Bestselling author (Matador and Death of Manolete) and contributor for The Writer Barnaby Conrad follows up his acclaimed 101 Best Scenes Ever Written with 101 Best Beginnings Ever Written. Readers will continue their delightful romp through literature guided and instructed by Conrad's insights and annotations. For writers and readers, the first part of every story is the most important. Conrad has identified twelve types of beginnings, providing captivating examples such as Ambrose Bierce's opening sentence to his short story “An Imperfect Conflagration”: Early one June morning in 1872 I murdered my father—an act which made a deep impression on me at the time. Writers will learn how to start their stories with forceful, compelling prose that hooks their readers from page one; casual readers will delight in the cleverness of the authors' openings and Conrad's insightful comments.