Rules: list the first lines of your last 20 stories. See if there are any patterns.

I was tagged for this over on my tumblr writing blog and figured I'd share this here, too! I didn’t think I had 20 stories, but I do! The first 15 are stories about my current batch of characters. The last five were about the D&D world I was writing prior to my current series. Most of these (minus the books) are shared here on my writing blog, so I’ll link to those.

1. Colorweaver (Unexpected Inspiration book 1) 
“Blythe! There's something wrong with Solei!”
(The response to this line is “Is there ever anything right with Solei?” which makes it way funnier.)

2. Sentinel (Unexpected Inspiration book 2)
"No, I do not need a squeaking monkey-shaped toy. Or a hat with a feather in it. Or a... what is this?"
(I really like this scene from the previous draft where Sol is sneaking weird things into his brother's bags, so I'm likely going to see if I can keep it as the opening chapter in the next draft.)

3. Iconoclasm (Unexpected Inspiration book 3)
Blythe winced as her heavy boots echoed footsteps across the expansive hallway.
(Clearly I need to open book 3 on a silly line of dialogue, too.)

4. (As yet unnamed Halloween short story that I'll share soon)
Firedrake nudged the door of their wagon shut with their hip and placed the small brown sack on the table.

5. A Sparkler's Glow (short story/novellette)
Talan scrambled to lose his pursuer, his thin shoes flapping against the cobblestones as he raced alongside the busy street.

6. Roommates (short story)
"Were you hit on the head or something? Why would you want to move in with Sol of all people?"

7. Lost and Found (short story)
“I’m going to need you to put on some pants before you say anything else.”
(This one was actually a dialogue prompt, used to refer to Sol.)

8. Soul-Marks (AU short story)
Etri loved nightfall because in the dark he didn't need his magic to make himself invisible.

9. Mile Long Cow (short story)
Adair groaned a sound that was closer to a whimper, not that he would admit it, as a flash of light made its way to his eyes.
(This has such a boring opening line, but the story is incredibly silly.)

10. Rising to a Challenge (short story)
“Owning your own restaurant is a great opportunity,” her master said when the position was offered to her by a retiring chef.

11. A New Beginning (short story)
The young would-be-thief leaned further inside as he perched half in and half out of the open window.

12. Who Picked Whom (short story)
"I'll never really be sure who picked who because it wasn't supposed to happen."

13. Three Keys (short story) 
Blythe blinked up at the indiscernible ceiling of her bunk as her sleepy mind tried to figure out what could have awoken her in the middle of the night.

14. (Unnamed future/alternate reality story that I haven't finished)
Etri pulled the ring of keys out of his jacket pocket and exhaled a sigh of relief.

15. (Unnamed alternate reality story that I'm unlikely to finish. Why are these things always Etri's POV?)
Etri wondered if this had been the right choice.

16. In the Cards (my abandoned '12 NaNo)
She dreams of her divination cards, spread across the ground in a circle at her furry feet.
(LOL! I'd forgotten my one POV character was a halfling.)

17. The Acolyte's Map (novella) 
It is a much overlooked but well-established fact that in order to excel at world domination, overlording, or even to just be particularly irksome in a fantastical setting, you need to get your hands on a magical item- if you can create said item, this is even more effective.

18. Calling in a Favor (short story)
"Cyn, there's someone looking for you. I brought him to your office, but I think he might be crazy."

19. It's Not Easy Being Green (short story)
Cyneric sat in a soft, overstuffed old chair in the common room of the Messenger's Mosque in Woodland city, his attention fixed on the worn leather-bound book that rested on his knees.

20. Hidden Magic (novella)
The frantic pounding at the upstairs door startled the young wizard; he dropped the vial he'd been preparing and it shattered on the workroom's dirt floor.


I’m not too keen on some of these, but I love opening stories with a line of dialogue. It works so well for comedic fantasy, which is usually what I write. That’s a pattern, I guess. I also tend to make fun of Sol in most of my opening lines- 4 of them directly refer to Sol, and another few have him coming up in the next few lines that follow. Gotta love my comic relief.

~Meri