...he looked down at his calamari bloated fingers and thought about doing something dryly he probably shouldn't...he left a meta comment, something along the lines of "great curation man...if you just went ahead and read all those books you could probably start your own university..."...he could never be sure of the outcome of such thoughts, but he was certain that if he didn't share them then we both might never acknowledge this truth...what a radical read this was...he then went back to his fingers and ate them like a ravenous malnourished baby tiger shark left abandoned in cloudy algae lagoon...
"When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon." -- The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
"In the myriadic year of our Lord -- the ten thousandth year of the King Undying, the kindly Prince of Death -- Gideon Nav packed her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and she escaped from the House of the Ninth." -- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Thanks! I think it was only after the fact. But it was such a heart-wrenching question that I knew it would draw the reader in, so that's why I started with it :)
Oh, it was, sorry that wasn't clear. That's why I mentioned that some of the best openers come from speaking with others :)
In a nutshell, I was volunteering for a phone line where people who were feeling lonely would call up, and you'd have a chat with them, and just make them feel better. One of the callers asked me that question and I almost burst into tears.
“It was a wrong number that started it.” I hadn’t read that one before. So many good ones to choose from.
Funny. I started the most read/commented on essay of mine with the line:
“People take up residency inside of us.”
That line came from a conversation in a gym session. I didn’t realize at the time that it embodied the message of your post here. It was an accident. It won’t be in the future. :)
Hey Salvador, sure thing, thanks for asking. I would appreciate it if you could link to my blog. I don’t do much self-promo but I do want to reach more readers
"Time and Responsibility. What a prime subject for vapid truisms and gaseous generalities adding up to the world’s most boring sermon. To spare us both, let me tie this discussion to a specific device, specific responsibility mechanisms, and specific problems and cases. The main problems might be stated, How do we make long-term thinking automatic and common instead of difficult and rare? How do we make the taking of long-term responsibility inevitable?"
Some of these are just crazy!
Yah I know! I could've done 100 of them!
...he looked down at his calamari bloated fingers and thought about doing something dryly he probably shouldn't...he left a meta comment, something along the lines of "great curation man...if you just went ahead and read all those books you could probably start your own university..."...he could never be sure of the outcome of such thoughts, but he was certain that if he didn't share them then we both might never acknowledge this truth...what a radical read this was...he then went back to his fingers and ate them like a ravenous malnourished baby tiger shark left abandoned in cloudy algae lagoon...
hahahaha mate nobody writes like you! Thanks Fis!
Two of my favorite, all time opening lines:
"When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon." -- The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
"In the myriadic year of our Lord -- the ten thousandth year of the King Undying, the kindly Prince of Death -- Gideon Nav packed her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and she escaped from the House of the Ninth." -- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
wow I love that Crumley one especially. Keep em coming Ian!
I love how you gave us a mystery to start this piece. 🔎
To add to your list, one of my favorite opening sentences came from a memoir:
"Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart." (Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart)
Oh wow that's a good one! Yeah I really should'a crowdsourced some of these openers!
Thanks Linart!
What a cool list. Would make a great quiz!
I wish I’d had this during lockdown
"She opened her eyes, but in vain. A murky brown-green screen masked everything except her own brunette hair, swirling slowly around her."
—Beyond the Water's Edge
Ooopoooo I like that one!!!
Nailing a great opener is a spiritual experience. I'm agnostic, for the record.
ooo love that comment Aron! Have any favourites of your own?
"Who's going to take care of my dog when I die?"
That's from this one I wrote:
https://aronlazar.substack.com/p/loneliness-epidemic-uncovering-the
I've found that some of the best openers come from speaking with others, and in the most unexpected ways.
Wonderful line! Did you know you were creating an open loop at the time? Or has it only become clear after the fact?
Thanks! I think it was only after the fact. But it was such a heart-wrenching question that I knew it would draw the reader in, so that's why I started with it :)
And what I also like about it is that it sounds so natural, like exactly how someone would say it out loud or to others.
So anyway, you think your dog will outlive you?
Oh, it was, sorry that wasn't clear. That's why I mentioned that some of the best openers come from speaking with others :)
In a nutshell, I was volunteering for a phone line where people who were feeling lonely would call up, and you'd have a chat with them, and just make them feel better. One of the callers asked me that question and I almost burst into tears.
So terrific Harrison. Thank you.
Cheers James! Which one’s your fav?
“It was a wrong number that started it.” I hadn’t read that one before. So many good ones to choose from.
Funny. I started the most read/commented on essay of mine with the line:
“People take up residency inside of us.”
That line came from a conversation in a gym session. I didn’t realize at the time that it embodied the message of your post here. It was an accident. It won’t be in the future. :)
In case you care to read here it is:
https://open.substack.com/pub/onmoneyandmeaning/p/peter-and-linda-biehl-story-of-forgiveness?r=3bqj2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Holy s***, what a horrible thing to happen. Her parents sound like special people. So does Amy
It makes total sense once you see it.
Also it’s fun to pay attention to the first line in films too
Good advice. Can I translate part of this article into Spanish with links to you and a descripción of your newsletter ?
Hey Salvador, sure thing, thanks for asking. I would appreciate it if you could link to my blog. I don’t do much self-promo but I do want to reach more readers
Of course !!!
The translation is here (let me know if you want to change anything):
https://humanidades.substack.com/p/libros-aqui-tienes-30-frases-de-apertura
Amazing! Thanks Salvador!
From Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa:
'Takezo lay among the corpses. There were thousands of them."
Oh wowwww. That one hits!
Any more you’ve seen Ved?
This got me nicely:
"Time and Responsibility. What a prime subject for vapid truisms and gaseous generalities adding up to the world’s most boring sermon. To spare us both, let me tie this discussion to a specific device, specific responsibility mechanisms, and specific problems and cases. The main problems might be stated, How do we make long-term thinking automatic and common instead of difficult and rare? How do we make the taking of long-term responsibility inevitable?"
Stewert Brand, Clock of The Long Now
So good! Is that the first paragraph of the book?
Yup yup. I don't know if it can be called a 'hook' because of the length.
But it hooked me in: "long-term thinking automatic and common instead of difficult and rare."
Who doesn't want that?
It’s solid tho
Also, Musashi's a great book if anyone gets the time.
Surprisingly, no. I skimmed through some books I've read the past year but nothing really stood out as a killer hook.
I'm definitely stealing that tactic
Let me know what you come up with Nathan! Always love seeing peoples’ hooks
very cool!
Thanks Claudia!