The First Line
Posted by Sally Clark on Monday, January 7, 2019
The First Line
To celebrate twenty years of publication, we're going to revisit the past. There are no new first lines for 2019. Each issue will be comprised of original works based on past first lines.
Were you inspired by the fall 2008 first line (Roy owned the only drive-thru funeral business in Maine.) but didn't see the sentence until 2015? Or maybe you started writing a story for the spring 2005 issue (Life would be so much easier if I were a cartoon character.) but you never got around to submitting it. Or maybe you sent us a story that just missed the cut and you reworked it and want to try us again. Well, now is your chance to make up for missed opportunities.
The next deadline is February 1, 2019. The list of possible story starters is listed here: http://www.thefirstline.com/submission_Spring_2019.htm
Fiction: All stories must be written with the first line provided. The line cannot be altered in any way, unless otherwise noted by the editors. The story should be between 300 and 5,000 words (this is more like a guideline and not a hard-and-fast rule; going over or under the word count won't get your story tossed from the slush pile).
Poetry: All poems must be written with the first line provided. The sentence can be broken across lines, but the punctuation cannot be altered or dropped. Poem length is up to the poet.
Payment: We pay on publication $25 - $50 (US) for fiction, $5 - $10 for poetry, and $25 (US) for nonfiction. We also send you a copy of the issue in which your story or nonfiction appears. You'll receive your money and issue at the same time.
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Like finding shells on the beach, I love doing market research! And what I find, I love to share! I write in a variety of genres including children's, Christian, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, so these post follow along those lines. Check out my web site: www.sallyclark.info, for more about me.