PB First Lines

PB First Lines

Elements of A Great First Line: Deep Dive Part VII

References something with universal appeal

Sara Kruger's avatar
Sara Kruger
Sep 24, 2025
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Today we’re looking at first lines that

reference something with universal appeal

photography of doughnut cake
Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

Is there anything with more universal appeal than a birthday and everything that goes with it? My daughter, now 10, thinks about and plans her birthday all year. So any book with a first line about a birthday will grab her attention. Or how about any other gift-giving occasion? Or a certain holiday that holds the promise of obscene amounts of sugar? There are a million subjects that hold near universal appeal. And they don’t even have to be the main theme of your story to feature in your first line. Let’s have a look at a few stories that feature something with universal appeal in the first line.

to make

By Danielle Davis, art by Mags DeRoma

First line (over 4 spreads): To make a cake, gather, make, wait.

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