Discover Top Posts Tagged with #20 first lines

Thanks for the tag @ifyouwereamelodymeg !!

The 20 most recent first lines…. Hmmm… I’m not sure how accurate this will be, but I’ll try my best.

1. deny thou bear’st love for any ( working title); dramione; one-shot:

You have to promise me, Hermione.

2. Sonnet 14; dramione; second vignette:

His feet crunch across the frigid fallen leaves, away— away from her— and she acts without thinking. A dart, and she grabs his fisted hand, stopping him in his tracks. Their extended arms are a single bridge across an expanse of wet, frosty peaks of orange, yellow and brown. He glares at the connection, but doesn’t send his steely gaze to meet her eyes.

3. Sonnet 102; dramione; first vignette:

It was a challenging subject masquerading as a simple question.

4. As the thread of my breath (working title); dramione; one shot:

Looking back on it, he shouldn’t have been surprised to see her at the Gala.

5. In the Offing; dramione; one shot:

The surprise of the snow storm is almost offset by the gentleness by which it falls. And falls.

And falls.

6. The Diary (working title); dramione; massive one shot:

It’s the first year that her mum doesn’t cry on her birthday, but the firmness of her hug is enough to tell Cassie that her mum is just barely holding it in. While the party is loud and raucous, overfilling their modest lot and garden, the distraction isn’t enough to keep the birthday girl from regularly checking in on her mum. A small crowd of their closest friends—people practically like family—hover near her, but her mum’s expression remains tight. But when Cassie frowns, lips tight and expression sharp, her mum smiles and makes a silly face.

7. Potentiality; dramione; one shot:

“Why, Draco?” She pulls her arms tighter around her waist, nails pressing into her own skin. “Why are you doing this?”

8. Chapter 2 of Come Away With Me; dramione; multi chapter WIP:

“He was right behind me!”

9. Chapter 1 of Come Away With Me; dramione; multi chapter WIP:

The loud crack of sudden Apparition was still ringing in her ears when she re-emerged on the other side. The Burrow steadily resolved itself into familiar shapes before her fatigued eyes.

10. DHr Coworkers (working title); dramione; one shot:

She doesn’t quite remember when it started, but Hermoine’s fairly certain it was when Pansy started complaining about her ravenous manner during after-work drinks. It isn’t her fault that her schedule is so busy with projects that lunch is often just tea and biscuits. Hermoine’s fairly certain that Padma has something to do with it, but can’t seem to find the proof, outside of her friend’s sly smiles and calculating glances.

11. Auror AU (working title); dramione; one shot:

“This is a bad idea.”

12. Chapter 2 of Fear and Love; Zutara; multi chapter WIP:

Tuesday nights begin to change.

13. Chapter 1 of Fear and Love; Zutara; multi chapter WIP:

When he gets the phone call from Jet, Zuko's hardly surprised. Jet had already mentioned the girl's tape, smirked over her expensive photoshoot the last time he had come into his club, and had been waiting for her arrival on the train. But even on the fastest train, it was several days from Cali to the Big Apple.

14. A Heart Twisted; Zutara; multi chapter WIP, unpublished:

They arrive in the city like a rising tide; quiet, steady and merciless. While their intent is not to draw blood, they do not pause when they strike down the Fire Lord’s personal guards. They do not hesitate to grab the nearest of the house staff and hold sharp short blades to their throats. And they do not stop until they stand before the Fire Lord and his council, eyes full of venom and teeth bared.

15. Original work, untitled:

It's a land of islands. Some are mere specks on the map, an accumulation of sand among a never-ending blanket of blue. Some are vast monoliths rising from the seafloor to herald civilization's dominance over the earth.

16. My Whole Life Alone. Loving You; Zutara; multi chapter WIP, unpublished:

The news hit the nations with uproar. Aang and Katara, despite their three children and multiple years together, were no longer married.

17. Edge of the Ice; Zutara; one shot:

Legend speaks of a man who lives at the edge of the ice. Every child of the south had heard the stories growing up, whispers of fires that burned without fuel and eyes that glowed like the sunset.

18. Forever Together, Eternally Apart; Zutara; multi chapter WIP:

There once was a story so rich and deep, of two loves, two halves becoming one whole. Their tale is rich and full, an epic love kept under the cover of dark to avoid the prying eyes of those who would tear them apart.

19. Me and You, We Got More Yesterday Than Anything; Zutara; one shot:

It was food poisoning, he was sure. Not something uncommon in some of the further reaches of his nation, where water was not as purified and food was stored for too long due to scarcity. With only a handful of staff at his side, the rest relief workers that he had been sprinkling behind him, he often fended for himself, the many years of banishment resurfacing in his memory. Though no longer banished, he was once again wandering down roads on a mount, moving from village to village, trying to help where he could. It was completely unheard of, this type of action by a Fire Lord, but Zuko had been everything but a typical one.

20. The Fire Festival; Zutara; one shot:

He should have known. After all, it wasn't like before, where he could just make a plan, and go. Now there was paperwork, appearances, schedules to work around. Four years away had comfortably pushed those expectations far away in his mind. So when his friends had mentioned the Fire Festival, Zuko had agreed. All he needed to do as Firelord was make an appearance at the beginning to bless the activities of the night, and then he would be free to escape and slip into the crowd and join his friends.

——

Hmmm… patterns: I’ve gotten more succinct over the years? As for my favorite, I’d say probably any of the Scorn to Change My State with Kings intros, just because they’re an immediate image or sensation. And the beginning of Come Away With Me throws you into action right away. So more of my recent writings, I guess. Lol.

I’m tagging…. @gemgirl28 (if you haven’t already done it), @bulletproofteacup, @cablesscutie, and @neincraff ❤️

#dramione #zutara #20 first lines

WIP Game

so @mirrorofliterature tagged me in the truly lovely 20 First Lines meme, but I haven’t actually posted more than like four things since the last time I did that one, however many weeks/months/years ago that was, so I’m going to tweak it, and combine it with the WIP game that’s perennially wandering around.

Rules: Post the (title) and “first line” of all the files in your WIP folder. Let people send you an ask with the # that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

*Some of my numbers have multiple entries because they’re separate files but they’re supposed to be the same fic. Or were. Or might be. Or something like that.

Anyone who’s interested can feel free to either do this version or the usual title version and do please blame/tag me! (Normal Rules For Copy-Pasta if Desired: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs) and no way in all seven hells am I tagging 20-30+ people, SO: no pressure tagging: @arialerendeair @twistedsinews @shadoedseptmbr @leahazel & @elfyourmother but only if you’d like.

And behind a cut because I kept clipping more than just the first line because I’m weak and also sometimes my first line is legit kind of a paragraph. 😅

#mirrorofliterature #writing memery #wip game #20 first lines #only not #jilly spam #on writing

twenty first lines: a roll call

Stealing this from @lostmykeysie (hope you don’t mind; wonderful story openers on your end). It’s been almost three years since I last did this (earlyish 2019), so I don’t think I’m going to get through everything, but still, let’s go! It’s going to be a mix-mash of fandoms. Going chronologically from most recent to least.

Essentially, the rules are to gather together the first lines of your 20 most recent works and to comment on them, if any pattern emerges, etc.

1. When Victoria peers through Ceci’s door, she does not expect to see a scraggly skeleton standing there. | the song of a snuffed out spark | coco canon divergence, 7.3k

2. it takes her a while to figure it all out. | dancing to a different beat | izzy figures out she’s aro: shadowhunters, 757 words

3. Sirius Black was never meant to die old. | dreaming of a happy ending | sirius black, an inevitable tragedy: hp, 1.1k

4. 1928 is like every other year since Thomas became Downton Abbey’s butler. | and all i’m thinking about is tomorrow | thomas barrow gets the happiness he deserves: downton abbey, 3.1k

5. Ginny Weasley stands amongst the smoking wreckage of her school, a place she has lived in for the better part of six years. | a study of cracked gold | ginny and percy, rebuilding after tragedy: hp, 18.1k

6. Edward thought - Well, he doesn’t know what he thought. | i’ll tell you a story before it tells itself | edward courtaney x thomas barrow canon divergence: downton abbey, 10.9k (and desperately neglected)

7. Clary’s wearing a cotton-candied striped scarf when they break up. | cherry blossoms in the spring | modern clizzy exes to lovers: shadowhunters, 3.9k

8. Magnus Bane is Great. | falling | magnus bane has an identity crisis despite being a badass: shadowhunters, 442 words

9. Jason is jogging at the base of Mount Othrys. | falling like lightning | jason and thalia reunite early: pjo, 4.4k (also dying for attention)

10. The wind howls. | everything not black and blue | oliver wood joins the order and defends boyfriend percy weasley: hp, 4.1k

11. When Magnus walks through the hallowed halls of the Institute, hours after his trust in the Clave is further shattered, there are still faint hints of sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows, almost ethereal. | catch me when i fall | magnus bane gets the story arc he deserved in season 2b: canon divergence, shadowhunters, 7.3k 12. On a perfectly ordinary night, they’re sneaking around on top of frozen ground, walking slowly as to not skid on the icy grass. | fight on, ‘til the night is won | maiabelle murder mystery with a side of brotherly alec: shadowhunters, 1.9k 13. Another world is crueler. | almost found heaven but i missed a step | magnus bane dies too early, a tragedy: shadowhunters, 571 words 14. alec throws away his bundle of yellowing papers. | yet we must go on | alec gets overwhelmed by the impending end of the world, 3x20 coda: shadowhunters, ficlet 15. He wants to say that it was destiny, fate, that they met. | and i do not know who writes the stars | barris introspection fluff: downton abbey, 610 words 16. The infirmary is still as the clock ticks to the hour, shifting the world deeper into the day: night must have fallen by now, but inside the Institute, it is impossible to tell. | god save the king | outsider pov on malec when magnus collapses from magic strain: shadowhunters, 1.4k 17. Alec and Magnus are sitting on freshly painted stools in a quaint cafe off 5th Avenue, perched above bumpy grey and blue cobblestones. | as the storm passes, can you hold this fragile heart of mine? | mundane alec geting caught up in the shadow world: shadowhunters, 7.1k 18. They say drunken words are sober thoughts. | we dreamed, you and i, until you ran away | magnus is angsty over alec, post-break up: shadowhunters, 443 words

19. As Alexander Lightwood places his heart, his hopes, his dreams and desires out for anyone to see onto the thick mahogany table, Asmodeus smiles. | but oh my darling, don’t you trust me? | asmodeus is evil and a very terrible father: shadowhunters, 355 words

20. Alec stands in front of C-12 with a curse on the tip of his tongue: this is decisively not a science room. | off into the abyss (if only i was so brave) | rival science teachers malec: shadowhunters, 468 words

A pattern I was already noticing emerging after the first four fics: the first sentence immediately sets the tone of the fic and introduces the most important thing of the fic: the mystery, the thing the character has to figure out (my writing tends to be heavily character driven, what is plot?). It tends to be less laser focused the longer the fic, particularly if it is multi-chaptered, less signal posting. Sometimes I like to be dramatic and simply and creatively describe the scenery. I also got to skip one because I put it in my prior 20 lines fic in 2019 as a wip and felt very smug. Maybe too smug, but finishing things is a wonderful feeling. Irrelevant to the sentences, but my titles do tend to be literary-esque and dramatic. And lowercase. That is essential to my aesthetic.

This took me... a decent amount of time. I’m tagging: @infinitelycynical, @sugarandspace, @lightwormsiblings, @faejilly and whoever else wants to participate!

#long post #20 first lines #writing snippet #a summary of nearly two and a half years of writing fic #I feel both proud and zoomed out on #ah well

20 First Lines

Tagged by @athgalla and @novantinuum! Thanks! This should be interesting!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories. See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

I don’t have 20 “published” fics so I might fill out the extras with some old or unfinished things.

Unless otherwise specified, these are Gravity Falls fics. I’ll just go in order from oldest to newest with the extras tacked on at the end:

1) Mending

A chilled evening breeze, laced in the scents of grass and evergreen, blew through the broken walls and collapsed beams of the Mystery Shack’s living room.

2) Behind the Facade (starts with a flashback to childhood)

Stan kicked his feet, sending his swing hurtling back and forth.

3) The Vandals

From the moment he returned to Dimension 46’/, Stanford wanted to know what had become of his old friend, Fiddleford.

4) Maybe It’s Not Too Late

The Stan O’ War II was a creaky vessel cobbled together by loving hands.

5) Artistic Differences

Crisp leaves rustled across the gravel path in a cascade of yellow and orange.

6) Letters to the Oracle

Early September brought a cool breeze to the forest making Stanford’s morning walks infinitely more pleasant.

7) The Gift of Sleep

Dipper yawned and turned another page, soaking in the story of a boy who could travel to other worlds in his dreams.

8) One Person’s Boredom Is Another Person’s Fun (One shot in the Maybe It’s Not Too Late series)

Stanford’s pen scribbled between the lines of a notebook, his curly cursive filling the backs and fronts of nearly every dogeared page with revised notes from a long day of lectures.

9) The Best Handyman This Place Has Ever Seen

Stan showed nearly every yellowed tooth of his dentures in a smile that strained his cheeks as much as his patience.

10) Maybe It's Not Too Late - deleted/unwritten scenes

Stan and Fiddleford dragged their feet across the terrazzo, slogging their way to the musty elevator through a maze of scuffed walls and hospital halls.

11) Heroism is Subjective (Starts with a flash forward to Dipper and Mabel as adults)

Dipper had barely climbed out of his slush-spattered SUV when a flash of pink and purple slammed into him and powerful arms wrapped around his neck. Mabel's quilted coat sleeves squished against his cheeks as she squealed in delight, "Dipper!"

12) The Plaidypus

In a tangle of half-shadows cast in purple, red, green, and blue, stretching from the base of each object on his desk, cast from the glow of every lamp in his study turned to its brightest setting, Stanford's head spun.

13) The Man Downstairs

A quiet mind was a rare occurrence for Stanford Pines, even before he'd made the deal that plunged his life into lonely confinement.

14) He Thought He’d Be Relieved (One-shot in The Man Downstairs series)

It had already been three years - Three years since that demon discovered a way to possess Ford's body whenever he pleased and they still had no way of stopping him.

15) A Fresh Start

Ford awoke, curled up on his side, to the nose-tingling scent of fresh-cut wood and a sneeze that alerted him to a more pressing matter than his irritated sinuses.

16) Devour-Ed (The only Ed, Edd, and Eddy thing I’ve ever written - from 2004 >_< If anyone wants to look at this atrocity it actually still exists on Fanart Central along with some old art which is half embarrassingly horrible and half actually not bad)

“Run, Ed, run!” Edd screamed, to a scurrying Ed. “I’m running, I’m running!” Ed huffed as he carried Edd on his shoulders. “Hurry, hurry!” Edd panicked. “I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying!” “In, in!” The two Eds scrambled through the door to Ed’s house. “I’m inning, I’m inning!”

17) Ripples to Waves (Working title - original WIP)

“Hurry! Uh… I mean… please, can’t we go any faster?” Thick navy cotton crinkled between Kai’s fidgeting hands leaving the hem of his military cadet coat pressed with wrinkles.

18) Untitled Prequel to Ripples to Waves (Is it? IDK. It might be part 1 of the series?)

Wilhelmina was, despite her habit of climbing dirt piles and rolling down the sides, a princess.

19) Maybe Part 2 or 3 of Ripples to Waves? This one might need some explanation since it would have been set up in a previous part that Alstr is blind, Kai has actually silver hair and uses tarnish remover to clean it sometimes, and they train together daily. (And they might be destined to be NB ace partners but don’t know it yet ;))

Alstr’s staff sailed through the air toward Kai’s head. He barely somersaulted out of the way, his braid flipping behind him and leaving a pungent trail of tarnish remover for Alstr to follow.

20) There is no 20 :P

Technically there are... other things I’ve written but I’m not going to be horny on main I mean there are a bunch of things that will never be finished and a bunch that are too nebulous to pick out an opening line so I’ll just leave it at that.

Welp, guess I go for a lot of description or setting the scene right away. Some are awfully wordy in looking back on them. The shorter, snappier ones feel better to me now.

As for a favorite, I kind of like # 18. It’s short but still sets up the premise of the character. And I’m pretty fond of #13 and #9 for setting up the mood/tone.

And now for the tagging! It looks like a bunch of people I know have already been tagged but if you haven’t been and you see this, consider yourself tagged!

#20 first lines #20 first lines meme #writing #fanfic #mo's writing and such #gravity falls fanfiction

FIRST LINE CHALLENGE

Post your the first line of the last 20 things you’ve written. Then tag 20 people to do the same.

1. Patrick has been standing in the middle of the menswear department, absolutely frozen, for longer than strictly necessary. (Like a Train on the Track)

2. “I think I want to go back to school,” Patrick breathes into the swoop of David’s collarbone. (Dear Jurisprudence)

3. David smelled like sex...and the suburbs? (all in my skin)

4. No one in Schitt’s Creek is going to muster any sympathy for the outsider who just devastated David Rose.

(this is his love)

5. David wasn’t planning on participating in winter at all this year if he could help it. (A Snowball’s Chance)

6. Patrick doesn’t normally mind participating in these kinds of icebreaker activities - they’re opportunities to network, he understands why it’s important to network - but he’s had a headache all morning. (I swallow the sound)

7. Friday nights had been declared Bake Off nights in the Brewer/Rose household and this Friday night was no different. (Friday Night’s All Right for Fightin’)

8. Patrick walks in his sleep. (people like that are the only people here)

9. David was standing in muck. (Hook, Line, and Sinker)

10. Three thousand dollars split six ways isn’t going to change David’s life. (The More You Know)

11. After the first three business-adjacent anniversary presents, David starts to get annoyed. (This Must Be the Place)

12. “We’ve converted all our VHS tapes to DVD, so we have what, four hundred hours of Patrick’s childhood at our fingertips?” ( Always on Time: Prompt Collection)

13. “Ew, what is that? Stevie, help.” (I Think We’re Alone Now)

14. Patrick Brewer has a list. (Five Ways to Ruin A First Date)

15. David wakes far, far, far, too early to the sounds of running water and...the French Revolution. (Some Days Are Diamonds)

16. “It’s like a little hat.” (The Dock Where It Happens)

17. “No one could use a little magic in his life more than David Rose.” (Mr. Universe)

I know I’m supposed to tag 20 people but I don’t know 20 people because @vivianblakesunrisebay tagged everyone else. Please do this if you want to.

@middyblue @storieswelove @sullymygoodname @unfolded73 @kiranerys42 @im-televisions-moira-rose @hagface @high-seas-swan @missgeevious @codswalloping @petrodobreva @my-nameless-bliss @schittyfic @flashbastard @rockinhamburger @rosebuddrecs

#20 first lines #schitt’s creek #schitt’s creek fic

20 First Lines

Soooo... a bunch of my twenty fics are drabbles - but we’ll see how this plays out.

I was tagged by @allwaswell16 @zanniscaramouche @haztobegood and @justalarryblog for this challenge, so thanks (I think) darlins!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

I’m going to list these starting with my most recently posted fic and going backwards (mostly cause I’m not sure how else to di it, and I might actually stay in order that way).

1. For Evermore : Zayn stood in the neglected foyer, his sister Doniya cowering behind him, and questioned every poor decision in his life that had led him to this moment.

2. Let Me Be Your Everlasting Light : Louis had been fast asleep— his favorite teddy tucked under his little arm, dreams of his approaching birthday and Christmas dancing through his head— when his mum had woken him that night.

3. A Friend’s Gambit : “I’m sorry, Zayn, but it’s as I feared. Your wisdom teeth are impacted.” (WordPlay series - since it was five weeks, but each part was more like a chapter, I’m only posting the first line of the first week)

4. Ink on Your Fingers, Ink on My Skin : “Whatcha watching there, Payno?”

5. Live a Thousand Lifetimes : Liam hadn’t truly expected to find more than the thinnest thread of truth to the myriad rumors he’d heard over the past decade.

6. Untamed Hearts : “Move your arse, Payno! The waves won’t last forever!”

7. A Dreamin’ Tree : Three days. (Take Your Time ‘verse)

8. A Fool Could See : Harry pulled his keyring from his pocket and transferred the grocery totes to his opposite hand to open the door. (Take Your Time ‘verse)

9. Love’s Gentle Spring : "You met him on the street and went to dinner with him? Have you lost your bloody mind? He could be a serial killer for all you know!" (A Young Man’s Fancy series)

10. I’ll Be Home For Christmas : “Evening, Mr. Payne.”

11. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire : Liam ducked the paparazzi’s intrusive cameras to slip into his hired car.

12. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year : In a move both practised and casual, Liam transferred his drink to his left hand, his movements shrouded by the garishly decorated boughs of the oppressive Christmas forest decorating the ballroom.

13. 1st and 10 : “Why are we watching this shite?”

14. Autumn Mosaic : Bare trees shrouded the edge of the park, brittle leaves whirling in the breeze.

15. Something Wicked : Candlelight refracted off stainless steel to cast an eerie glow in the darkened room.

16. It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity : “...sub-tropical highs off the Azores keep temperatures hovering near 30℃ for the fifth day in a row.”

17. You Can’t Stop the Waves : “A storm’s coming in.”

18. Vegas Bound : “It’ll be an adventure.”

19. Surrender to Seduction : The seat belt sign chimed, blinked, and turned off, the noise from the jet engines slowly subsiding when the plane taxied to a stop.

20. A Young Man’s Fancy : “Let’s start anew. I’m Harry. Harry Styles. My apologies.” (A Young Man’s Fancy series)

I don’t know that there are any discernible patterns in my opening lines. About half of these start with dialogue, and I do like to start all of my stories in the middle of something going on, so maybe those are the two most common traits of my stories.

As far as my favorite first line - I’d have to say, out of these twenty stories, it would have to be the opening of Let Me Be Your Everlasting Light. It’s such a soft gentle line, and it pretty much sets the tone for the entire story. The whole story is simply that - delicate and fluffy.

I’m going to attempt to tag some writers, though they’ve probably already been tagged. So, let’s go with @disgruntledkittenface, @comebackassholes, @reminiscingintherain , @a-brighter-yellow, @jaerie, @phd-mama, @lululawrence, @lightwoodsmagic, @mediawhorefics, @jacaranda-bloom And if you haven’t been tagged, and want to do it - here’s your chance! Consider yourself tagged.

#20 first lines #my writing

Thank you @neutronstarchild and @superpixie42 for the tags !! ❤️❤️ I do not have 20 stories haha but I’ll put the first lines of the stories I do have!!

This is super fun! (Shout out to @neutronstarchild for the wonderful banner!)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

I’m going with what’s been recently finished to oldest:

“Inuyasha glanced out the window with an impatient sigh.” - Playtime

“A week he stayed.” - Bound Across Time

“They warned her.” - It Will Come Back <— here’s my favourite opening line!

“Claws lightly traced over her body, following the curve of her hip and down her thigh.” -Together Again

Apparently I’m partial to really simple opening lines... not much to give away from these ... borderline boring even haha 😂

I’m late to the game so I feel like everyone I know of has already been tagged. But PLEASE if you haven’t been tagged and you wanna join in on the fun, giv’er ! 😘

#20 first lines #first lines game #super fun!

First Line Game

Thanks for the tag @mamabearcat ! I saw the tag last night, but didn't have time to do it then. @superpixie42 reminded me!

Patterns: Relatively short leading statements, typically environmental (Weather/location related, tactile sensation, emotional mood, etc)

Favorite: "Her eyes were bored, a bit dull, as she watched the man-shaped peacocks parade in front of her." - By Rights.

First lines of the last 20 stories: Most recently updated to oldest

#20 first lines #Dawnrider Fanfiction #Inuyasha Fanfiction

WIP Game

*Some of my numbers have multiple entries because they’re separate files but they’re supposed to be the same fic. Or were. Or might be. Or something like that.

And behind a cut because I kept clipping more than just the first line because I’m weak and also sometimes my first line is legit kind of a paragraph. 😅

#mirrorofliterature #writing memery #wip game #20 first lines #only not #jilly spam #on writing

#20 first lines

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#20 first lines