Let's Write a Story

I totally meant to write something this week. And life kind of got in the way. That's kind of how my writing's been going lately, too.

So, let's jump start our writing. You know the game. I start us off with a sentence. In the comments, you continue the story. You may write as much or as little as you like, just so long as you continue the story where it left off with the last commenter.

The doorway shimmered in the fading light until it almost disappeared...

First Line Submissions

Here are our first line submissions. In the comments, tell us which ones grabbed your interest and why.

1. I remember falling.

2. To a ghost, telling a lie is like dancing a tango. Lots of fun but even better with an audience.

3. Footsteps thumped over Kierra's head.

4. The wind rustled the flowers in my hands.

5. She found the key under his bed.

6. The overcast sky pressed into the ground heavy with humidity, pollen, and insects.

7. Eight hours of freedom. That's all I had left when the call came in. 

8. Time, it flows and ebbs relative to perspective.

9. This year on the day of ascension, I'm supposed to stand before the Abhithian high council and marry a human.

Let's Talk First Lines

Don't forget to sign up for our Blogfest! Click for Mr. Linky, pictures and the guidelines.

Okay, how are you doing? I feel like I'm completely out of touch after a month with no computer.

What are you working on right now? How can we help at UB?

We would really like to know.

To go along with Marcy's first chapter critiques she started, this week I want to gather your first lines. Just the first sentence.

I'll post them all on Thursday and then we can all comment on which ones catch our attention. I'm not going to post genre or title with it so you can tell us what genre and age group it sounds like to YOU. This could be very eye opening for all of us.

Send your first sentence to unicornbellsubmissions@gmail.com with First line in the subject line.

First Sentences--Mixed Genres

I thought I'd break these up for commenting purposes. Same rules as before:

Please read and tell us if the first sentence grabs your attention and why. If it doesn't, tell us why as well. Please be respectful with your honesty.

Thanks!

1. Title: THE LULLABY
Genre: YA fantasy

“Are you sure you can handle them, Maggie?” Rieta hovered in the doorway.

2. Title: THINKING OF YOU
Genre: paranormal

The Enclosure stood solitary and alone.

3. Title: The Hunt (Goddess of the Hunt Series #1)
Genre: YA Science Fiction Fantasy Romance

Aurora Grey sits at the small round table in her kitchen and tries not to laugh at her mother.

4. Title: Unbroken (Staying Alive Series #2)
Genre: YA Dystopian paranormal romance

Pulling his mother’s SUV into the driveway, Liam finally allows himself to relax.

5. Title: Faerie Wings
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

"If I do this, you'll owe me big time Kevin." Ryanne swallowed hard and looked away from her best friend.

6. Title: Finding Me
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction

Every day I promise myself that today is the day I forget, but I never do.

First Sentences--Fantasy Genre

Read the first sentence and then tell us if it grabs your attention. Why? What does it make you wonder about, want to know, etc?

If it doesn't grab your attention--why not?

Please remember to be respectful in your honesty.

1.  Title:The Rapier
Genre: Urban fantasy

It waited in the shade by the cool pond.

2.  Title: Crystalline
Genre: Epic Fantasy

The legends gave them their names but time gave them their identities.

3.  Title: Broken
Genre: Urban Fantasy

The daemon was dead, no question about that.

4.  Title: The Way to Dendara
Genre: Fantasy

For Lucy, it began with a package, a small unobtrusive brown-paper wrapped package.

5.  Title: Fairy Tail
Genre: Fantasy

It looked like a celebration.

6.  Title: The God Chronicles
Genre: Fantasy

Actually, in the beginning, God was an apprentice.

First Sentence Hooks

What are you doing here? If you live in the US you should be at the pool or lake or having a good time somewhere.

For those of you outside the US, thanks for being patient while we play.

Tomorrow we'll discuss hooking your reader. Right now I want to open up for submissions of the first sentence of your WIP. Let's see them standing all alone and see if they hook us. Send your first lines to charity.bradford@gmail.com. Please put Unicorn Bell: First Sentence in the subject line and format the entry as follows.

Title:
Genre:
First sentence:

If you have multiple stories, you can send as many first lines as you want in the same email.