I’ve posted about this little journal before, but since it’s been a long time, I thought I’d mention it again…

The First Line is a literary journal based around a simple premise: All the stories in each issue start with the same first line.

Authors are asked to submit short stories using that first line as the (duh) first line of their story, and it’s often fascinating to see how differently writers use that line and how the stories diverge so drastically from that basic starting point!

It’s a lot of fun to write with a prompt, and if you’ve never tried it before, here’s your chance!

The next first line for the Summer 2011 issue is: “We need to talk.” Submissions are due on May 1st. Don’t be put off by the ‘literary’ heading, either – they accept submissions in all genres, in an effort to make the publication as eclectic as possible.

And even better (and the reason why I’m posting), until March 13th, The First Line is offering a free pdf of their Spring 2011 issue, to celebrate 13 years of being in print!

Yay, free stuff! And if you’re thinking of writing for them, what better way to learn the market than with a free sample issue, right?

Why not give it a shot? And if you’ve read this journal before (or been published in it before), share your thoughts!