The First Line’s Contract

Establishing the World

The first line of a story is a contract. Within twenty words, you are telling the reader the genre, the tone, the stakes, and the level of authority they can expect from you. If you start with a joke, you cannot immediately pivot to tragedy without losing the reader’s trust.

I often write twenty or thirty versions of a first line before the “true” one reveals itself. It isn’t just about being “hooky”—it’s about being honest. The first line should be a microcosm of the entire story. It should contain the DNA of what is to come, hidden in plain sight.

The Monroe Minute
Read the first line of your favorite book. Identify three things it tells you about the story before you even get to the second sentence.

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

***

**Batch 2 is complete. Would you like me to proceed with the final batch for October (Oct 21–31)?** (Note: October has 31 days, so this final batch will include 11 posts).

Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.