Opening Dialogue

Of course it's allowable. IMHO, never ask for permission. Just do what you think is right for the story. The only rule is make it good. For the most part everything else is secondary.

 

The only no-no is to do it badly. There are a thousand ways to start a novel and every one of them can be done badly. Along with others, I say just write. Write badly; edit well. With each iteration you will do the first better and the second quicker.

 

The only golden, unbreakable rule of fiction writing that I'm aware of is that whatever you're writing must be interesting. Even that is subjective.

Additionally, don't fall into that "first line" trap. It might be a first first line that hooks the reader. There are certainly some great examples out there, but a first line can't carry all the weight for long. There must be more that piques interest following soon after.

Truth is, most readers will give you at least a paragraph, if not a few pages to a whole chapter to hook them. Yes, you do want your reader asking early questions, but how many times have you stopped reading a story because the first line didn't blow your socks off? I'd think that's fairly rare.

Make sure what you're opening with is interesting. Give yourself time and space for the hook.

 

One of my books starts out with dialogue and I believe it's my strongest piece yet. There are many reasons why that don't necessarily have anything to do with starting out in dialogue. It's simply this: I trusted my creativity and it allowed the story to start out with a bang. The MC opens up in dialogue talking to herself in front of a mirror: a huge no-no, right? Well, it was an avenue that I used to show the readers immediately who she is and what she's up to in that first scene.

So, trust your gut. The only rule in writing books is to engage the reader. Use every tool in your box and ignore every voice other than the ones in your head (characters, and your own creativity more importantly).

 

Opening with dialogue:

"Tom!"
No answer.
"Tom!"
No answer.
"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!"


Howzat? Not even dialogue but monologue.

 

Not all MCs change. Some stay constant as the world changes around them.

 

Agreed. I'm thinking of Augie Marsh, for example (Saul Bellow, The Adventures of Augie Marsh), though I have to admit I was disappointed in the ending precisely because he had not changed, despite his many adventures. But the book itself succeeded quite well.

And of course an unchanging lead is standard fare for spy thrillers, most adventure novels, and detective stories.