I am not a fan of those trite "let's introduce a character with a first name and it'll be a superfun mystery" who they are beginnings that are all over every single one of these threads whenever we do them.

That's because "memorable first lines" can't help but be trite. We don't remember "first lines" in literature, we remember stories. Thinking about this as if it's an "exercise" that has anything to do with "writing" is misleading and wrong-headed.

I mean, seriously. "Call me Ishmael." "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Probably the most famous opening lines in the history of English literature and they accomplish exactly jack shit - Dickens' is a straight up platitude with absolutely nothing to add.

It strikes me as odd that wanna-be singers don't go "perfect first note" and painters don't do "perfect first stroke" but writers are all about "hey, let's put some stuff together that has nothing to do with narrative." First line of East of Eden?

"The Salinas Valley is in Northern California."

Writing isn't the act of coming up with one line or one paragraph or one page or one chapter any more than guitar playing is about coming up with one chord or one riff or one lick. And while it can be a fun exercise (for some... I guess...) you do yourself a grave disservice by taking this shit seriously.

I don't. Fuck, I don't even remember what the first line of my novel is and I only wrote it like four months ago. For the longest time it was "That little witch was back again" but then I added a prologue. The last line? The last line I remember quite well. A lot of the lines in the middle? Even them I don't remember so well. It's the gestalt of the thing that matters, and serious writers know that without having to be reactive about it.

(he told himself.... teeth gritted....)

So I just looked it up. I chose to start my novel with "Put it away, asshole." And if anyone were to judge my book based on "put it away asshole" they'd be getting exactly what they deserve.