You’ve decided to search for a new book, so you go to your favorite e-book publisher and enter a search.
After a quick scan, your eye is drawn to a particular choice because of the title and cover, and you like the description.
It appears to be exactly what you want, so you click on the ‘look inside’ and read the first page. After a few paragraphs, you exit and scan the lineup of covers for a different book. Does this sound familiar? Millions of readers do this every day.
If that was your book, the result was a no-sale even after you paid for a professional cover and killer ad copy. What went wrong? Imagine going to a new restaurant. The owners invested in the decor, a major marketing campaign, and a prime location. They did everything right except the menu is boring, and the food is bland. Do you come back? That’s how the reader feels when they read a boring opening first chapter. They exit your book, or put it back on the shelf, and don’t come back to you as an author.
Set the Hook
The first paragraph, some argue the opening line, must strike a chord with the reader. I believe the reader gives you more than fifteen words to attract their interest, but a solid opening never hurts.
Consider the opening line by Albert Camus, The Outsider.
‘Mother died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.’
Camus immediately tells you there is a tragedy with extenuating circumstances. Does the son not care? If a good mystery is your target, would this opening line compel you to read more? I also have a post on Albert Camus, the philosopher, I recommend is worth reading. Great philosophers make great writers.
How about this opening line: ‘I write this sitting in the kitchen sink‘ from I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith. Shock value draws attention as it creates intrigue. The line is creative, philosophical, and a bit weird. All that makes for a good hook.
My all-time favorite is the opening by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities.
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.’
Every novel has a first line, a first paragraph, and a first chapter, and yours needs to grab and hold the reader’s attention, or they will move on to the next shiny object.
The Cliffhanger Opening Chapter
The cliffhanger is my favorite opening for a mystery or thriller. In my Organized Crime and Corruption series, the book Lottery opens with this paragraph.
The first chapter consists of a single page. I use the first paragraph to set the scene through action.
‘Rusty’s paws bounced against the aft rail, his every bark a stern warning to would-be trespassers. Paul heard his Jack Russell and stopped work on the evening dishes. The last visit from the harbormaster made it perfectly clear; the next complaint carried a hefty fine.’
What does the opening paragraph tell the reader? Rusty pays attention to what goes on in the harbor, and something is bothering him. What is it this time? Hopefully, the last paragraph in the short chapter sets the hook.
‘Through the mist, Paul could see debris floating off the stern. At first, he supposed someone had thrown trash over the side and uttered a few choice words for people who would do such a thing. As he looked closer, the objects appeared to float low in the water, too heavy for garbage bags.’
I end the first chapter in a classic cliffhanger move. Mystery readers love a good mystery, and if that’s what you’re writing, creating a cliffhanger in a short action-packed first chapter will grab their attention.
Again, try to show, not tell the reader what is happening. I’m showing there are bodies (more than one) floating in the harbor discovered by Rusty and Paul without explicitly saying it. Chapter two goes back in time to add the backstory of how the bodies got there, which is the basis of the novel. I originally wrote it without an opening hook but realized the reader would need too much time to determine if the rest of the book was worth reading.
From the same series, here’s the opening paragraph of book two, Hospital:
‘The custodian swept the broken glass into the dustpan. A slice of lemon stuck to the broom, and he banged it loose on the side of the trashcan. He stacked the half-eaten turkey dinner and utensils on the orange tray and carried it to the kitchen. The dining room was quiet now, empty of patrons, not the scene earlier as paramedics rushed to give aid to a resident, a circumstance not uncommon for Compton Manor.’
A half-eaten dinner, broken glass, and a paramedic’s visit all show the reader that something is going on at Compton Manor. The custodian takes it all in stride as if just another day at the office. I hope the reader wants to know what’s going on and buys the book.
Too Much, Too Early
A rookie mistake is to offer too much backstory or description early in the novel. It’s a novel. You have sixty thousand words or more to tell the story. Take your time.
I read a thriller recently that explained everything in the first few chapters, and the rest of the book was one long chase scene. Suffice it to say, don’t do that. Build the plot as you go, and allow the reader to discover new facts in every chapter to create the twists to make your novel exciting from start to finish.
Introduce new characters as they appear in the storyline. A mistake is to define characters before the reader knows why they should care who they are. Don’t have Joe describing his sister in detail to another character three chapters before her appearance. See my post on writing dialogue for more explanation on how to write relevant and timely dialogue.
Never, Ever Start Your Novel With:
- A character waking up in the morning, especially to an alarm clock.
- A dream sequence.
- A character describing themselves in the mirror.
- Describing the weather: The rain beat against the window.
- In-depth character descriptions and backstory. (Too much information too soon).
- Dialogue. Set the scene first.
How Could You Start a Novel?
- A cliffhanger to tease the mystery that is the basis for the book.
- Showing the distressing emotional state of the main character, possibly involving a tragic loss.
- The main character doing something outrageous or funny to hook the reader on the character.
- A high drama scene that sets the tone for the novel.
- A funny event involving the main character(s).
There are hundreds of variations of opening chapters, but the basic elements need to be there. Most of all, a boring first chapter tells the reader that your novel is boring and you are a boring writer: Don’t be boring.
Please read and comment on the series of posts I’ve provided. My experience is what it is. If you have something to add that will help other writers, I greatly encourage all feedback.