Crafting a Captivating Beginning for Your Story
An impactful beginning to your story is your silver bullet when it comes to grabbing a reader’s attention.
That killer opening not only demands engagement, it also establishes key themes and introduces characters in a way that compels a reader to keep reading. Those first few lines are doing some seriously heavy lifting. As a writer, these sentences arguably warrant more of your attention than any other part of your story.
In this article, I’ll explore the essential elements that contribute to a powerful story opening, and look at the tools you need to create unforgettable beginnings that resonate right out of the gate.
Why Beginnings Matter in Storytelling
Beginnings are more than just introductions. They’re the hook that grabs the reader’s attention and sets the stage for what is to come.
It’s the twenty-first century; distractions are everywhere. If you’re going to make a case for your reader to stop scrolling and pay attention, your opening line has got to work hard.
The thing is, there are so many options available to your reader. You’re not even just competing with other novels and short stories: there’s Netflix, YouTube, AO3, Instagram, X, Tumblr… the list is practically endless. They’ve made a decision to see if what you’re offering is worth their time, but they can — and will — put down a book or short story that doesn’t catch their interest right away.
That’s what you’re up against — but the good news is that knowing is half the battle. Now, you can give your opening line and paragraph the attention it needs to really dazzle.
A Note On Genre…
As we explore story opening strategies, remember that “captivating” or “engaging” means different things in different contexts. The tension in a thriller’s opening sentence might differ greatly from that of a romance or fantasy novel. Each genre has its own conventions that shape how you introduce characters and establish settings effectively. So if your character-driven tale of generational trauma doesn’t involve an alien invasion or murder plot on page one, do not despair. What constitutes tension “tension” is genre-specific.
Consider the following examples (two of my favourites) to get a sense of how this might look in practice:
“May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid. The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dustgreen trees.“
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
The opening lines of Roy’s The God of Small Things set out the novel’s position as a visceral, sensory experience firmly rooted in setting and place. Versus…
“Our story opens where countless stories have ended in the last twenty-six years: with an idiot — in this case, my brother, Shaun — deciding it would be a good idea to go out and poke a zombie with a stick to see what happens.“
Feed by Mira Grant
On the other hand, Mira Grant’s Feed meets zombie fiction reader expectations in all the right ways, and hints at a knowing, slightly world-weary tone to the rest of the novel.
Crows gorging on mangoes. Idiots poking zombies with sticks. The only thing both of these opening lines have in common is that they know the right buttons to push to engage their readers from the start.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Voice
The beginning of a story establishes the mood and direction of the narrative. It defines the atmosphere—playful, dark, suspenseful, uplifting, and so on—and thereby shapes how the audience perceives the characters and events that follow.
This is a big ask of a couple of lines of text. But trust your instincts and, above all else, your author voice.
“An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this […] [C]ontext is important, and so is style. But for me, a good opening sentence really begins with voice.“
Why Stephen King Spends ‘Months and Even Years’ Writing Opening Sentences, by Stephen King in The Atlantic, 23 July 2013
I’ll talk about finding your author voice in another article, but for now, rest assured that it’s something that comes as naturally to you as breathing. Trust me on this. I’ve been teaching and mentoring emerging authors for a long time now, and none of them think they’ve established their voice when they come to me.
Every single one of them has, and they’ve done it all by themselves.
Elements of a Captivating Beginning
There are a number of techniques you can employ to create a captivating beginning. Of the following list, #1 is mandatory. But the others can be used in tandem or on their own, depending on the needs of your story.
1. A Striking Opening Sentence
Top of the list is a striking opening sentence. You’ll want to spend some time on this, but not until you have a completed draft in front of you. The reason for this is that the opening sentence works closely alongside the closing sentence as a kind of dyad, and if you don’t have the closing sentence written, then you’re missing a key part of the puzzle.
It may sound contradictory, but the opening sentence of draft 1 can literally be any old collection of words. You simply need to get words on a page at this stage. The time for “striking” is in drafts 2 and onwards. But when you’re ready, you really will need to focus some creative energy on these first few lines—and it’s okay not to get it right first time, either. This can take several passes, and that’s okay.
“Striking” can be a sentence that evokes curiosity. It can be an arresting image. It can be a provocative statement. It can be a question that demands engagement in search of an answer. Whatever “striking” means in the context of your story, above all your opening line should make your readers eager to find out more.
2. Establishing the Setting
Yes, you’ve got a bit of time—arguably, the entirety of Act 1—to really flesh this out, but if you can anchor the reader in your story world from the get-go, you’re likely to give them another reason to invest.
Establishing the setting early on provides context for your reader. It paints a vivid picture of the environment in which the story will play out, allowing readers to visualise the surroundings and understand the societal norms that shape the characters. By effectively establishing the setting, you’re creating a sense of belonging within the story, which can act as a powerful hook.
3. Character Introductions
Your characters are your most important writing tool. They’re the vehicle through which your readers will experience the story. A protagonist doesn’t have to be likable and more than an antagonist has to be villainous, but they must be compelling enough to inspire your readers to invest in the journey.
Again, you’ve got an entire narrative in which to dig into motivations, desires, challenges, and hidden obstacles, but your reader needs a reason to care as soon as possible. That means providing a point of connection at the earliest possible opportunity. Your opening should give your readers a sense of what’s at stake for the people they’ll be spending time with over the coming pages, and a reason to empathise with the problems they’ll be facing. Whether through direct description or subtle hints, presenting well-rounded characters from the outset lays the groundwork for emotional investment as the story unfolds.
4. Pose or Hint at Intriguing Questions
A novel—or any longform storytelling format, really—is, at its heart, a question asking to be answered. For the purpose of this argument, we’re going broad with the definition of the word “question.” In the context of your opening lines, we’re talking about any organisation of words that piques a reader’s curiosity. Here are a couple of examples:
“Our story opens where countless stories have ended in the last twenty-six years: with an idiot — in this case, my brother, Shaun — deciding it would be a good idea to go out and poke a zombie with a stick to see what happens.“
Feed by Mira Grant
We’re twenty-six years into a zombie apocalypse, clearly, and we still have non-zombie survivors. And we have people (plural, not person) like Shaun who make a habit of poking zombies with sticks rather than, as is traditional, running like hell in the opposite direction. That’s interesting.
“The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we understood the gravity of our situation.“
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Who is Bunny and how did they die? “We” are in a grave situation—who is “we,” how are “we” connected to Bunny’s death, and what is the grave situation that we’ve found ourselves in?
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.“
Anna Karenina by Leonid Tolstoy
Here, Tolstoy is using his opening line to present a strong opinion as though it’s incontrovertible fact (if I were feeling facetious, I might call this the classical literature version of clickbait, but I’m much too mature and serious for that). Regardless of whether or not you agree with it, the universality of the statement suggests that we’re about to dig deep into the mechanics of familial unhappiness in a way that might add context to our own experience.
Your mileage will, undoubtedly, vary, because the nature of the question involved here is central to your novel’s themes and premise. If you can articulate to yourself what your story is ultimately about—the elevator pitch, in a way—then you’ll give yourself a fighting chance of finding the right question to pose in your opening lines.
5. Open with an Action Beat
A tried-and-tested approach is to open your story with an action that speaks directly to the tension that will drive the narrative. In a thriller, sure, this could be a high-octane sequence of events involving explosions and car chases. In a family drama, though, it could be a sharp comment that sparks an argument, a door slam, a bitter smile. All of these things are action beats, and all of them thrust your reader directly into the heart of the story. Present your reader with an immediate conflict, dilemma, or tension-inducing situation, and you create a sense of urgency right from the very first sentences—and urgency is a great motivator to continue reading.
6. Consider Using Vivid Imagery
Generally speaking, overtly descriptive prose is best left until you’ve already got your reader’s attention, but, used strategically, an arresting, evocative image can absolutely do the attention capturing all by itself. (Consider: The God of Small Things, referenced above.)
Especially in genres such as science fiction and fantasy, in which setting is a key component of reader enjoyment, using vivid imagery in your opening can be an effective way to foster a visceral connection with the story world. Descriptive language that paints an arresting mental image can evoke strong emotions and stimulate the senses, building immediate engagement. By immersing readers in a specific moment or setting—be it fantasy, horror, or mystery—you create intrigue and draw them into the story.
“Your opening lines are not just a stick in the sand, separating “not-story” from “story follows from here on out.” They’re your story’s calling card. They’re case you make to your reader that this is the story they’ve been waiting for.”
Captivating Readers From The Very First Line
Strong beginnings make for interested readers. And interested readers tend to read on.
Your opening lines are not just a stick in the sand, separating “not-story” from “story follows from here on out.” They’re your story’s calling card. They’re case you make to your reader that this is the story they’ve been waiting for. Opening lines set the tone, establish intrigue, and create the emotional connection that compels readers to keep on turning the page.
By employing vivid imagery, compelling characters, and thought-provoking questions, you can create an irresistible hook that not only showcases your unique voice as an author but also invites readers to invest in the journey ahead. The words that begin your story are its foundation, and we all know what happens when we build on shaky foundations.
So take your time. Refine your opening. Step back. Refine again. Rinse and repeat until it’s ready—and watch as those perfect opening lines unlock the heart of your narrative.
What’s the most intriguing opening line you’ve ever read? Let me know in the comments!
