Curate, connect, and discover
I was tagged by @houndsofcorduff to write the opening lines of about twenty of my stories/WIPs, note similarities, and choose my favorite. Might have missed something in that but close enough, I think.
Be warned, a lot of these are fanfiction. I feel no shame in admitting that I enjoy writing some good fanfiction. I might also note what I was going for with these stories because quite a few are somewhat abandoned-
Elevator There is something off in the forest. Blue eyes stare at a hole in the ground, cut squarely and surrounded in concrete.
Uhm, this one is just over a paragraph and a half or so and I can remember wanting to write what my recurring "dream" from when I was elementary grade. Partially because my Creative Writing classmates were confused about why I fear elevators. My fear is reasonable, I promise.
Focus on Me [MHA Edition] The clink of golden metal accompanies the young woman's footsteps, her molten silver eyes glancing over the area around her, her braided black hair trailing after her.
Congratulations, you've read the entire WIP. I had this character that I was obsessed with enough to write her into three different Anime. Funnily enough, she was originally an MHA oc and the other two stories have so much more- Nevermind the Demon Slayer one has nothing so I have to take that one out of the running for this and find another WIP-
Focus on Me {JJK Edition] Humans can have second chances. Eryn has believed that since she was a child. Injustice takes people away from families and friends, but she believes that humans will get second chances if they died unfairly. She has no evidence of this, but she continues to believe it.
I love this story and only abandoned it because other ideas flooded my head. A shame. So this was the first paragraph of the prologue, the very prologue where I slaughter Eryn in a very painful way. Fun times.
Brought to Ruin Forever is a long time. That's what she had been told since birth. Forever is how long it takes money to grow on trees, forever is how long it takes for love, forever is how long it takes for one to be immortal. But to her, forever is her reality. She will live forever, never truly dying, but forever suffering. She will exist even when the sun doesn't, exist even when she's turned to dust, exist even when humanity takes their last breath.
I was on something. Not drugs. Just something. Very philosophical, I'd say.
Sightless Curled black waist-length hair waves in a soft breeze as it weaves through a forest of giant oak and birch that tower high into the sky. A young woman sits under a tree, her pale hands resting in her lap, contrasting against the dirtied black leggings she wears. A simple black cloth is tied securely over her eyes, the cloth marking a stark line against her high cheekbones. Her eyebrows are relaxed, giving no real sign about how she’s feeling. A web of interlacing branches above her draws her attention, the sight making a slight smile grace her face.
That... Info dump? I think? That's the first paragraph anyway. I... Oh my skies I want to rewrite it for a fifth time and I haven't ever fully written it oh my-
Wolf Among Crows [Haikyuu!] Eryn Argyris is… an interesting individual. He went to the same middle school as Hinata, played in that first match against Kageyama's middle school, and was an insanely talented player. His receives were solid, with little error, and when he did spike, he tended to get past the blockers. Maybe not the receivers, but definitely the blockers.
Hey, it's another one of the Eryn saga! I guess he/she was in more than I thought- But that is the first paragraph. Don't worry that story was abandoned three paragraphs into chapter one-
Focus [Haikyuu!] Eryn Argyris comes from a middle school that impresses the importance of being skilled in every aspect of a sport, not just one area. Eryn is a deceptive player. He never showcases his own skills, only the skills of his teammates or his opponents when he analyzes them enough. When High School rolls around, his team disperses, but he finds himself in Karasuno. Eryn proves to be a silent trump card, choosing to hide within his teammates until they need him most.
...Another of the Eryn saga... and that's all I had written for that one. This is turning into the first paragraph instead of first line as this goes on-
Sukuna's Brother [JJK] The young child laughs as he runs along a beach, his parents watching from a distance. As he runs, he notices a glimmer at the corner of his eye. He stops, kneeling down and observing what he spied. A necklace, looking ancient and worn by time and the lapping shore, sits there, its dainty chain being tugged at by the water. Surely someone misses the necklace, the child thinks as he grabs it, tucking it in his pocket to tell his parents about later so they can take care of it.
Innocent child. That one is abandoned but I liked it while it lasted.
Golden Angel [MHA] Lyka has a secret. Not from his childhood best friends, they know all there is to know about him, like his favorite color is silver, his hair naturally has a stripe of gold, and he hates his mother with a passion unfitting of a future hero in training. That last is not as much of a secret as what he keeps from everyone else. Only his teachers know, aside from the two who know all there is to know about him, that he has two quirks. Two rather powerful quirks. One he uses to hide the other, the other the reason he hates his mother.
I abandon way too many stories. That's what this is telling me. There's more to this one than a first paragraph, but some of my brain's ideas are amusing... and this one I allowed myself to write an overpowered MHA oc when I am usually mutilating them somehow-
Ice Queen [MHA] She was overlooked. Her elder brother developed his quirk early, showing blue flames at the expense of his body. Her youngest brother is… just a weaker version of her. Not that anyone aside from Touya, her elder brother, knows of her flames despite her hero title. It took Touya leaving for her to realize she wanted to be a hero. A hero to spite her father and prevent families like theirs from forming.
Yeah... MHA is a common theme. Fanfiction too. Like only two of these so far have been not fanfiction. This one was actually a rewriting of my previous version of this same story.
Spirit Techniques [JJK] The sky is black up above, stars glimmering and flickering, the full moon lighting the Earth with a silver glow. A gust of wind sweeps between a duo, the younger of the two looking up at the elder. The elder smiles, her head tilting slightly. Her white hair sways in the breeze, golden charms clinking as individual braids brush against other braids. Her golden eyes are large, yet still feel intense as she reaches an arm out and pats the younger's head.
Honestly I like this scene only for the peace, since knowing me, I was likely about to throw the older of the two into a crap show.
Sable [MHA] The door crashing open was loud, louder than anything Gunvor Mochizuki had ever heard before, even with the enhanced hearing of her quirk. At twelve, she was a slight girl, with light blue hair that hangs to her shoulders, pale skin littered with the usual bruises expected of a twelve-year-old who climbs just about everything, and large, expressive azure and red eyes. She was small enough to be pushed into a cabinet under the TV by her mother, whose azure eyes were rather warm even as the sound of fighting erupted down the hall where Gunvor's father was engaging with the intruder.
Uhm... another MHA fanfiction... Don't worry, there wasn't any domestic violence in this one! I swear! Just thieves. And death- Not the MC this time! How wonderful is that? This one is a rewrite of a story of the same name. I think the original of this one might still be on Wattpad, actually? I loved this story, it was my baby.
A Court of Felines and Bats [ACOTAR] The winter is cold, bleak. Leafless trees stretch high overhead, skeletal fingers branching to the sky. Even the undergrowth, usually lush with leaves, is a collection of sticks and thorns hidden under snow piles. The black fur of her current form would usually stand out in this weather, but Gunvor's entire being is stealth. She sits deceptively still, crouched in wait, not even a flash of amber from her eyes.
I didn't kill Gunvor to throw her into ACOTAR in the prologue! Actually this one doesn't have a prologue, so I might have if I had written one. And yes, this is the same Gunvor from Sable.
Artistry [MHA] The sky is quaking. Not literally, of course. It isn't going to come crashing down on him. No, the quaking is thunder that follows flashes of lightning that almost blind those who look at the clouded sky. Fumie Kerr was sitting in his living room, the silver curtains of his windows drawn to block out the rather distracting flashes of light. His hand brushes against a page, leaving graphite marks on paper despite him not holding a pencil. Rather, the fingers of his left hand appear to have become pencils, brushing against the paper with finessed control due to him using his own body for his drawing endeavors. Eyes made of graphite stare at the paper in front of him, trails of the material leaking into the veins around his eyes as he tilts his head, staring at the sketch he's making.
Honestly, this character's power/quirk is amazing and I wish I didn't abandon him two paragraphs later.
Dreammare [MHA] Ayumu Amano knows his quirk isn't the most heroic. He hates that he was judged for it as much as he is. His quirk is a nearly perfect blend of his parents' quirks, even though they hadn't intended for his quirk to be so. Their quirks just meshed well enough to create his quirk. His classmates only see his nightmare side, avoiding his touch completely as though he would give them nightmares just by brushing against their clothes. It isn't like he has to make skin contact with five uncovered fingers anywhere but their face, or any amount of fingers to their face, which he has gloves to avoid. His gloves cover his ring and pinky fingers, which keeps even his accidental activation when he touches someone's faces safe for them.
I was rewriting this character, who is originally a villain, into a hero. Infodump, I guess. Honestly, he is interesting to me, but he is also so unique in how I think of him? Because he was never really a full villain in my mind before, and he's not really a full hero in this version (Like he met a villain on the street and chatted instead of fighting despite the danger- And no heroes were around aside from a nearly dead guy-)
Heteromorphy [MHA] What has he given up to get to this point? Pure black eyes narrow, staring at the street below. Black wings fold against his back, blocking the wind that blows from behind, his clothes creaking as he crouches. What memories were lost due to him rewinding? What people should he remember that he cannot? Slightly tanned fingers curl against the cement of the building he is perched upon, talons digging in slightly. His handler will have them filed eventually, a painful process since his handler believes in the complete removal, not just a trim. His wings spread out slightly, black against the daylight. A frown forms on plush lips, hidden by the collar of his zipped up jacket.
There's the first few lines/paragraphs. That guy is so unique because I get to write a forgetful character. Oh wait I abandoned him ;-;
Shattered Realm [JJK] Astra knows she's different. She sees creatures that no one else does, floating around and making warbling sounds that annoy her to no end. She hasn't met anyone who mentioned the creatures, even in passing. She was in her high school late at night for a club. She rests her chin in her palm as she watches the club president scratch at the paper covering of what the others are convinced is a paranormal object. Considering the aura Astra can feel coming from it, she doesn't think they are wrong.
My child with way too strong senses. I love her. She's in a different WIP, too. Honestly, this one was bound to get abandoned for no reason. That's just how I am, and the timeline fits for this one to be abandoned... Because of Stars of the Sky.
The Clearing Amari knows something is off about the clearing. Just looking at it sends signals of fear through her. Her werewolf instincts tell her not to comment on her fear, aware of the sensation of oddness radiating from the glade. It looks like a perfectly normal clearing. Oak trees surround it, grass and flowers fills it, a giant oak tree stands tall in the center. Yet even that is suspect.
This is a short story I did for my Creative Writing Class. It is still in need of some editing, hence its WIP status. If I'd actually written the Elevator to completion, and if the Elevator had werewolves, this would be it. Instead I got this. Not that it was a bad thing. I love how this one ended.
A Court of Death and Ruin(ation) [ACOTAR] Hades stares at the sky, watching it darken from a cerulean to an indigo. Her hands rest on her stomach, feeling her lifeblood leaking from her fingers. Her vision is going dark, blurring. She can still see the outline of her killer, feel his blood red eyes glare down at her, feel his hate in the air.
Ah, the prologue. The place where you give background to a story. Or a snippet of the future. Or, in this case, slaughter your MC. :) I threw Hades from Stars of the Sky into ACOTAR.
Stars of the Sky The forest is alight with life, the rustling of leaves, and chatter of animals. The trees sway in a soft breeze, creaking and groaning as some limbs are stressed by the weight of leaves and wavering in the wind. Within a small clearing, a young girl sits, her eyes closed as her silver hair sways in the breeze. Her head is tilted down, her lightly tanned skin glowing where beams of sunlight hit her skin. At her side is a sheathed sword, her left hand resting on the handle. She takes a breath, raising her head.
So uhm... I guess the theme of the opening paragraphs in three out of the four of my non-fanfiction stories is not using the main characters name. While Sightless holds the record for that among my stories (I think it took fifty-two paragraphs in the original) I think Hades did it best. Just the vibe I get.
So, a lot of them are describing scenery and/or characters. A couple have the MC dying. A few were the only lines of the story, a few had tons after it. Only one has lore behind the scene. A ton of them are fanfiction. Honestly, that is more consistent than I thought. Death, scenery, and info-dumps on what a character look like seem to be my norm.
My favorite opening line... It's a tie between Stars of the Sky and A Court of Death and Ruination. Maybe because they both have Hades. One has death. Maybe the scenery of these female characters existing in deadly situations (Well, is Hades in Stars of the Sky really in danger in her forest? Probably not, based on the existence of her Clan, but forests can be deadly. Just ask Hades in A Court of Death and Ruination.)
I could make this so much longer for a couple of these if I did first paragraph of chapter one + first paragraph of prologue if that applied to these stories, but I feel like my thoughts added a ton of length so I won't torture people further.
Tagging @rumeysawrites