Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern!
Unceremonious yoink from Tumblr because we're feeling it today. Last time I did this was in
2024 over on tumblr, and that was 37 fics and almost 35k words ago. So I'm curious to see if anything's changed, or I'm staying consistent. I've included my first lines from 2024 as a comparison to today's first lines.
Fandom Abbreviations
KHR- Katekyou Hitman Reborn
HSR - Honkai: Star Rail
Genshin - Genshin Impact
HZD - Horizon: Zero Dawn
2024 Lines
1. It was a well-known fact that every dog needs a doghouse, especially if they are a talking dog who can draw pictures in the dirt with a stick. - Snoopy and the Emo-Haired Kid (Peanuts/KHR)
2. Air blasts out of the white box unit above the door as Chrome pushes it open with a hand. - The Art of Butterfly Photography (KHR)
3. Reborn wants to commit Skull’s body to memory. - Renew our vows of love (and forget the sad, dull pain) (KHR)
4. “You don’t remember me…?” Fives’ smile shakes, and he takes a step back. - But I with mournful tread (Star Wars)
5. The largest exhibition hall in the Jedi Temple is almost too small for the sheer number of clone troopers in it now. - Victory Comes Late (Star Wars)
6. Tsuyoshi runs a cloth over the blade of his sword, and Nana pours a bottle of handmade sake over the bodies before dropping a match on them. - Love in the Time of Zombies (KHR)
7. Swirls of steam rise from the mug of tea resting on a tattered crochet coaster. - Let the Rain Kiss You (KHR)
8. “You could go back, you know,” Aloy says in the middle of looting a supply chest. - I'll Tell You How the Sun Rose (HZD/KHR)
9. “Have you tried a Ouija board?” Skull asks, voice almost tinny over the phone. - Use Your Words (Here’s a Ouija Board) (KHR)
10. Nie Mingjue has little warning before a sharp whip-crack and flickering purple light fills the alley he’s using as a shortcut to his brother’s rehearsal. - All’s Fair in Love and War (The Untamed)
2026 Lines
1. The towering iron in-laid doors close behind Xanxus with a deep, resounding boom that echoes through the silent marble hall. - And there are many paths to tread (KHR, Lord of the Rings inspired AU)
2. Kafka runs a hand through gray-brown hair. - And now, I'm different from before (HSR)
3. Anakin stumbles, his little face twisting into a scowl. - Hand in hand, we work (Star Wars)
4. “Hmm.” - Paint Me Like One of Your French Girls (HSR)
5. Venti lifts a bottle of dandelion wine from the rack and weighs it in his hands thoughtfully. - Raise inferno for the living (Genshin)
6. Chrome leads the way up the mountain with a picnic basket in hand. - I fell in love with the stars in your eyes (KHR)
7. The bouquet appears sometime during the night in front of Viper’s seat at the breakfast table, and Lal Mirch covers her face and groans upon seeing it. - Mandevilla (You are too bold) (KHR)
8. The bunk creaks as Chrome sits down on its edge. - Kissing Prayers into Your Skin (KHR)
9. The closet door slams shut, and the lock turns with a firm thunk. - In for a penny (KHR)
10. “You…” - Solider keep on marchin' on (HSR)
So last time, I said that I thought my overall pattern was that each opening line kind of set the scene and overall tone of the fic. And I'm not sure I can say the same for this batch of opening lines.
Here's the thing: In context, they do. They are all the foundations upon which the rest of the fic is built upon, and I don't think the rest of the opening would hit the same without them. So what's the difference between 2024 and now? Some quick observations:
-
stars in your eyes and
Mandevilla sat in my Scrivener file for a couple years before being posted. And to me, those ones match the 2024 openers the most. One fic is humor, the other is fluff, and it's pretty obvious which is which from those lines alone in my opinion. What you see is what you get.
- Overall, my opening lines have gotten shorter. I also think it's notable that one of the longer 2026 opening lines belongs to the Lord of the Rings inspired fic, so there was a very specific vibe I was trying to capture there
- These openers are more action-oriented. A character or some part of the setting is actively doing something. 2024 had more narrator-style set-up lines. Had softer imagery. Had character desires front and center. In some ways, they had more variety.
But: the 2026 list has shorter fics -
Hand in hand and
Kissing Prayers are only 200 words, and
different from before is only 300. In total, 6/10 are under 1k. By contrast, 7/10 of 2024's openers belong to fics over 1k, 3 of which are around or above 2k. I didn't start dabbling in true drabbles until the end of 2024. So, it makes sense that I'd use shorter, more active openers in shorter fics.
And there are many paths to tread is actually a great example for a longer fic opener for me because it clocks in at 1500 words (not including it's appendix of flower language), and it wouldn't look wholly out of place from the 2024 openers.
So I think it's less I've changed my writing style, and more that I've been writing shorter fics again/being more comfortable posting "fresher" fics. Two drabbles of the 2026 list were Discord prompt responses that I just tweaked a bit and tossed up mostly as is because why not? <- Not a thing that happened in the past. I also suspect that picking up more hobbies- like coding, graphics making, reading more, etc. - means I have less time or attention span going towards writing. So the fics that get finished tend to be the shorter ones I knock out in a single session.
I do want to get into a better habit of writing everyday because I do have longer ideas and WIPs that I want to post. Maybe next time I do this I'll have a bunch of multi-chapters fics to look at and go "Well why I did I start doing that?!" XD
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