First Lines

It is a truth universally acknowledged that first lines are tricky.

What to start with? What profound, intriguing, amusing, exciting words to write on that blank page? It is well known that first lines can hook a reader, excite a publisher and set the tone for what is to come. Get it right, and your words may be immortalised in literary history. Get it wrong and, well, your book may never see the light of day.

No pressure then!

Starting a new blog poses a ‘first lines’ dilemma of its own. What to say? What nugget of brilliance to launch your musings with?  It’s tricky.

For the last three years, I’ve been blogging as Hot Cross Mum. It’s been great fun and a wonderful writing adventure, but times change, life moves on. While there will always be a special place in my blogging heart for dear old Hot Cross Mum, she really needs a rest. So, I’m retiring her for a while to explore a new writing space – here.

‘Whims and Tonic’ is a space for me to write about anything and everything to do with writing. My writing whims, if you will (and other things which take my fancy from time to time). Whether it is the ups and downs of my writing day, a review of a new book, a reminder of an old classic, a favourite quote, observations on what’s happening in the publishing industry, exciting news about a six-figure deal I have secured – or simply an image of a dog sticking its head out of a car window which I find amusing – this is where it will all be captured.

And the tonic part? Well, you can take it to mean something invigorating and uplifting, or you can take it with gin, ice and lemon. I’ll leave that part up to you.

As for a memorable first line, I think I will bow to an established expert for now, and leave you with this opener from the book I recently chose to give away on World Book Night. The brilliant, Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’.

‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’

Ooooo, intrigued….!