My Story, My Way ~ An Indie Adventure: Author Ann Everett Talks About The Importance Of Opening Lines

Ann, who has appeared on An Indie Adventure before (welcome back), talks about the importance of a great opening line to grab a reader

Twenty-four hours ago, Tizzy Donovan was naked in Ridge Cooper’s bed, screaming to get God’s attention.

Did that opening line grab your interest? What about this one?

Jay Roy Hobbs held the county record for talking women out of their panties.

Or, perhaps one of these?

Two weeks earlier, Raynie stood in the same spot and swore off bad boys. Absolutely. For sure. Maybe.

One hot August Thursday afternoon, Maddie Faraday reached under the front seat of her husband’s Cadillac and pulled out a pair of black lace underpants. They weren’t hers.

Hopefully, one of those piqued your interest, and you’d want to read more. I’d like to take credit for all of them, but the last one comes from Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie.

I spend days trying to come up with killer first lines. Why? Because as a reader, I read the first line of a book before I read the blurb. I want to know if the author can grab me from page one. For me, that opening sentence sets the tone.

Even though the first two examples are from books 2 and 3 of my small-town mysteries, You’re Busting My Nuptials, and Tied With a Bow and No Place to Go, the opening lines, along with the titles, are a good indication there will be plenty of humor in the stories. I hope.

The third sample is from one of my contemporary romances, Say You’ll Never Love Me. Again, I want the beginning to show the book will be lighthearted. My purpose isn’t to cure world hunger, it’s to entertain. Although, curing world hunger is an admirable goal, and if writing steamy romances helped, then I’d be on it!

Years ago, when I was first published by a small press, they claimed to have a 3-3-3 rule. They’d read the first three paragraphs, and if those held their interest, they’d read the first three pages, if they were still interested, they’d read the first three chapters. After that, if they wanted to read more, they requested the entire manuscript.

Think about it. If those first three paragraphs didn’t make an impression, the query went into the slush pile. Isn’t it terrible how quickly someone makes their mind up about what we write? Yet, I do the same thing—usually within the first three lines!

Here’s one more of my favorites:

Annie didn’t usually talk to her suitcase, but she wasn’t exactly herself these days.

From Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

How important are opening lines to you? Do you have an example of one that grabbed you so hard, you couldn’t put the book down?

Let me know in the comments. One lucky commenter will receive digital copies of my latest two books, Chirp, a Kindle Scout winner, and True, the second book in my Bluebird, Texas Romance series.

Blurb:
A woman hiding from her future…
Heiress to the largest steel company in America, twenty-year-old, socially awkward Blaze Bledsoe hides out at Dessie Bishop’s farm. For the last three years, Blaze has eluded one investigator after another, but just when she thinks she’s safe, a PI closes in. Her luck is about to run out in more ways than one.

A man running from his past…
Rance Keller, a tough, hard-living ex-con, fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit, arrives to claim the house his grandmother left him. Finding a strange girl living there, his plans for a solitary life take a turn. Her lack of modesty, no filter, and word of the day fetish baffles him, but those big green eyes and sweet mouth have him losing sleep.

Welcome to Bluebird, Texas
Where two damaged people with secrets, discover trust can lead to passion.

Buy:
Amazon

Bio:
Ann Everett writes about small-town Texas where women are sassy enough to say what they want, and men are panty-melting hot with plenty of southern charm.

She's an Amazon bestselling author and Kindle Scout winner. She’s a top reviewer on a major writing website, and a regular speaker at Wordwyse Exposytions. No need to bore you with the details. Here are ten things about her more interesting than accolades.

She’s married to her high school sweetheart.

She loves shopping at thrift stores.

She doesn’t remember her first kiss.

She hates talking on the telephone.

A really sharp pencil makes her happy.

She secretly wants to get a tattoo.

She believes everyone should own a pair of cowboy boots.

She’s thankful wrinkles aren’t painful.

She sucks at math.