How my first fantasy series all began

Let’s start from the beginning. On an online forum about writing, the exercise of the week involved writing the perfect, ie most eye-catching, opening first line. They decided this exercise would have a maximum of 10 words. I’d commented on other first lines, and gained lots of insight into potential ideas. No mater how hard I tried I could only think of 3 words:

Blood. Blood everywhere.

Nothing else. Just that. We had quite a discussion about those three words. Some contributed quite convoluted plot outlines.

These 3 words had obviously created an impact. But as far as I was concerned there was no story. It was just an opening line. I forgot about it for a while. In fact, I didn’t think any more of it until it was time for my writing group get-together. At the writer group, we usually take something to read out, but I had nothing fresh. I looked at those three words and wondered if I could turn them into something. A thriller maybe, and so at the last minute I wrote:

Blood. Blood everywhere. Fresh blood.

Once white walls, smeared from floor to ceiling with shades of wine and scarlet.

Blood, and bandages.

Red on white.

Eight little shower heads, standing in a row.

The blood fell in tiny noisy drops.

A very bloody start.

And so the Towers of the Earth series was born.