First Sentance

I agree with Phil. I love a first sentence/paragraph/chapter that throws you into a story. What I like more is one that makes you want to walk into the rest of the story un-handcuffed (or should I say, one that makes you believe you THINK you walked into it at your own will). One that gives you just enough of a hint of everything - a hint of a great mystery, a hint of a great ride and a promise that at the end of it you will be wholey satisfied that you decided to take that book with you and read on. When originally writing my first sentence, I thought I had created something outstandingly, mind blowingly magnificent - something that was so genius it should hold a place of its own in a museum for all to admire. It was only when I came back to it months later that I realised how cringingly bad it was - I had to hold my laptop at arms length just to peep at it as I tried to rectify it, sickened at myself. It was only when I detached myself from it personally I was able to bring some kind of order. I imagined myself standing in the bookshop, reading quickly through the first page of several random books, as I do, and putting them back on the shelf before that one that catches me - grabs me, goes with me to the checkout. It's usually something that has all the ingrediants of what Phil said. I personally think you want something that has impact but doesn't bully you. It makes me suspicious if there is too much crammed in at the begining. Try and strip it right back (as painful as it will be) to what you originally wanted to put across and build it up a thin layer at a time, then STOP before the thin layers of filo turns into a puff pastry. I hope that helps. Good luck

I agree with Phil. The first sentence should grip the reader immediately and, in my opinion, should not be too long.