I joined the Reedsy Live “Crafting a Novel Opening” workshop—and took terrible notes because it was such an engaging workshop! Check out the replay, then read my opening lines and first paragraph first draft below:
First Lines Brainstorm:
- Rescuing maidens was serious business, but Sir Kenneth McDougal wasn’t overly concerned.
- Sir Kenneth McDougal feared little in the world, for he was a brave and gallant knight.
- Of all of the stories of all of the things that should be terrifying to Sir Kenneth McDougal, he had only come across a dragon or two.
- Sir Kenneth McDougal was quite sure he could handle a few measly dragons, no problem.
- Sir Kenneth McDougal was convinced that dragons were no big deal.
First Paragraph Based on First Lines:
Sure, dragons breathed fire, but Sir Kenneth McDougal had state-of-the-art armor guaranteed against flame, lances, and the occasional windmill strike. A knight doesn’t take chances when it comes to the shell he wraps himself in—one’s skin must be protected at all costs. The shadows swooping overhead were of no concern. It was the talons and inferno accompanying them that turned his heartbeat into a drumline rivaling a call to battle. But, Sir Kenneth refused to return to the Kingdom empty-handed. To defeat the dragon was to win the heart of the prince—and a shiny throne of his own.
