Writing Tip: A Great Beginning
- Print
- 1/10/2012 |
- 10:00 am
People not only judge a book by its cover, they also judge each story within the first few lines they read. That's why your opening paragraph, whether you're writing a novel or a two-page short story, is so important. These are a few tips to stay on target.
* * * * *
Many amateur writers make the same mistake over and over again: they try to tell the whole story within the first paragraph. Those first few lines, however, should have one purpose in mind, and that is to hook the reader.
Think of the last time somebody told you an interesting story. Maybe something funny had happened to them at a grocery store, or they saw a famous athlete at the mall. Usually their first few lines captured your attention, and pulled you into their tale.
The same is true with your story. Check out the opening lines from an all-time classic, The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien:
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort."
Great visualization, from the dirty wet image of a worm-filled hole, to a comfortable setting with maybe a recliner or table and chairs, along with a banquet of food. All in just a few lines. Plus, I instantly had to know exactly what a hobbit is!
Or how about a somewhat disturbing, yet fascinating opening by author Mark Haddon in his unique tale, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:
"It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs. Shears's house. Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead."
Okay, you might be put off by the death of the dog...but if you're like me, you just HAD to read the next few lines. I was hooked, and that's the idea.
Notice that both authors, from the legendary Tolkien to the more contemporary Haddon, use great visual imagery. I saw the dog as well as the hobbit hole. I immediately recognized the way that dogs seem to run while they're dreaming. A good author will connect with his readers in those first few lines, without necessarily giving away the story. Just get me interested.
Use visual cues, or use strong character description (without telling me everything). If your story began by telling me that Katie was always insecure about her mismatched eye colors... then I want to read more. If you tell me that a very unusual odor was suddenly coming from behind the door to the basement, I'll maybe even try to figure out the smell before you actually tell me what's causing it.
Whatever you do, be sure to paint some type of picture in my mind. You've only got a few lines to capture my interest, so get busy!
* * * * *
If you liked this post, you should also check out:
A Message from Dom in Writer's Digest
