I found this quarterly publication last summer on vacation in St.
Louis. They give the first line, then writers put together a short
story based on it. The results are often interesting. Maybe not
crime stories or noir, but still, it's intriguing to see where
writers will run with a prompt. (The spring 2009 edition is 64 pages.)
Have some fun here:
http://www.thefirstline.com/
Our Mission
The purpose of The First Line is to jump start the imagination-to
help writers break through the block that is the blank page. Each
issue contains short stories that stem from a common first line; it
also provides a forum for discussing favorite first lines in
literature. The First Line is an exercise in creativity for writers
and a chance for readers to see how many different directions we can
take when we start from the same place.
Bye.
Randy Krbechek
Fresno, CA
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