Lee Matthias at 2009-11-10 10:54:55:

Mine always start the same way, FADE IN:

But seriously, I try to start with an impression or image that sets the tone for the story/movie. I am not as concerned with deathless prose and sentence construction as I am with generating a viable emotional response or cueing the reader as to what she/he is getting into. Ruined expectations usually ruin reads.

E.C. Henry at 2009-11-10 11:34:23:

It's admirable how hard Orhan Pamuk is working, but rewriting a line 50 - 100 times seems excessive.

I find that after about 20 times I start to fade out and loose it. I think if you obsess over rewriting after a while you become toxic.

I don't obsess that much over a great opening line when writing scripts. BUT there is a HUGE difference between screenwriting and novel writing that can get glossed over too easily if you let it. And I think a novel writer is graded WAY MORE stingent on his or her first than a screenwriter is. I tend to think in terms of direction paragraphs. How they flow, and how vivid they are. For me right now that's the core of screenwriting: how well can you write direction/action/description. Lot of people focus on dialog, but to me the masters of style prove it with how they handle direction.

- E.C. Henry, currently rewriting a romantic comedy in Bonney Lake, WA

attatt at 2009-11-10 13:01:08:

You bring up a great topic: How important is the first sentence of a script?

I stress over every first sentence of every story or script I write. I probably rewrite up to 20 times on occassion.

Even though the first line of a script does not have to be poetic, having a concise, well thought out start to your script is super important if you want anyone to keep reading.

That being said, maybe the real test is the first line of dialog or narration.

I think terrible writing giving direction would be excused when balanced out with great dialog every time.

DS at 2009-11-11 03:16:01:

The first image, in my opinion, should reflect the theme. What's the first thing you HEAR in Back to the Future? Ticking clock. What's the first thing you see? Clocks.