Reading the first sentence of a novel is like receiving an invitation addressed to you. If the invitation looks interesting, you read on. If you find the invitation boring or unappealing, you close the book and read a different story. Finding the best combination of words for that first line can take a while. Some authors devote months of time to develop the opening line of their book. Stephen King confirmed that he has spent up to several years on opening sentences, claiming that giving extra thought to his words has contributed to his overall success.
