![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerShamelessly stolen from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kaydeefalls
List the first lines of your last twenty stories. See if you find any patterns.
1. Far back in time, at the beginning of the Third Age, a new race awakens.
2. "My lord Steward?"
3. "Merry?" Frodo walked over to his small cousin, who was gazing out through the little round window of his guest room. "Is something wrong?"
4. "Mother." Pippin stood in the door to the kitchen, with his small travelling case in his hand.
5. “Missus Lily!” Marigold burst into the Cotton’s kitchen with Rose at her heels.
6. I watch him sleep, now, exhausted by all the celebrations.
7. “Pippin. What are you doing?”
8. Fredegar sat down by the fire, and drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around his legs, and putting his chin on his knees.
9. "It's an utter disgrace, Mungo! I do not see how you can allow it!"
10. Bilbo had begun to make a habit of spending his mornings in Elrond’s rather splendid and extensive library, and, with his host’s kind permission would occasionally borrow a tome or two to take back to his own little apartment to read and to copy, which was how he usually spent his afternoons.
11. The ferry bumped against the landing and Merry jumped out quickly to make it fast.
12. Frodo Gamgee stood respectfully at his post in the Queen's antechamber.
13. Mablung halted. That low call, like a rock-thrush, was the Captain's signal. He and Damrod must have spotted something. Mablung gestured, and Gelmir came silently to his side. Mablung returned a whistle of his own. The two Rangers peered in the direction of the signal. There! Just beyond, a faint plume of smoke, barely discernible.
14. He blinked as they exited the East Gate. Moria had been dark and oppressive. He had been looking forward to seeing the light of Anor once more.
15. Even though Aragorn had said it was time to find Gandalf and Treebeard, the little group of friends found themselves reluctant to move from their picnic-spot. Aragorn, Gimli, Merry and Pippin smoked in companionable silence for a while; Legolas leaned back on his arms, and turned his face to the sky, enjoying the breeze.
16. Frodo put down his quill and rubbed his temples. This was difficult, writing of what Merry had experienced upon the Pelennor, his terror and despair.
17. “Sam!” Rose called softly.
18. Gandalf stood outside the tent, puffing on his pipe and listening to the conversation within.
19. “Pippin. What are you doing?”
20. Pippin sat up. Merry finally slept deeply, the furrow of worry in his brow eased, a bit of color in his pale cheeks, and his breathing deep and steady. Pippin had slept as well, lightly, still almost unable to believe that the two of them had been reunited after all the dreadful fighting.
Patterns? Well, 14 out of 20 begin with someone's name as the first word. 8 out of 20 start with dialogue. And 10 out of 20 describe an action of a character. Only 1 is in first person.
I'm not exactly sure just what those patterns *indicate*, however.
kaydeefallsList the first lines of your last twenty stories. See if you find any patterns.
1. Far back in time, at the beginning of the Third Age, a new race awakens.
2. "My lord Steward?"
3. "Merry?" Frodo walked over to his small cousin, who was gazing out through the little round window of his guest room. "Is something wrong?"
4. "Mother." Pippin stood in the door to the kitchen, with his small travelling case in his hand.
5. “Missus Lily!” Marigold burst into the Cotton’s kitchen with Rose at her heels.
6. I watch him sleep, now, exhausted by all the celebrations.
7. “Pippin. What are you doing?”
8. Fredegar sat down by the fire, and drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around his legs, and putting his chin on his knees.
9. "It's an utter disgrace, Mungo! I do not see how you can allow it!"
10. Bilbo had begun to make a habit of spending his mornings in Elrond’s rather splendid and extensive library, and, with his host’s kind permission would occasionally borrow a tome or two to take back to his own little apartment to read and to copy, which was how he usually spent his afternoons.
11. The ferry bumped against the landing and Merry jumped out quickly to make it fast.
12. Frodo Gamgee stood respectfully at his post in the Queen's antechamber.
13. Mablung halted. That low call, like a rock-thrush, was the Captain's signal. He and Damrod must have spotted something. Mablung gestured, and Gelmir came silently to his side. Mablung returned a whistle of his own. The two Rangers peered in the direction of the signal. There! Just beyond, a faint plume of smoke, barely discernible.
14. He blinked as they exited the East Gate. Moria had been dark and oppressive. He had been looking forward to seeing the light of Anor once more.
15. Even though Aragorn had said it was time to find Gandalf and Treebeard, the little group of friends found themselves reluctant to move from their picnic-spot. Aragorn, Gimli, Merry and Pippin smoked in companionable silence for a while; Legolas leaned back on his arms, and turned his face to the sky, enjoying the breeze.
16. Frodo put down his quill and rubbed his temples. This was difficult, writing of what Merry had experienced upon the Pelennor, his terror and despair.
17. “Sam!” Rose called softly.
18. Gandalf stood outside the tent, puffing on his pipe and listening to the conversation within.
19. “Pippin. What are you doing?”
20. Pippin sat up. Merry finally slept deeply, the furrow of worry in his brow eased, a bit of color in his pale cheeks, and his breathing deep and steady. Pippin had slept as well, lightly, still almost unable to believe that the two of them had been reunited after all the dreadful fighting.
Patterns? Well, 14 out of 20 begin with someone's name as the first word. 8 out of 20 start with dialogue. And 10 out of 20 describe an action of a character. Only 1 is in first person.
I'm not exactly sure just what those patterns *indicate*, however.