#for now I am honing the craft of the true 100-word drabble

[seadeepy]

First line game

tagged by: @queerofthedagger​

rules: list the first line of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). see if there are any patterns, choose your favourite opening line, and then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

1. not the wall but what’s behind it [1.7k wds, D&D]

Qreellaahk looks into Apollon’s eyes and sees their own death reflected back to them in those fathomless depths.

2. can’t unsee something like this [100 wds, David/Patrick]

"Oh, no," David says, burrowing his face down into the fabric of his scarf.

3. never thought i’d hear my heart beat so loud [100 wds, David/Patrick]

Three weeks ago, David laid here smothering the defiant spark of hope.

4. We’re Both Starting Something New [100 wds, David/Patrick]

"I just need you to say nice person," David says.

5. When the River Meets the Sea [3.5k wds, D&D]

Fathom isn’t afraid until the moment his Heal spell fails him.

6. Midnight Snack [2k wds, D&D]

Rosie wakes up, but only barely.

7. all the things that you’re supposed to feel [100 wds, David/Patrick]

David has a hundred expressions, but the one he wears right now — glistening eyes and a tiny, crooked smile — is full of so much tender affection that Patrick opens his mouth and says, "Thank you."

8. No Better Place [100 wds, David/Patrick]

"Congratulations, man," Patrick says as he opens his arms.

9. Flustered [100 wds, David/Patrick]

David’s only indulged his imagination in secretive little moments, golden light flickering through the cracks in his enameled heart.

10. my poor heart will only surrender [100 wds, David/Patrick]

Alexis smells sweet — a fruit fragrance maybe, or something floral.

11. I Never Understood Before [100 wds, David/Patrick]

It is not love at first sight.

12. Try To Survive [1.5k wds, D&D] -- not posted yet bc of spoilers

Soren has given every password correctly as he passed through Deephaven's wards, but he is halted nevertheless at the end of the next corridor.

13. Make My Wish Come True [5k, David/Patrick]

All that teasing about sloppy mouths and semi-firm openings is months in the past, along with a birthday dinner that could have gone somewhere and never did. 

14.  Break My Step & Relent [5.8k, Merlin/Arthur]

There is silence after that for a while.

15. Prepared for the Turbulence [600 wds, D&D]

Qreellaahk falls.

16. i watch it all wash away [4k wds, D&D]

Curt slinks into the main room of the Mansion, hugging his spellbook close to his chest.

17. At the Doorway of the Forgotten [1.5k wds, D&D]

Rion is late entering the room where Pentel, Nulara and Mathgamain already stand — skids into the narrow space between the bookshelves just in time to take a bolt of lightning directly to the chest.

18. i’ll be your lifeline [100 wds, Legolas/Gimli]

Legolas keeps his feelings far from his face, as is the elven way, but with every injured warrior he passes, his treacherous heart beats a little faster.

19. oh and ain’t life unkind? [100 wds, Gideon/Hotch/Rossi]

"Aaron," Rossi says quietly.

20. heaven help me, she’s dangerous [100 wds, Spike/Buffy/Angel]

"Slayer," Spike says, wandering into the room shirtless, "your boyfriend is staring out the window and brooding again."

patterns: My drabbles are perhaps disproportionately represented in this list, but yes, I have a couple patterns:

“Dialogue,” POV character says. -- usually followed by the other half of the sentence...)

A “thesis statement” of some kind -- a bold, declarative sentence that I immediately backtrack to explain

good ol’ noun-verb action sentence aka in media res

Between my drabbles, where I don’t have words to spare, and my D&D stuff, where it’s assumed the reader has context already, I don’t spend a lot of time establishing scenery gjfdjslfklkfdjkd

It’ll be interesting to see if/how my style changes when I start posting longer fic and/or stories that stand alone!

fave line:  I think my favorite one is #9, because I had a bitch of a time cutting the drabble down to size but I was determined to keep that metaphor in. The editing process really streamlined it, but I was trying to convey something very specific about David: he’s built up a shell around himself, but he’s also broken/damaged and so the goodness in him can’t help spilling out, shining through. Like that one line from “Anthem.”

tagging: @streetlampsunset @fairmanor @blackandwhiteandrose @agoodpersonrose @trueillusion82 @sunflower-le-tournesol ...and I’m tired and I want to go to bed so six tags is all you get. If you write fic and you see this, pretend I was awake enough to tag you :D