A writer sits down to start writing a novel or a piece of fiction and wonders where to begin and what to write first. Even with meticulous research and a detailed outline, the pressure of the opening line can lead to writer's block as the writer stares at the blank page, wanting the beginning of the novel or chapter to be perfect. Four simple keys to better beginnings can help the novel writing process go more smoothly.
The Beginning Should be Written Last
As the writer starts writing, the issue of how to craft the perfect beginning should come later. At this stage in the writing process it doesn't matter how or where a novel begins. The initial lines and even pages of any writing session should be considered a warm-up.
The first line, first paragraph, and first chapter will often become evident after much of the novel has already been written. Later on during the revision process the writer or editor will sometimes find the perfect opening line or opening scene buried on page five, or even further into the first draft.
The Beginning is Not an Introduction
In high school or college, writers are often taught to begin their essays or writing assignments with an introduction that tells the reader what the essay is about and gives background information and history about the topic. However, beginning a piece of fiction with exposition or back story about the setting, characters, or plot is a sure way to bog the writing down with details and bore or even lose the reader. Novels do not need introductions, they need hooks.
The Beginning is Not the Beginning
Rather than opening a chapter with setting description, back story, or the start of a character's day, the writer should jump into the middle of the action, hooking readers by dropping them into a scene where the character runs into a snag or obstacle, or her life takes a turn. This might include starting with action, a startling image, intriguing dialogue, or some form of foreshadowing. Details about the setting and the protagonist's history and appearance can be worked in as the story unfolds. The reader does not need all of this information in the first paragraph or even in the first chapter.
The Beginning Should Have a Great Opening Line
When a reader picks up a book at the bookstore or library, or when an editor reads a manuscript, the writer has only a small window in which to make an impression. In his book Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go, Les Edgerton writes, "Spend an awful lot of time on this sentence. In fact, more effort should be expended on your story's first sentence than on any other line in your entire story."
This is excellent advice. Writers should become connoisseurs of opening lines, studying both the classics and contemporary best sellers for opening lines that effectively grab the reader's attention and draw the reader into the chapter.
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