(Short Story Workshop) Opening Lines That Actually Work

[IronQuarry48]

The opening line of a short story carries disproportionate weight. In a novel you have pages to establish world and character before you need to hook the reader. A short story needs to earn attention in the first sentence. The opening line should do multiple things simultaneously. Establish voice. Raise a question. Create forward momentum. Hint at tone.

Some famous examples. "Call me Ishmael" establishes intimacy and mystery in three words. "It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen" tells you you're somewhere wrong. "The sky above the port was the color of television tuned to a dead channel" establishes a voice and a world simultaneously.

What are your favourite opening lines? What makes them work? And if you're working on something currently what's your opening line and does it do the job?