Every novel I’ve ever written began with a single, quiet spark — a question, an image, a feeling that wouldn’t leave me alone. For Time Murmurations, that spark arrived when I wondered: “What if someone could slip between moments, into the place where time bends?”
What would it feel like to experience the world half a second away from everyone else? What truths might be waiting there?

Here is how the novel opens: “I’ve gone away. And I wonder, do they notice? I am here but not. I smile and nod in suspended greetings. But it really isn’t me…”

That first paragraph didn’t come from an outline or a plan. It came from instinct. From the strange, beautiful idea of a person who exists partly outside of time, and the question of what that would do to their heart.

From there, the world unfurled:
Starlings.
Time loops.
A grieving ornithologist.
A future on the brink.
A villain who wants to rewrite history itself.
And the people who stand in the way.

It all began with one spark.

Writers, I’d Love to Hear from You

We each carry our own sparks. The lines that begin a book, the questions that won’t leave us alone, the scenes that insist on being written.Whether you’re drafting your twentieth novel or your very first chapter, opening lines matter. They hold the DNA of everything that follows.

✨ If you’re a writer, share the opening lines of your novel or work-in-progress in the comments.
I’d love to read it! And let’s fill this space with new worlds.

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For Readers

If you’re curious about the rest of Time Murmurations and the strange, beautiful places time can take us, you can explore the book here:

Get Time Murmurations Here

Thank you for traveling through these words with me. Creation is always a journey…And sharing it with you makes the path richer.

About Laurie: “Fantastically original concept,” reviewers say. “An art-born world full of prophecies, enchanted creatures, and wishes that come true.”

Laurie Woodward is a multi-award-winning writer whose Artania screenplay was optioned in 2025. Her published works include Time Murmurations, Finding Joy, The Artania Chronicles series, and Forest Secrets. Each project champions hope, resilience, and empowerment—encouraging children to stay authentic, whether facing bullies in real life or dark forces in fantasy.

Her honors include recognition from the Writers of the Future Contest and publication in A Hudson View Poetry Digest, and many anti-bullying grants. She also co-wrote the memoir Dean and JoJo: The Dolphin Legacy, featured in the IMAX film Dolphins, Robin Williams’ In the Wild, and Animal Planet.

A former bilingual teacher and peace consultant, Laurie’s lifelong mission is to nurture creativity, believing that artistic expression can spark extraordinary change.

More about her work can be found at Author Laurie Woodward — Next Chapteria.net