting all psychological about it, we all know how our world works. The best fantasy or science fiction stories all have this firmly at the start of their narrative: establish what the readers know. Or rather what they can assume.
Then it's simply allowing the readers' minds to do all the heavy lifting. I do have an example in my own writing from quite recently. A hillkat.
Before I go on, take a moment to think on that word: hillkat. What do you see? Where does it live? How do you picture it? I'll wait here.
Ok, you good? Got the picture? And remember it was only hillkat... I didn't even give you context.
So in my mind 'hillkat' is a small feline creature that can camouflage itself amongst rocks and tree. It hunts small prey like birds and rodents and lives in a den typically hollowed out from the roots of a tree.
That's what I intended for the word 'hillkat', but how could I hope to make sure that all of you out there reading it would think the same thing. Well, truth is, I didn't care to make sure you all saw the same thing. Every reader is going to interpret what they read based on their own experiences and thought processes.
Now I'm certain this feels like we are a long way away from the topic of this post, but come with me while I wrap it all up nicely.
The opening lines of a story or a project or whatever you are writing MUST BE engaging. Robert Jordan brought us swooping along with his writing as the wind looped and whirled through mist and around mountains. By the time he starts writing the story itself, he has literally, figuratively and literarily transported you from where you sit reading, book in hand, to the base of a mountain in a world you have yet to discover.
Your opening line has to engage the part of the reader's mind that puts all of these extra details into place. Otherwise Robert Jordan would still be writing about the hillkats in the mist at the base of mountains about which blew the wind sometimes.
Eric
PS No links in these 'Regarding Writing' posts. I intend these to mostly be from my own brain. Imagine that right? Stay Safe out there.
Comments