From: A_Tina_Hall@kruemel.org   
      
   Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)   wrote:   
   > William Vetter wrote:   
   >> Kevin C wrote:   
   >>> J.Pascal wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> Setting and genre *in the first sentence*... really?  Soon, yes.   
   >>>> But "first sentence" is just crazy talk.  My favorite first   
   >>>> sentence ever? "There are some mistakes that "Oops" just doesn't   
   >>>> cover."  Can you tell me the setting or the genre?  Of course you   
   >>>> can't.   
   >>>   
   >>> OTOH, what does this tell you?   
   >>>   
   >>> "Fergus slipped into an alley behind the dungeons and checked the   
   >>> talisman one last time."   
   >>>   
   >> How many published stories begin with a sentence without genre tags   
   >> in it?  I think most of them.   
      
   > I'd suspect you're right. Within the first few paragraphs, or pages   
   > for a book, yes, but first sentence? Well, let's check my own:   
      
   Ooh, I want to play too. :)   
      
   (I know none of this is published. And I doubt the ME shorts posted to   
   afo count. Let's see what people say to it.)   
      
   [snip interesting list]   
      
   Though what I find more interesting than genre hints is what kind of   
   first sentences you choose. Doing my list I found I have a lot of people   
   interacting or watching other people, or looking at things. I think you   
   have more speech or environment.   
      
   I write for characters, you write for, not sure (kinda forgot), story,   
   world, setting?   
      
   I'm looking for a pattern here, first sentence of writer relating to   
   kind of what writer wants in a story.   
      
   > So, including all of my completed published or to-be-published   
   > books, we have one that clearly signals genre and general setting,   
   > two that're pretty suggestive, and nothing for the rest, which   
   > indicates that the vast majority don't give you a clue in the first   
   > sentence.   
      
   At least the majority of yours. Who would want to check what all the   
   other writers do? :)   
      
   Here's mine, judge for yourself whether they're any god first sentences   
   or tell you genre.   
      
   Title (or clue-word, just for me to ring a bell)   
      
           Hibernation:   
   He opened his eyes to darkness.   
      
           Space:   
   "This is the day! Outer Space!" Ansen Smit proclaimed enthusiastically,   
   breaking the silence in the speed lift.   
      
           Seasons & Elements #1, Controlled by Magic:   
   "We have to take her back to her people."   
      
   That's from a scene I added later to go before the actual start of the   
   story, the story initially started with the following scene:   
   Gorash looked from the patiently waiting Warrior back down to the   
   striate in his hand.   
      
           Seasons & Elements #2, Controlling the Magic   
   They were finally moving.   
      
           Seasons & Elements #3, (Collude with Magic?)   
   Dasca sat on the edge of the plateau, the ground before her sloping down   
   to the steppes.   
      
           Short set in S&E (no title yet apparently, also not done):   
   "It's for practice." Jodra said brightly.   
      
           Magic Earth #1, Getting Caught:   
   Nel would have liked to step up to the shadowed walls and examine the   
   frescoes and tapestries that covered the thick metal, but his gaze was   
   fixed on the Shan.   
      
           Magic Earth #2, Without Heart:   
   Dayta woke with a start to a shout from Ranes.   
      
           Magic Earth #3, Magi Shans:   
   Senar was studying Reyk.   
      
           Magic Earth #4, Seeing Far:   
   Kian watched Senar from the corner of his left eye, peeking through the   
   hairs that fell across it like a curtain.   
      
           Magic Earth #5, (need title):   
   Senar inspected the horses, probing them, while Ranes was discussing the   
   price with the seller.   
      
           Magic Earth #6, (need title):   
   "The least you could do is hide her better." Laishar said, sounding   
   upset.   
      
           Magic Earth #7, Helping Hands:   
   "Wow. Our very own pile of rubble." Lethan observed with a chuckle.   
      
           Magic Earth #7b, (need title):   
   "You could keep it you know." Senar said, seeing how Ranes started   
   working the magic to remove the new link.   
      
   Shorts set in the ME. They were written to challenges in   
   alt.fiction.original, and actually finished, though a word limit in some   
   challenges has some of them end up written a bit oddly.   
      
           ME Short: An Easy Catch:   
   "Getting caught is just a myth."   
      
           ME Short: A Fairy Gift:   
   Jihem stared at the reports spread out on his desk, wondering what else   
   he could do.   
      
           ME Short: The Wicked One:   
   "You know what you must do. Where you must go." Twocubs said solemly.   
      
           ME Short: The Demon Spawn (2nd part of the previous one, the   
   challenge in afo had the option of doing 2 that were connected,   
   different viewpoints):   
   He smiled, relaxed and satisfied, watching the lithe young hunter run as   
   if for his life.   
      
           ME Short: The Shadowed Hunt:   
   A flash startled Resken, and he jerked his view up to the sky, hoping to   
   catch the lightning.   
      
           ME Short: A Welcome Witch:   
   Nuhsheyn knocked on the bedroom door, then opened it gently, heart full   
   of worry over his friend.   
      
           ME Short: A Gifted Child:   
   The night was dark and quiet, peaceful.   
      
           ME Short: A Splendid Start:   
   Minkai tugged her shawl closer, more out of nervousness than the   
   weather.   
      
           Demons:   
   ''Grandma said the demons came sixty years ago. [...]''   
   (That is a kind of pre-something, not part of the actual first scene.)   
      
           (FwG 1):   
   The boy watched the gnarled, leathery hand emerge from the small slit in   
   the wooden door.   
      
           (FwG 2):   
   Nort spat out foul-smelling and no doubt foul tasting bits of skin and   
   sinew.   
      
           (FwG 3):   
   Shadis walked along the clean streets of Crysta Pardai, not really   
   seeing the splendor around him.   
      
           (FwG 4):   
   Aianda frowned up at the spiderweb in the corner of her living room.   
      
           (FwG 5):   
   The ground shook.   
      
           (FwG 6):   
   "Another young man taken from our midst, to be eaten by the priests!"   
   the speaker boomed through the vast underground hall.   
      
           The Knight's Journey:   
   Dalar turned to his primary father standing in the doorway.   
      
           Kaldan:   
   Shanad watched the delegation enter the hall, three Kaldan from outside   
   the safety of Suahe dawn.   
      
           (Adrian):   
   "The sky is full of butterflies!" Zoey announced enthusiastically,   
   waving an arm at the quite normal dark sky filled with quite normal   
   stars.   
      
           Takon Dar:   
   "Is everything ready?" Takar asked, inspecting the white shawl draped   
   around his shoulders.   
      
           (Arathor):   
   Lyssei stood at the harbour watching the sea, like every day for far too   
   many moons.   
      
           (Tracker):   
   Fear swept through the room the moment the door opened, like a wave   
   racing ahead of the figure outside.   
      
           (Twofold):   
   Karaigh pulled the last rush into place, bent it back to do the   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)