A Masterclass in Opening Lines from a Nobel-winning Writer
25 Sep 2025 #writingI have a new writing obsession: Noticing and dissecting the opening lines of books.
I should blame James Altucher, one of my favorite writers, for this obsession. His advice taught me to master opening lines by dissecting the best fiction writers.
And this time, to apply that lesson, I studied Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Colombian writer who won a Nobel prize. He’s a master of opening lines. And this one is no exception.
An ash-gray dog with a white blaze on its forehead burst onto the rough terrain of the market on the first Sunday in December, knocked down tables of fried food, overturned Indians’ stalls and lottery kiosks, and bit four people who happened to cross its path. Three of them were black slaves. The fourth, Sierva Maria de Todos los Angeles, the only child of the Marquis de Casalduero, had come there with a mulatta servant to buy a string of bells for the celebration of her twelfth birthday.
OK, that wasn’t just an opening line, but a paragraph. Let’s break it down:
#1. This intro starts with huge drama. A dog is creating an unbelievable mess in the market. It has a white blaze on its forehead. This detail becomes relevant later. But no spoilers.
#2. It uses the rule of three to present the disaster the dog created:
- “knocked down tables…”
- “overturned Indian’s stalls…”
- “bit four people…”
#3. It presents the main character in the middle of the action. That is Sierva Maria. The dog also bit her. This is the starting incident of the entire story.
We also learn more about Sierva. She’s the daughter of a Marquis and she’s about to turn 12. And she’s placed among slaves and servants. Another detail that becomes relevant later.
The formula? Drama followed by a character trapped in the middle of it.