From: seawasp@sgeinc.invalid.com   
      
   On 9/10/14, 7:01 AM, A. Tina Hall wrote:   
   > 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.   
      
      
   	Most of these are perfectly good first sentences... and the vast   
   majority of them don't give you a clue as to genre or setting. A few   
   give you one or the other, but I don't think any of them clearly do   
   both. So once more the stated principle doesn't seem to work.   
      
      
   --   
                         Sea Wasp   
                           /^\   
                           ;;;	   
   Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com  Blog:   
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