As you may know, I have homework to do for my writing class. My homework is to take my “first sentence” and craft the perfect “first paragraph.” This words that follow a great first sentence need to extend the vibe, explain the contrasts, develop the plot.
As a reader, if that first paragraph excites me, I will be patient with the first few chapters as a writer slowly develops characters and builds solid plot lines. Here are two amazing first paragraphs by great female writers:
“March is not swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows to the sky. Slow-moving creeks wander, carrying the orb of the sun with them to the sea, and long-legged birds lift with unexpected grace—as though not built to fly—against the roar of a thousand snow geese.” ~ Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing
“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are. Today’s young people want to know everything about everyone. They think talking about a problem will solve it. I come from a quieter generation. We understand the value of forgetting, the lure of reinvention.” ~Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale
Looking back through my first sentences, I tried to feel a pull towards one or another. I know I have to write the first paragraph for half of them, but I am only going to do a few. I really like the idea of using this platform to create accountability for my writing.
Feel free to participate here with me. I always love the company.
Here are my two for today:
Rough Draft First Paragraph #1: People often flash a smile even when they are not listening. I could tell my mother wasn’t listening. If she had been listening, she would have heard beneath my tapestry of lies. Maybe then she could have stopped me, could have changed the trajectory of both of our worlds. Instead, she painted on her “I’m listening” grin and nodded along, hearing only what she wanted to hear from the start.
Rough Draft First Paragraph #2: They decided, finally, to get divorced after the dog’s tail pushed her gardenia off of the table. It was a final straw in a long line of final straws. Maybe it was the tumbling of the plant and the deep, dark dirt dispersing all over the hardwood floor. Or perhaps it was the piece of the puzzle that made him realize there was little certainty in anything, and being free was always going to be better than being grossly unhappy. Either way, it made her realize that she always hated his god damn dog.
So let me know what you think. I must admit. I loved this exercise. Along with creating some writing I really like, it is so freeing. It does away with the need for the grit of a longer piece, and it just let’s me focus on a short burst.
Love and Light!
The Wandering Empath 
I agree with you on the short bursts of magic in tbe creation of writing something new. I enjoyed both paragraphs, probably the first a tad more because it’s a scenario plucked from my own life. You’re such a good writer Kelly, very insightful and it shows. Also, the passages you chose are books I have adored. Kristen Hannah is one of my favorites especially ❤
We are kindred spirits, my friend. I feel the same about your writing. Thank you so much for your kind words. She is such an amazing writer. Did you read The Great Alone? Soooo good. 🦋✨
Agreed❤Oh, I haven’t read that one but thanks for the recommendation! I’ve read her early 2000s books, when my boys were little I read a lot. Nowadays I do more audio books. It’s more efficent for me and easier to comprehend. My mind moves like someone is flipping a roledex, constantly shifting. If I can finish a book I start these days it’s a miracle.
I’ve learned that to write well, you need to write in your own voice. (that means your own expressions, way of speaking, pausing, laughing, and so on) If you try to write outside of it, it’s like faking an accent when you’re terrible at impersonations.
Writing in your own voice doesn’t mean your writing doesn’t improve, or grow as you learn, and it doesn’t mean you can’t learn to write in different voices, but first, you must learn your own because it flows. So, ask yourself the question, when you read your paragraph does it flow easily as you read it? Or is bits and pieces of other writers in your head. Then off the record, write something just to write it, something no one will see or judge and ask, “Does it flow?
Thank you for your comment, and I really appreciate your advice. I’m not sure what you mean by writing in your own voice. Writing for me feels like a craft. Words flow and I place them in their places. I reread and edit for clarity, and I feel as if those words are in the tone of the piece. With fiction, I feel tone and voice can change based on the character you create (either real or imagined). Perhaps elements of me are there, but my characters are themselves. When I read novels with extremely divergent sounding characters, each with their own tone and voice, I know I am reading a skilled author. George RR Martin is a perfect example. He can maintain the tone and voice of a powerful Dragon Queen in one chapter and a disgraceful man who portrays the family who took him in in the next. Perhaps Martin’s voice is somewhere in there, but it has changed. I may be mistaken in what you mean by voice, though.