A Dangerous Word?

from Jody Feldman

Fact: Cockroaches can survive an explosion.It’s true. Look it up.

I did, long before I wrote this post; it’s the first line of my WIP.

I can say with 100% certainty that it won’t change, not unless my agent or editor makes an unimpeachable argument to the contrary.

I don’t always hold tightly to initial first lines. More often than not, my first pass is an exploration of character and plot and my initial first line acts as a place holder for words that better reflects where I want to go with the book. In this case, however, I believe I nailed it.

My one concern?
Cockroaches. 

Yeah. That's a deal-breaker for so many people. But I have to believe that if readers are curious enough to open this book in the first place, they’ll read past that word to, at least, see the first line of the next paragraph.  And I promise, that line, that entire paragraph, has no mention of cockroaches.

P.S. Feel free to thank me for this cartoon graphic :)