Wow Your Readers at the Beginning

 

Our quote for today tells us that 'The Beginning is the most important part of the work'. It's also one of the most difficult to get right! 

Consider what you must accomplish with the beginning of any works, be it fiction, flash fiction, essay, article, or poem. Your job here is to capture the attention and interest of the reader. 

Have you ever picked up a book and read pages before anything 'happened'? I find myself silently saying 'Get on with it.' Some who write novels choose to write many pages to set the scene. That may help the reader fix the place and time and more in their mind, but does it hold their interest? Are they wondering who the characters will be and what is happening to them? Quite possibly. It's alright to incorporate bits and pieces about the place, time etc as you move the story along. Once again, this is the writer's choice.

Starting out with a bang is going to make your reader want to turn the page to see what happens next. Make something happen in that first paragraph, something to pique the reader's interest.

When you begin a personal essay, you might pose a question, relate a vivid anecdote, introduce a character, or plant the seeds of an idea. But do it with gusto. 

That first paragraph or two, or first line of a poem, is your chance to hook your reader. Bore them then is to lose their interest quickly. 

Do a search for famous openings and see if you can find a common denominator. One we all know is the first sentence of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The many children's stories that start with 'Once upon a time...' tells children this story happened long ago and there is a tale to be told. 

As an exercise for today, go through your files of stories and essays. Look at the beginnings or the opening lines. What do you think? Can you revise it to something better? Or do you like the way you started your story? 

A reference book I often recommend for fiction writers is Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy Kress. It was published in 2011, but her advice is still pertinent. 

Beginnings--Important for Writers and Readers

 

Beginning, onset, start--it doesn't matter what you name it, the first part of any writing project looms large in importance. 

The start of a new story, poem, or essay is you, the writer, saying you are willing to begin again and carry on until the story is complete. It's you saying you have the confidence to do this. It's you saying you want to bring something new to your readers. 

For the reader, the beginning is also of interest. It is the opening into something new, the chance to be drawn in by what the writer has offered, the opportunity to escape from the mundane chores we all face on a daily basis. Readers peruse the beginning hoping for a good read. 

It's the beginning that the writer must concentrate on for it is the golden chance to draw the reader in so that he/she will want to continue. We've all read famous openings to classic books. Did those authors get lucky, or did they plan those opening lines with great care? We'll never know whether they did or not. The best part is that what they wrote worked to pull the reader in.

What should you include in an opening? Action is always a good way to start. Why not begin a mystery with a murder or the discovery of a body? You can set the scene in the next paragraphs, but make something happen right away. In a romance, action between the two people to open, then backstory later or move on with what is happening. An adventure story for kids? Start with the boy or girl in a perilous situation. The reader can learn more about them later. Open with a splash!

An opening should make you curious to know what will happen next. It should pull you into the story and, hopefully, keep you there.

One of the books I often recommend for newer writers to read is called "Beginnings, Middles, and Ends (Elements of Fiction Writiing)" by Nancy Kress, a science fiction author. It's been around for a long time, been revised, and is still popular. 

It takes far more courage from the writer to begin a new writing porject than it does for a reader. The reader picks up the story, reads a few pages, and decides to go on or dump it. The writer has a great deal more to invest here. The writer must decide if that opening is worthwhile, move on to the next part or redo the beginning. 

Nevertheless, beginnings are of importance for both writer and reader. As an exercise today, go to your files of unfinished stories, essays, or poems. read the beginning paragraphs. Were you drawn in? Did they excite you? Did you want to continue? Can you see what changes might be made? Do you want to continue working on this piece? I hope you'll find some inspiration in this exercise. 

Remember this:  The beginning of a new writing project is like opening a door into a new world. You, the writer, can walk through it and take your reader with you.