Hooking the reader in at the start

[wordwalker]

3. Put the line all by itself in a paragraph to make it stand out more.

I especially like this one. The very start should be at most a short-ish paragraph, a hook that's easy to take in one bite.

One variation of this is to put it in intense dialog-- if it's soon followed by description, not just the start of some loud talking heads. (My current WIP starts with simply "Dammit, Angie--" and then the description of how the hero's running for his life.)

 

[Jabrosky]

I try to write the first line or paragraph as "hooky" as possible. The real trick is anticipating exactly what will hook people in. I agree that starting with action can help, but sometimes you need to set up the scene and main character before getting into the heart of the action.

 

[Jess A]

Kit: That's an intriguing way to put it. It's trying to figure out what that exciting thing outside the car window should be.

Steerpike: Good point on the characters. I like to read a book which starts with a question, too. But if the characters fail to compel me after I've answered the question, I tend to lose interest. I'm already considering what 'question' I can ask. I haven't even started writing the first chapter yet.

I know it's such a broad genre, but what 'questions' or broad general questions can people think of in books that have been asked before?

BWFoster: Ah now that is something I've considered a lot. Naming them from the start, or saying 'the girl' 'the creature'. I notice Forsyth doesn't introduce her main character's name. In fact, a lot of books don't at all. But when I try to write that way, I find I don't really like not having the name there (maybe my writing is just too messy), so I am looking at introducing characters straight away by name.

Wordwalker/BWFoster: You mean beginning with a very short paragraph? To make it visually stand out as well?

Jabrosky: Or do all three? I've seen people try to do that before.

 

[Caged Maiden]

We hd an opening line thread a while ago. Here's the opening lines to my books: http://mythicscribes.com/forums/writing-questions/4314-great-openings-classic-fantasy-2.html

I like to switch it up, sometimes setting the scene, sometimes introducing the character's current situation. It depends on what's going on a the novel starts.

HAHA Sometimes I think when I read my older work, I delete the first couple pages off the top, because it seems to me, I almost need to get a running start, and the first couple pages are uninteresting descriptions, and just need to be cut.

One thing i whole-heartedly agree with is that a fight in the first paragraph is uninteresting. I'd rather see someone trying to talk their way out of a fight, and then see the conflict erupt, because at least that way, I get to know the character. If the story starts with fist blows... it just seems disconnected to me.

I don't know whether my opening lines are "hooky" enough to make for an interesting read for those people who only read one line, but I sincerely hope they set the tone from the beginning. Like I said, I like to mix it up, but I'm not sure which re the most successful.

One thing I'm really struggling with right now, is in one novel, I tell the whole story from a character's perspective, who is not in on any of the secrets, so the whole first chapter is the background info, the events set in motion, through two other Pov's. I'm not sure how to overcome this, because people have suggested I cut the whole first chapter... but how then do I tell a reader why any of the events are happening?

 

[wordwalker]

Wordwalker/BWFoster: You mean beginning with a very short paragraph? To make it visually stand out as well?

Yes, a short or a pretty short one. And I think "stand out" is an understatement for how much a paragraph will jump at the reader if it's the very start, and short, and a single exciting unit. Using a midsized or larger paragraph there is such a waste of an opportunity-- and right at the one point you want to be beyond positive that your reader keeps reading.

(Besides, once you've set the hook the next paragraphs can be longer to reel things in.)

 

[BWFoster78]

Yes, a short or a pretty short one. And I think "stand out" is an understatement for how much a paragraph will jump at the reader if it's the very start, and short, and a single exciting unit. Using a midsized or larger paragraph there is such a waste of an opportunity-- and right at the one point you want to be beyond positive that your reader keeps reading.

(Besides, once you've set the hook the next paragraphs can be longer to reel things in.)

Exactly.

After that first line, I think the keys are to:

1. Give contextual clues as to the situation the character is in without overexplaining.
2. Let the reader know how the character feels about the situation.

The important takeaway, IMO, is that the scene has no meaning to the reader except through the lens of the character. This is so important. In fact, it's so important, I'm going to state it again: Nothing in your story, especially at the beginning, is going to have impact unless the reader is seeing it through the emotional filter of a character.

If you want to engage the reader from the beginning:

1. Introduce a character immediately.
2. Put that character in a situation that provokes a change in that character's life.
3. Show the reader what that situation means to the character.

A caveat, however (one that's already been mentioned in this thread but could stand to be emphasized): You are not going to get a huge emotional impact in your first scene. Again, readers gain emotional context from the character. At the start of your novel, the reader doesn't know the character enough to feel what that character is feeling. If you think that showing the character's parent/lover/child dying in the first chapter is going to have your reader bawling, you're probably mistaken. You have to give the reader time to develop a bond with the character if you want that kind of connection.

 

[Graylorne]

Exactly.

After that first line, I think the keys are to:

1. Give contextual clues as to the situation the character is in without overexplaining.
2. Let the reader know how the character feels about the situation.

The important takeaway, IMO, is that the scene has no meaning to the reader except through the lens of the character. This is so important. In fact, it's so important, I'm going to state it again: Nothing in your story, especially at the beginning, is going to have impact unless the reader is seeing it through the emotional filter of a character.

If you want to engage the reader from the beginning:

1. Introduce a character immediately.
2. Put that character in a situation that provokes a change in that character's life.
3. Show the reader what that situation means to the character.

A caveat, however (one that's already been mentioned in this thread but could stand to be emphasized): You are not going to get a huge emotional impact in your first scene. Again, readers gain emotional context from the character. At the start of your novel, the reader doesn't know the character enough to feel what that character is feeling. If you think that showing the character's parent/lover/child dying in the first chapter is going to have your reader bawling, you're probably mistaken. You have to give the reader time to develop a bond with the character if you want that kind of connection.

I agree with you in general, but not as a golden rule. My Scarfar book starts with the event that will change the lives of a great many people, but it is seen through the eyes of an unknown watchman. I introduce my two main characters later in that same chapter, one after another, each as they react to the initial results of the said event.

The point of any emotional impact is indeed important to remember. It would be wasteful of an emotional scene to put it at the very beginning.

 

[BWFoster78]

Problem is, that I agree with you in general, but not as a golden rule.

I didn't mean to imply that my suggestion is the only way to engage the reader. Some authors can draw in the reader by voice alone. I'm definitely not at that point in my writing skill.

If you're finding that your beginning is not working, I think the technique I outlined is a good place to start in trying to fix it.

 

[Graylorne]

I didn't mean to imply that my suggestion is the only way to engage the reader. Some authors can draw in the reader by voice alone. I'm definitely not at that point in my writing skill.

If you're finding that your beginning is not working, I think the technique I outlined is a good place to start in trying to fix it.

Thanks for the clarification. I completely agree with you.

 

[Leif Notae]

It is entertaining to read some of these responses, the thread is really getting some interesting concepts going.

Naming in the beginning is more clunky than anything. The flow should be natural. Granting a name and have everything hanging on it is awkward at times. Granted, it CAN work, but you have to work hard at it.

One line sentences as paragraphs are not "flowy" either (yes, I worded there). It's like driving 80 mph for one foot and then slamming on the brakes. You want to maintain a good flow throughout the first paragraph into the first few pages. The start/stop thing can leave people in the lurch or even make them angry.

Ireth's thread in the Showcase forum has a response that makes more sense than anything: Start your story as close to the end as you possibly can. Tension always makes with the interesting.

The overall thing is don't be the writer that others have to apply a rule of thumb to you. "Oh, X is a great writer, but you have to give them X pages before they get their point across." or "X does a great job, but they can't pull off a good opening."

 

[BWFoster78]

Naming in the beginning is more clunky than anything. The flow should be natural. Granting a name and have everything hanging on it is awkward at times. Granted, it CAN work, but you have to work hard at it.

One line sentences as paragraphs are not "flowy" either

Leif,

Your viewpoint seems to be that "flow" trumps everything.

My opinion differs significantly. I pretty much consider "flow" to be a nebulous concept. The perception of it, to me, changes based on the reader and the time of the day. I'd hate to base much of my writing on it.

 

[Caged Maiden]

While flow is more important in transitions and in the context of chapters, it's important to pace the opening scene for maximum impact. Too many details, and you run the risk of boring your reader, and too few and you don't connect.

It's a slippery slope, and sometimes I think people overlook the importance of the beginning.

 

[BWFoster78]

While flow is more important in transitions and in the context of chapters, it's important to pace the opening scene for maximum impact. Too many details, and you run the risk of boring your reader, and too few and you don't connect.

It's a slippery slope, and sometimes I think people overlook the importance of the beginning.

I'm still going with the opinion that flow doesn't matter all that much. I'll read something one day, and it sounds off. The next, it'll sound fine. Reading as a reader, I never notice it at all unless the writing is horrid, and, if the writing is that bad, I'll have put the work down for other reasons. Story and character trump flow completely, in my opinion.

 

[Anders Ämting]

 

[Caged Maiden]

I'm not saying the beginning has to be awesome... but I've read enough books, and enough in the showcase, to know that sometimes, people enter into a novel just a hair too early or a hair too late, and while it doesn't necessarily ruin my experience, I think it's a missed opportunity. I'm not saying I've mastered this part of writing, but I've read things that leave me utterly confused, and I just never seem to get over it, and tend to put the book down. I think when you read a story with a really good opening, it sets you up for a good story, and you can forgive a beginning info dump, whereas a weak beginning, followed by an info dump, is usually a fatal decision for me.

 

[Jess A]

Ireth's thread in the Showcase forum has a response that makes more sense than anything: Start your story as close to the end as you possibly can. Tension always makes with the interesting.

Yes I saw that. I thought it was a good point.

Here is the thread in question on Ireth's Showcase: http://mythicscribes.com/forums/showcase/4848-rethinking-my-opening-scene-5.html

 

[Anders Ämting]

Been skimming this thread, and I have to say, aren't we overthinking this a bit?

We are basically just talking about making the story interesting from the start as opposed to six or seven chapters in, yes? As long as you achieve that, I don't see how the exact method matters much.

This sounds obvious and probably not very helpful, but I don't think it needs to be much more complicated. I have myself made the mistake of writing some first chapters that does little more than introduce characters and cautiously set the plot in motion. Thinking about it, I imagine the trick is to write the first chapter so that it is fun and interesting to read in and of itself.

 

[Jess A]

Been skimming this thread, and I have to say, aren't we overthinking this a bit?

We are basically just talking about making the story interesting from the start as opposed to six or seven chapters in, yes? As long as you achieve that, I don't see how the exact method matters much.

This sounds obvious and probably not very helpful, but I don't think it needs to be much more complicated. I have myself made the mistake of writing some first chapters that does little more than introduce characters and cautiously set the plot in motion. Thinking about it, I imagine the trick is to write the first chapter so that it is fun and interesting to read in and of itself.

Probably. But I think we over-analyse almost everything on this forum It's partly because there are so many differing opinions on subjects. I really just wanted some basics, and I have gleaned what I need from here, but if people are happy to continue discussing it, then that's great. Everybody can get something out of it, I am sure.

 

[Kit]

People's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. With every "missed opportunity" (as CM puts it) in the first few pages, you lose an additional percentage of your potential readers.

 

[Anders Ämting]

People's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. With every "missed opportunity" (as CM puts it) in the first few pages, you lose an additional percentage of your potential readers.

What is a "missed opportunity" exactly? That you didn't write that one paragraph as well as you could have?

You are supposed to do your best all the time anyway. Should you write with good flow and rythm? Well yes, actually, you should. Should you try to get the readers interested and intrigued by what is going on? Yeah, that probably helps. Should you make the characters interesting and engaging? Of course you should! Why would you ever not do that?

What else? Someone made the point that you need to make sure the first sentence is awesome, because there are supposedly people who think it is reasonable to judge an entire work of fiction on the very first impression? I don't buy it. Oh, I'm sure people like that exist but do you really think the average reader is that absurdly picky? You are going to have to show me some hard statistics if you want me to believe that.

And you know what? Even if that's true, you are going to lose some of those guys anyway. I guarantee it. You will never write a starting sentence with 100% reader retainment, simply because different people have wildy different ideas of what is interesting. The best you can hope for is probably to luck out and appeal to the majority of these sentence snobs. (Plus, you know, all the people who actually read more than the first five words before discarding a book.)

Heck, speaking of statistics, here's something you can do: Go to the library and get a big stack of best-selling fantasy books (the first of their respective series if applicable), check all the first sentences and see if they have anything in common. At least then you have math on your side.