What are some examples of great first lines of short stories?

One great first line could be 'The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.' It immediately grabs the reader's attention and sets up a mysterious and intriguing scenario. It makes you wonder who could be knocking if he's the last man, creating a sense of suspense right from the start.

A story might begin with 'He woke up in a room that was not his own, with no memory of how he got there.' This sets up a mystery. The following parts of the story could involve the character trying to piece together what happened. He might find strange objects in the room or hear noises outside that add to the sense of unease and mystery.

In Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre', the line 'There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.' starts the story. It gives a sense of confinement which is relevant to Jane's situation as an orphan at Gateshead. It makes the reader curious about why she can't go for a walk and what kind of life she leads.

A great first sentence could be 'The little girl skipped down the lane, her pigtails bouncing, unaware of the danger lurking around the corner.' Here, we get a vivid image of the character, her innocence, and a hint of impending trouble. Also, 'The door creaked open, and a cold wind swept in, carrying with it a sense of dread.' This sets a spooky mood right from the start.

One example could be 'The day the sky turned green was the day everything changed.' It immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them wonder what could cause the sky to turn green and how that would change things. Another is 'She opened the box and found a world she never knew existed.' This line creates mystery and makes the reader eager to find out more about the box and the world inside it.

One great opening line could be 'It was a dark and stormy night.' This classic line immediately sets a mood of mystery and unease. It makes the reader wonder what might be happening in such a forbidding setting.

The line 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from '1984' is great. It creates an immediate sense of unease. The idea of clocks striking thirteen in a bright cold day is so abnormal that it draws the reader in, making them curious about what kind of world this is where such a thing can happen.

Well, consider 'She found the letter on a sunny Tuesday morning, but it felt like a cold winter day.' This first line is interesting because it juxtaposes the pleasant day with the cold feeling that the letter brings. It makes the reader curious about what's in the letter and why it has such an effect.

One great first line is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' This line sets the stage for the story's focus on marriage and social class in 19th - century England.

One great first line is from 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' This line immediately sets a tone of contrast and complexity, making the reader curious about what the story will entail.