FIRST LINES

FIRST LINES

Everybody knows that book. You know, that book. The one you picked up while strolling through the bookstore. Nice cover with the interesting back jacket. Then you opened the first page.

Hook.

Line.

Sinker.

That first line. The one that made you go: Whoa, I need this book.

Or maybe it wasn’t that in-your-face bold. Maybe it was more subtle. Maybe lyrically beautiful. Perhaps it just painted such a clear picture that you read on to lines two, three, and ten. You didn’t even realize that author had hooked you, possibly because you’re too busy having to know what happens next. That’s the kind of first line that all book lovers crave. The one that says, “Pick me out of a million other books here to take home forever!”

So, first lines, how important are they?

Turns out…very.

There are piles and piles of books to buy. Enough to reach the sky and who has room for that on their bookshelf? So here’s the deal: All these books and not enough room. Which ones make the cut? Probably not the one that started getting interesting on page 50. Truth is, readers want to be catapulted from their spot in that bookstore to a fictional world. We want to feel tucked between the pages, lost somewhere amongst so many words. And the first line is the place to do it. First lines can irrevocably draw a reader.

What is it that pulls a reader in? Which first lines make you have to know more? For me, it needs a dose of unexpected. A few young adult books on my shelf that absolutely, completely captivated me from the VERY FIRST LINE, and my thoughts:

“They say before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.” –BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver

So, wait, she died? In the VERY FIRST line we learn this? Wow. I need to read this book.

        

“All I’ve learned in today’s Shakespeare class is: Sometimes you have to fall in love with the wrong person just so you can find the right person.” –AS YOU WISH by Jackson Pearce

         Well, isn’t that the truth? Buying.

          

         “It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” –THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

         What? Who’s going to die? And why? Let me just read one or two or a million more lines to find out.

         “You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand.” –BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by April Genevieve Toucholke

         This is the first dialogue? Ought to be good. Need to know more.

         “My life could not possibly suck more than it does right now.” –TAKE ME THERE by Susane Colasanti

         Pretty much the story of my teenage life. Lets see if this character’s torment was anything like my own.

          “I’ve been collecting bugs since I was ten; it’s the only way I can stop their whispers.” SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard

          Creepy. Must buy.

         “They hung the Unregistereds in the old warehouse district; it was a public execution, so everyone went to see.” THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

         *blinks* Holy wow. An execution from the start? Badass.   

         These are some of my favorites. What are your favorite first lines? How far into a book are you willing to read before it gets interesting? Do first lines help you determine what stories to read?

***And for the record, all of these books turned out to be exceptional. I’d love to give away one of each, but for now I’ll leave you with a chance to win a SIGNED hardcover of THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa. Open to U.S. You’re welcome J *** 

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/LoveHateAngerDevotion - AKA That Thing Called Emotion

The success of a book has a lot of contributing factors. A killer plot. Enticing characters. Cool settings. Unique idea… But one factor, in my opinion, anyway, stands out above the rest.

Emotion.

Anger, joy, sadness, hate—emotions are a large part of what makes people read. At least, that’s the case with me. I want to pick up a book and feel something. I want to fall in love. Be angry when the hero and heroine are thwarted. I want to Snoopy Dance when the bad get gets his due. Who wants to finish a story where you can’t connect with the characters? If I don’t feel some kind of emotion, it’s all over. 

Apathy is the death of a book. 

No truer words have ever been spoken. When the reader isn’t emotionally invested in what happens to the characters, the whole thing becomes pointless. How many times have you put down a book because you just don’t care? It's okay. We've all done it. I’m not just talking about love here, either. Hate is just as good, and sometimes, more powerful. When you're emotionally invested in a book, and you come across an uber-baddie, don't you worry what devious plot he has in store for the hero and heroine? Don’t you find yourself imagining ways to pick him off? 

(Wait—that’s just me? Um… Never mind then.)

This is a huge part of why I write in the young adult genre. The emotions are amped. Everything from a character's first love and heartbreak, to their struggle to find themselves in the world. So many firsts. So many passionate emotions. SO MANY FEELS!

And that's why we read. To feel. To connect. As long as readers feeling something, then I’ve done my job. From cheering your favorites on as they pursue their quest, to screaming in frustration when the bad guy gains the upper hand. A handful of tissues, or the urge to yell at the page. If you walk away feeling, then I’m a happy puppy.

What about you guys? Is there a particular book or fictional character that has evoked a strong emotion?

What Happens Next?

Recently I read an amazing book by Colleen Clayton called What Happens Next.

Let's flip to the back cover:

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader, a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid – including a lock of her perfect red curls – and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and alienated by her friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect… or so she thinks.

Humorous and thoughtful, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a moving exploration of one girl’s triumph over tragedy.

***

 

I already know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT in this book, but before you go grab a copy and find out for yourself, hang out a minute and see what Colleen had to say about her life and her writing:

 

 

Please tell us a little about your everyday life.

My typical 24 hour day looks like this:

5:50-5:51 AM Put my kids off to school (they're teens so mostly it consists of me banging on their doors and yelling "Wake up!" and then going back to bed...)

5:51-9:30 Sleep

9:30-10:00 Lay there and think about getting up.

10:00-10:30 Currently, as of Jan 7th, walk by my Christmas Tree that's still out and wish I had a Harry Potter wand. Check my various networks (email, Twitter, Facebook) while having a hot chocolate. Stalk myself online.

10:30-12:30 Shower then walk dogs in my town (I have a small dog-walking business. The Irish Sitter: "Keeping your furry family members healthy, happy, and home"), hit a drive-thru or gas station for a sandwich and iced coffee. Think about how I'm totally going to hit the gym after work.

12:30 - 3:30 Teach writing classes at Youngstown State.

3:30-3:45 Skip the gym thing and head home.

3:45-3:46 Walk by my Christmas tree again and wish I was Samantha from Bewitched.

3:46-4:00 Check my networks again. Stalk myself some more.

4:00-7:00 Family time, dinner, kids' extracurriculars, homework, and sometimes laundry

7:00-10:00 TV shows (Once Upon A Time, The Walking Dead, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Copper, Downton Abbey, Wilfred...I watch an embarrassing amount of television).

10:00-2:00 am Hook into one of my Pandora ambient-hipster-new-age-instrumental-folk channels and write my a** off.

2:00 Go to bed.

 

Besides your main character, who is your favorite character in What Happens Next and why?

Corey, definitely. He's everything a gal would want in a boyfriend. Kind, funny, hot, masculine, and somewhat damaged.

Do you have a favorite scene in What Happens Next?

Sid and Corey's first kiss

Did you always know how What Happens Next would end, or did it change as you wrote it?

The initial ending was very explosive. Like, Law & Order Special Victims Unit explosive. The current ending is much more realistic and touching, I think.

Is there anything you can tell us about how your cover was designed?

It was a total surprise and I absolutely LOVED the silhouette of Sid in winter against a night sky, standing on a road with her arms outstretched. At first, I was hesitant about the color of the title font. But then it grew on me and I understood why the cover designer chose it. It's hopeful and light-hearted which is a nice contrast with the darkness of the silhouette and is in line with the tone of the book...poignant but humorous.

Can you tell us a little about your path to publication?

40 agents rejected this manuscript so it was long, brutal, and frustrating. I generally just walked around feeling like a failure but tried to keep a good face on for my family's sake. I lit candles at various churches for two years, folded my hands, looked up at Jesus and said: "Please God...I want this so bad." Also, I'd cry in the car a lot. I landed an agent in summer while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. The following winter, we sold the manuscript to the first publisher who read it. I went to Lakewood Park, one of the settings in the book, sat on a swing that my main character sits on and looked out at Lake Erie. It was winter and snowy and beautiful. I thanked God and cried some more, only with joy this time.

What’s next for you?

Another book! HOORAY! (***lightens mood***) Same high school but with marginal characters from WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Untitled. Teaser: "Take Kristen Stewart's ADVENTURELAND, add an episode of HOARDERS, mix in a Heath Ledger-looking biker boy and stir..."

Do you have any marketing advice for other writers?

Twitter, giveaways, Goodreads, blogger outreach, local book signings and then a signing in NYC if you can swing it. Meet in-person with your agent, editor, and PR rep while you're there. The rest is up to the word-of-mouth Gods.