Opening Lines.

I have turned the local Borders into my office. It gets me out of the house into a place where I am surrounded by thousands, maybe millions, of works that were written down by someone, somewhere. Not all of them are great, but they all must be readable, for if they weren't no store in America would take up precious shelf-space with them.

Today I found a book called Writing Life Stories: How to make memories into memoirs, ideas into essays, and life into literature. Of course, being Borders, there were endless shelves on how to write screenplays, novels, how to edit/revise/get published, on the correct use of grammar, blah blah blah. But this book is a gem. I sat down and read the first chapter and realized that I will be back for more.

Suggestion from this chapter that I liked: Look for 10 great opening lines. Analyze why you like them. Then look for the 10 best opening lines from your own work. Well, I felt like a fool walking back and forth, back and forth, picking books, putting them down, occasionally pulling out my notebook and copying down opening lines I like. Truth be told, I didn't feel like a fool until one of the workers came up to me and said, "Take your time, we are open until 11 tonight." Apparently someone realized I had been in Borders for awhile. This leads me to confess I only have four lines so far. But my list can continue to grow.

(1) I wish Giovanni would kiss me. (Eat, Pray, Love : Elizabeth Gilbert)
(2) As most New Yorkers have done, I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during the day. (I was Told There'd be Cake : Sloane Crosley)


Scratch that, I only have two. The other two didn't cut it.