Pages

Thursday, February 23, 2012

First Line Grabber #25

TITLE: Bait
GENRE: YA

My life is mirrors.

54 comments:

  1. Yes, definitely. I want to find out what's going on here, and the sentence, while short, manages to convey a poetic tone. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes.

    Both the title and the first line (and even more, the combination of the two) intrigue me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. No. Hmm, tough one. I think this is just too short, almost trying too hard to be short. Doesn't grab me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes. I wanted the answer to my question - why?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes. This one was close for me. It's really hard to critique this sentence outside of the context of the next few, but I'm definitely interested to find out what this sentence means, so I have to say yes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes. The statement is simple and intriguing. It feels like it's part of what's going to happen next and it's straightforward.

    ReplyDelete
  7. No. It didn't really give me enough to pull me forward to the next sentence.

    ReplyDelete
  8. No

    This one was tough for me, but in the end I think you can make the sentence a bit more complex without sacrificing the mystery you've created. I wanted something to move me forward, but it felt a little flat.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes. It's intriguing enough that I'd keep reading more.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, but it had better be explained real quick.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes.

    But I want more like right now. I do think it could be extended, but this does enough for me right now.
    I am hoping the next couple lines don't make it cliched with a vapid, pretty MC, but something far better.

    ReplyDelete
  12. No. The comparison didn't make any sense to me. Maybe with further explanation it would, but based purely off this one line, I'm confused.

    ReplyDelete
  13. No. This statement didn't make sense to me. Maybe a couple more words would help clarify the meaning?

    ReplyDelete
  14. No, while it does intrigue me, it's too easy. Of course the reader will be hooked after that but personally, I'd like a little more

    ReplyDelete
  15. No.
    Partly because the title kind of turns me off and because I don't know the genre, there is very little to tie the first sentence to.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Absolutely yes. Short, powerful, to the point, and has me asking questions, but not in a, 'Wtf is going on?' way.

    Would it hook me? It already did.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes.

    I have no idea what you mean, but not in a bad way. It makes me want to read on, to know what the heck you're talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yes. It's short, evocative, and mysterious.

    However, I hope that it is followed by some equally beautiful prose. Otherwise, it will sort of work against you. There is nothing wrong with less literary prose (I write that way myself). However, this has a fairly literary feel. So, I expect lines 2 and 3 to equal this. If not, then the first line will fall more flat than it would have if you'd just started with a more conversational line.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes. I went back in forth on this because it seemed a little awkward. I settled on yes because I got the image of someone living in a mirror and that would be cool. I'd need to read on a few to decide. But this one alone would cause me to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  20. No. This doesn't make sense, since "mirrors" are inanimate objects, and plural at that - with only one life referenced.
    Is the MC's life "like a mirror"? That might pull me in, or might seem cliche unless you give more specific detail in a because-type clause.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yes. Sometimes less is more, and since it just the first sentence, I'd have to read on to see why.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yes. I have no idea what this means - but it sounds like it could be interesting. Id keep reading to find out.

    ReplyDelete
  23. No. I don't know who's talking or why I should care about them. Do they look in the mirror a lot? Do they make mirrors? What is it?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yes.

    Because I'd keep reading.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes. I want to know why the life is mirrors. A line like that keeps me reading.

    ReplyDelete
  26. No- Interesting premise but promises no tension.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Yes. The odd comparison makes me want to why his/her life is mirrors. However, if it doesn't make sense to me within the next couple sentences, I'd probably not read onward.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yes. Interesting...makes me want to know why--is the character looking at life from a different perspective through the mirrors, or is s/he obsessed with his/her appearance? I'd want to know.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yes. I'm intrigued! I'm hoping that the next few sentences are a continuation of this metaphor.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yes. I would read the next para, but you would have to get to the point quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  31. No. There's not enough there to do more than confuse me. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  32. No. I thought it was too vague and it wasn't enough to draw me in.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Yes. But I need an explanation in the next sentence. :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. No. This might be great when combined with the following sentence, but on its own, doesn't totally grab me. (Incidentally, I think it's fine to lead with a couple of short sentences that grab the reader rather than cramming everything into one single long one. Just depends on your book, and the tone and voice you use throughout.)

    ReplyDelete
  35. No.

    It seems poetic, but:

    1) There's just not enough there to fully entice me.

    "My life" might as well be peanut butter or T-Rexes for all that I get a hint of what's going on here. I want a little bit of something to better anchor me. "My life is mirrors and designer gowns and flash bulbs." Or "My life is mirrors, and everything's turned backward."

    2) The metaphor isn't exactly parallel, so it jars slightly. You could alter it slightly to something smoother, like:

    "My life is like a mirror."

    "My life is full of mirrors."

    "My life is plagued by mirrors."

    The way it's phrased right now makes it sound sort of like "Mirrors are my life," like baseball is my life or ceramic kittens are my life.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Yes, makes me wonder why she/he feels life is that way.

    ReplyDelete
  37. No. Only because when I read it, I read it as if this person's life revolves around mirrors, that they have a great love for them or something. Who loves mirrors that much? I realize on another reading that's probably not quite what it means, but I'd rather not have to read it a couple of times to work that out.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Yes. This leaves me completely intrigued -- I want to read on so I can understand what you mean by this.

    ReplyDelete
  39. No. It sounds arty, but means nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Yes. I'll bite, because I like the idea and where it might lead. But the second line better make good on that promise.

    ReplyDelete
  41. No. It's a bit too abstract, and I'm scared that what comes next will be an unwieldy and ultimately unsatisfactory explanation, or some more of the same type of prose, in which case I would not be able to get a strong sense of the character and what makes him/her special.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Yes! I have no idea what that means, but I REALLY want to know.

    ReplyDelete
  43. yes. short and intriquing. would definitely read more.

    ReplyDelete
  44. No. 'My life is mirrors' Too short for me.....seems a bit awkward. I think it needed a little more for an opening hook.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Yes. I like snappy lines like this. I'm intrigued. I wish I knew which genre of YA this was, my best guess is paranormal.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I wasn't sure about this one, but landed on Yes.

    I agree with S. Kyle Davis, because it is poetic, and that's what intrigued me. I started trying to figure out ways a life could be mirrors. (my background is poetry, so I'm drawn to thIngs like this).

    I disagree with Heather - that is, if it is truly poetic and you can pull it off - because her suggestions would change the meaning.

    ReplyDelete
  47. No. I almost said yes, but as an opening line, it seems vague, like it's trying too hard.

    ReplyDelete
  48. YES! I love all the questions it causes to pop into my mind. I want answers!

    ReplyDelete
  49. No. I have no idea what that means and no clear path to see that it might make sense with clarification.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Yes. I'd read on to find out what the MC meant.

    ReplyDelete
  51. No.

    This seems to have the opposite problem from a lot of the other entries: too short, not enough information, and it feels like it's trying too hard to be cryptic and poetic.

    ReplyDelete