So, a writer can try to write an interesting first line. Fine. But by trying hard enough to do that, the writer is likely to violate one or more principles of writing. That a minus. (I am not even done listing problems.)

But there are pluses, at least for the author (and publisher).

Immmediate Versus Delayed Gratification

Considering just immediate gratification, the reader surely likes an interesting first line. But is the immediate gain from a hyper-interesting first line worth the loss to the following parts of the book? That seems unlikely to me, though that's just my opinion.

In the fight between immediate gratification and delayed gratification, delayed gratification has trouble winning, even when it should. For one, the person has to realize that there even is a delayed gratification (or a delayed loss). That's not easy.

So we would expect readers to prefer an interesting start, even if that meant larger delayed negative consequences. In other words, they want and choose something that isn't good for them. To make an intelligent decision, the readers would have to know the negative consequences. I don't see how they could know that except if someone points them out.

If you are reading a book, a desire to keep reading is harmonious. So hooks aren't all bad. (But if you should be working or sleeping, then the hook works against you; good luck avoiding the immediate gratification of continuing to read.)

So, in my opinion, the hyper-interesting first lines are not a good deal for the reader. And they won't know that.

Consequences for the Writer/Publisher

Enough talk about readers. Is the hyper-interesting first line a good choice for writers?

The reality is, some readers like hyper-interesting first sentences. Some people might even buy (or not buy) a book based on the interestingness of the first sentence.

For that reason alone, a publisher might insist on a hyper-interesting first sentence. An agent, facing an overwhelming number of submissions, might reject those that do not have a hyper-interesting first sentence.

So an author might choose a hyper-interesting first line. And if the author doesn't, the publisher might insist on one.

I don't know what an author should actually choose; offering advice would be beyond the points I want to make here. But I'm not hiding my personal preference for how the world should work.

The Source of the Problem: Readers

Superficially, judging a book by its first line might seem like a good strategy to a reader. It might seem like taking a small sample of ice cream and then buying a cone of that flavor if the sample tasted good.

So, if there is a problem here of goofy first lines impairing the reading experience (and you are welcome to your own opinion), the readers are the cause of it. Nothing will be changed until readers are more aware of what is happening.

Anyway, more potential problems.

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