Like every agent, I’ve read lots and lots of openings; it’s
after reading the first ten pages of a manuscript that I determine if I want to
see more of the project. There are
certain qualities that I look for in the first lines of a book, and I wanted to
share those here.
In general, I find the key to a great opening is giving just
enough information to keep your reader interested, but to hold something back
as well – it’s that combination of the strongly defined character, in combination
with something curious or unknown, that keeps me reading.
Establish a strong sense of the main character
In the opening, you don’t have space to share all the background
on your main character, so don’t waste time on non-essential details. Cut right to the chase: what’s at stake for
your character? What problem are they
facing? What do they want, but can’t
have (at least right now)?
There should be nothing extraneous in the opening, and I
often see too much explanation, scene setting, and description. If parts of your opening don’t work directly
to establish character, they may not be necessary.
Establish a good rhythm and build
Sometimes I read openings that feel choppy or
confusing. Often the writer is trying to
get too much across -- is feeling pressure to capture attention, but isn’t
remembering that less is more. Try to
establish an even layering of one action building to the next.
Introduce something unexpected or puzzling
You want to make me sit up and take notice right away, and
this is most easily done when you introduce a juxtaposition of two things not
usually together, or something unexpected.
You don’t want to be confusing, of course, leave me curious and intrigued.
Open with action or conflict.
A caution on this point.
Too much action (and especially action at the expense of the character
or world building) can feel relentless or dislocating, and ultimately
uninteresting – the exact opposite of what that action is meant to do! Action and conflict can be interior too.
Short sentences
Often, strong openings use short sentences very effectively;
they can help build curiosity and keep it simple. This ultimately comes down to style, and you
may not write this way, but if you’re struggling with your opening, see if
using some shorter lines helps.
I’ll close with a few of my opening pet peeves: the alarm
bell rings and a character gets out of bed, a discussion of the weather, or a
detailed explanation of the character in the midst of a mundane process, like
making breakfast. Usually in these
situations, the character is alone and thinking to themselves, and there’s a
lack of tension. While too much action
is disorienting, introspection before we know the character and are invested in
her isn’t compelling either. It’s a
balancing act!
Good luck with your openings, I look forward to seeing them
in my query box!
Thanks for this great post. I know I always try to get exactly what you described in the opening of my novels, but it helps to see an agent spell it out like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips. This kind of advice is always helpful to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips for openings. I hadn't thought about it before, but many of my favorite books start with short, punchy sentences.
ReplyDelete