What is your most favorite sentence ever?

[celebkiriedhel]

I am a necromancer... and I don't mind being a necromancer when I think of things.

Context is needed to understand this sentence. Samuel has been accused of killing a young man, by a witch doctor and sentenced to death. It is a battle of power between the witch doctor and the missionary. They accuse him of being too afraid to die, because he is a man of peace. So they take him to a cliff to be thrown off...

"Then with the eagerness of a young man going to his bridal, of a hunter on the trail, or a Tua speeding to his first fight, commending his soul to God and his body to the keeping of earth, he ran and leaped and fell."

Elizabeth Goudge - Green Dolphin Country.

This sentence makes me cry every time.

Another writer who has the language of poets is Patricia McKillip - in particular her Riddlemaster of Hed Trilogy. Well worth a read.

"He saw the harpist's face go suddenly still, as if the wind had snatched in passing it's expression and breath. The uncertainty ending in him like a song's ending.
Yes."

Patricia McKillip - The Riddle Master of Hed.

[thevintagesim]

As a writer, I probably should read more outside works than I do. But, I don't have a lot of time to read. When I do, it's usually a Lauren Willig novel.
Of course, I can't even think of my favorite line from her books at the moment, so maybe I'll just choose one of what I consider my most well-written sentences.

Personally, I'm all about intricate yet vivid detail. I want to smell, feel, see and hear all the things that a character does so that I can put myself into their shoes.

" After paying the cab fee, I lugged my suitcase up the sidewalk to the cemented stairwell that would take me to the entrance of my new home. Still smiling, I paused to look up and down the street, listening and familiarizing myself with the nearby sights and smells. There was a couple down the street sitting on a small bench outside of a Starbucks, sipping their coffees and laughing daintily. Cars of various sizes and shapes slowly strode up and down the street, their tires revolving against the black tar of the road. The sun was quickly setting, a faint memory of its brilliance remaining across the buildings, extending down the street. In the distance were sky scrapers, the tallest I had ever seen, huddled close together in the coolness of this November evening, only a few lights left to shine against the dimness of the setting sun. " from "Manufactured Automaton", a short story.

Okay, maybe it's a paragraph. LOL. But, I feel that the words here paint a serene picture for the reader. It's as if you can see that couple, or see the dimming rays of the sun as it lowers into the horizon.

I also have a love for funny dialogue and sarcastic characters. I would have to say that "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "The Devil Wears Prada" have some prime examples of unforgettable dialogue.
They make me do this --> ;D

[Stacy]

Oct 27, 2010 7:52:26 GMT -5 @celebkiriedhel said:

I am a necromancer... and I don't mind being a necromancer when I think of things.

I thought that was the sentence you were quoting. Had to reread a couple of times to get it, lol.

It's a great sentence - I can definitely imagine a story to go with it. Hah - might have to write that story one day, unless you want to, since it's your sentence.

And thread necromancing is totally and completely accepted and cool here.

[celebkiriedhel]

I don't see why we can't both use it! Now that would be a great exercise - everyone starts with the same first sentence and see where it goes from there!