Story Beginnings - By Rita Karnopp

Story Beginnings - The first word, first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your story are the most important in the entire book.  If you can’t grab your reader’s undivided attention by then – the story is over.

 

Many agents will admit if the first sentence doesn’t grab them … they don’t read another word.  Sounds a bit crude – but a weak story start is the ‘kiss of death.’  (Please pardon the cliché.)

So, what exactly are some story openings that could be great – or should be avoided?

 

Basics for Story Beginnings – There should only be one question to ask yourself after you write that first sentence.  Does it grab the reader – and drive her/him to read the next and the next and the next sentence?

If you want an agent, publisher, or booklover to read your story – make the beginning all it can be!

How can you make your beginnings effective?

• Pull the reader in with a captivating, interesting, or even humorous narrative voice.
• Quickly develop a character your reader can sympathize with or will care and is gripped with anticipation for his/her escape from a challenging predicament.
• Reveal your character’s decision - promising it will, more-than-likely, have back-firing consequences.
• Create tension – by disclosing pre-judgement conclusions – developing a feel of suspense or mystery.
• Create beguiling situations or present your character with un-realistic expectations or challenges – causing the reader angst and anticipation.

There is definitely a difference between ‘mystery; and ‘suspense.’ 

Mystery can be defined as the questions (who, why, and how) that arise from a situation or event.  Let’s say a car is pulled out of a lake and the driver is missing … but … the trunk is smashed in and they can’t open it.  The mystery develops when the reader asks who drove the car into the lake?  Who smashed-in the trunk and is there a body inside it?

Suspense develops when the reader asks, “What next?”  “Why would someone smash-in the truck?”  Suspense builds in the time it takes to figure out how to open the trunk … and fear of what they’ll find.

You can hook a reader/editor/agent by – setting the scene, adding tone, revealing genre, and by introducing at least one character.  i.e.  Leaning against the cold, rough, tombstone edge, Jesse inched his head around the corner.  “Danged-near impossible to see anythin’ out there,” he whispered.  “Think I mighta seen a lantern flickering up ahead.  I’ll kill her the minute I lay eyes on her.  Poke me if ya hear anythin’.”  A quick glance over his right shoulder confirmed his fears - Wyatt no longer shadowed his movements.

You really don’t have to do all those things right up-front.  Your goal is to hook the reader. The rest of the story will support why does he want to kill her?  What did she do to him and does she deserve his anger?  What happened to his friend, Wyatt?