Adventures Up North

Call me Ishmael. I'm sure we've all read our share of incredible first sentences like this one.  Usually, it's something simple, yet utterly profound and intrigues the reader so much that they cannot help but keep reading.  Sometimes the first sentence in funny, other times crude, and sometimes a mixture of both. The first sentence is probably one of the hardest sentences you'll have to write in your entire novel.  Why?  Well, for starters, it's also probably one of the most important sentences.  Unless your reader skipped around a bit before reading page 1, the first sentence will likely be the first, or one of the first, sentences that is read.  That's a lot of pressure on the author. Also, because this is the first sentence, it will be your reader's first taste of what is to come.  Even after just one short combination of words and punctuation, your reader will already be guessing your writing style, point of view, and even key plot points ...

As an author, I feed off inspiration.  And one of my favorite ways to get inspired is to just sit back, plug in my headphones, and be transported to another world with the power of soundtracks.  Here are ten of my favorite scores that will both delight and inspire the listener: 10: Titanic (1997) Just because you haven't seen a film doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy its soundtrack.  In fact, you may end up enjoying the soundtrack even more.  The famous 90s film Titanic is no exception for me.  This glorious score is glazed with nautical themes, sounding authentic and original.  A fascinating listen. 9: Avatar (2009) Not to be confused with the Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series (which also has a great score), Avatar  displays sounds completely unique in a new approach to soundtracks.  The film is based on the supernatural, so why wouldn't the soundtrack host some of the supernatural as well? 8: The Hunger Games (2012-2015) Fou...