"A good first sentence does raise the bar, though. You have to deliver a story that lives up to the promise."
Very true. And I'll give you an example of a novel that did not live up to its first sentence. Not for me, at least. MOON PALACE by Paul Auster. The first sentence: "It was the summer that men first walked on the moon." The rest of the book: totally forgettable.
"A good first sentence does raise the bar, though. You have to deliver a story that lives up to the promise."
Very true. And I'll give you an example of a novel that did not live up to its first sentence. Not for me, at least. MOON PALACE by Paul Auster. The first sentence: "It was the summer that men first walked on the moon." The rest of the book: totally forgettable.
Brilliant! What a pleasure it is to spend a few minutes listening to you think and talk, good sir. I love it.