This is a request from my Instagram, initially published March 27, 2023. All ideas expressed are personal opinions based on my experience as a writer. Thanks for reading!
Pose a Question
This is maybe the most important part of writing an intro to your story. Introduce some context as to what’s happening but leave the rest up in the air.
Say your opener alludes to a character’s death. That sort of introduction naturally poses questions such as:
- Who were they?
- How did they die? What led up to it? What was the actual cause?
- Why does it matter? Is something amiss?
Begin in the Middle of Something
This is popular advice, and it holds true: even if you choose a smaller moment to zero in on, it’s still effective to place your reader right in the action.
Maybe your character has a chaotic shift at the bakery where they work, or maybe they’re on the run. Whatever the case, action lets you explore characters, setting, and dynamics. This, by the way, is why it’s generally not recommended to open a story with the character waking up.
Make a Promise
Consider alluding to a future event. Maybe your opener goes something like this: “It was the first of May, and three weeks remained until his execution.”
The above line introduces a setting (spring), a timeframe (three weeks), and a promise (someone is going to die). It also poses questions (Who will be executed? Why? How will he escape, if at all?), but the promise gives the reader something to look forward to if they keep reading.
Start With a Detail
If there’s something unique or interesting about your story, setting, characters, etc., open with that.
Take it as a chance to set the tone or atmosphere of your story, to raise questions in the reader, and to introduce elements that will be relevant throughout the story.
Consider the Why
Why does your opening matter? Why should the reader care? Why is this your opening?
Give your audience a reason to keep reading. Make them want to read the next line, and think of your opener as a cliffhanger to what comes next!
Lastly, I’ve said this in other pieces of advice before, but consider skipping the opener and writing it at the end of the novel, once you have a more solid grasp of the story.
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