"An Unfinished Life" is a novel by Mark Spragg.

Please send me a PM containing your original first line, a line that might fool players into thinking it's the actual first line of the book. When I have enough, I'll post a numbered list of the submissions here with the real one subtly slipped in. Then, anyone who'd like to play along is cordially invited to post in this forum his or her guess as to which one is, in fact, the book's genuine opening line. I've done my part; you do your part; then I'll do my part and post the results here. You don't have to be an accomplished author to play this game. We love new players, we love old players, we appreciate all submissions.

And none of us is gettin' any younger, so do it, already! You're entitled!

Saranita, wherever have you been! I've missed you! Well, actually I wasn't throwing at you, but you know what I mean!

I'll PM shortly.

I PMed you also... I hope I did it right. I've never played this game before.

Hey...TrossL, how good to see you! Join us on the chat tomorrow.

Mine's on the way, Saranita.

You got mine!

Asa -- I don't get out much, and you're going to have to work on your aim.

Excellent entries, people. Thank you.

Anyone else here who will send something without my having to beg?

Welcome to this game, TrossL.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a line.

We have eight options from which to choose. Post your guess as to the real first line of this novel. I will be offline until Monday, and at that time I'll post the results.

1.) My grandfather’s ballpin hammers and dozens of hickory nutshells lie scattered across the porch of the smokehouse where my cousin Frances and I have left them, because the plan we’ve just hatched to baptize one another seems far more enthralling than sweeping.

2.) The sapwood snaps and shifts in the low-bellied stove, and the heat swells up against the roofboards and weathered fir planking, and the whole small building seems to groan.

3.) The tracks of the elk led deep into the forest, beckoning me to follow; instead I sat in the rocker and succumbed to the warmth of the brandy and the hum of the visitors' voices.

4.) I've often wondered how the world would look if certain people had been a little different - if, for instance, Hitler had become a successful painter.

5.) The phone was ringing loudly, which is, I suppose, what woke him up, although he didn't remember it later.

6.) Thunder rumbled as the storm diminished to a low-pitch roar and daylight came streaming in when they woke.

7.) Why is it that my most vivid memories of childhood are also the most painful?

8.) Little did I know that life as I'd known it was about to drastically change.

I'm debating between 2 and 4. Since first lines seem so rarely to have any relation to the title, I will choose........

#2!

I've wondered the same thing as #4, but I'm a sap for snappy wood, so I'll guess #2.

I'm choosing number seven. I don't remember why.

I like #1...

Since no one has guessed 5, I'll go with that one.

7, please.

What the heck, I'll try #8.

Where did Trossl go?

TrossL comes by every now and then. I wish she were a regular, but I do enjoy it when she comes.

Well, boys and girls, we have two sparkly winners (Asa and Jo), three valiant A-for-Efforts (Asa, Jo, & Jerry), three foxy [and I do mean foxy] hornswogglers (saranita, Caterwauller, and Kalleh), one hotter'n-a-firecracker double-hornswoggler (TrossL), and five head-hangin' hornswaggled (KHC, Seanahan, Kalleh, Jerry, & Caterwauller).


‎1.) My grandfather’s ballpin hammers ‎and dozens of hickory nutshells lie ‎scattered across the porch of the ‎smokehouse where my cousin Frances ‎and I have left them, because the plan ‎we’ve just hatched to baptize one ‎another seems far more enthralling ‎than sweeping.‎

Written by saranita
Chosen by KHC
‎
‎2.) The sapwood snaps and shifts in the ‎low-bellied stove, and the heat swells up ‎against the roofboards and weathered ‎fir planking, and the whole small ‎building seems to groan.

Written by Mark Spragg
Chosen by Asa Lovejoy and Jo‎
‎
‎3.) The tracks of the elk led deep into ‎the forest, beckoning me to follow; ‎instead I sat in the rocker and ‎succumbed to the warmth of the brandy ‎and the hum of the visitors' voices.‎

Written by Jo
‎
‎4.) I've often wondered how the world ‎would look if certain people had been a ‎little different - if, for instance, Hitler ‎had become a successful painter.‎

Written by Asa Lovejoy
‎
‎5.) The phone was ringing loudly, which ‎is, I suppose, what woke him up, ‎although he didn't remember it later.‎

Written by Caterwauller
Chosen by Seanahan
‎
‎6.) Thunder rumbled as the storm ‎diminished to a low-pitch roar and ‎daylight came streaming in when they ‎woke.‎

Written by Jerry Thomas
‎
‎7.) Why is it that my most vivid ‎memories of childhood are also the most ‎painful?‎

Written by TrossL
Chosen by Kalleh & Jerry Thomas
‎
‎8.) Little did I know that life as I'd ‎known it was about to drastically ‎change.‎

Written by Kalleh‎
Chosen by Caterwauller‎

TrossL, I hate it you missed the horserace, but IMHO, your most excellent suckering in of two of Wordcraft's finest makes you a perfect choice to run the next round of this crazy game. How about it?

Yeah...she suckered me, that's for sure.

If we don't hear from her in a few days, I will email her. As I said, she's not a regular/regular, but she's a real sweetie and stops in every so often.

I think she got married not too long ago. Maybe she's still ummm, errr, busy. Of course I wouldn't know...

This was a fun one! I'll start the next round, then, shall I? I'll post it ASAP.