Courtney Moore: https://courtneyam98.wixsite.com/website

Hooking your Reader in the First Sentence

An interesting opener will hook your reader from paragraph one. Be unique. Get bold. Capture your reader's attention.

https://unsplash.com/photos/person-holding-on-red-pen-while-writing-on-book-333oj7zFsdg

Start with Conflict

Every well-known story has one important thing in common: conflict. That's why Crime shows and murder mysteries cease to age. From the initial dun dun, you're hooked. Did you catch the show I was referencing there? If so, you're exactly the type of Writer that needs to try this tip. Throw a veil over your reader's senses and let them wonder where the unraveling details will take them. Start by giving them a burning question. Read on for answers.

It was a pleasure to burn.
-Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

Burn what? Burn where? No one's putting the book down after reading a sentence like that. This unusual opener captured a lot of attention in its time, skyrocketing Bradbury's novel to success. Your first sentence should touch on the most delicate thing we have; Life. Raise the stakes to keep reader from looking away. That's where conflict is the strongest. When it's crushing the most precious things we have.

Make it Memorable

Millions of sentences are overlooked and skimmed over. What's going to make your's stand out? In modern terms, how can you ‘clickbait' your reader into buying your novel?

I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.
-Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle (1948)

When you're writing a first sentence, different is good. Strange and unique are something that you want to embrace. Welcome to my book…oh, and that's a cliffhanger. Let's jump in.

There's never a bad time to include a plot twist. The first sentence can be a plot twist on its own. Why are we sitting in the Kitchen sink? Right there, our interest has been peaked. Think of your favorite novel and what captured your attention. There must have been something that made you stop and second guess, reading on for more. That's what you need to recreate. Practice writing lines that would make you stop and think. Rip a page out of your notebook, or pull up a blank file and start writing. Then, go back and choose your favorite. Try to write a story around this memorable first sentence.

Start in the Middle of your Story

Sweep your readers into a whirlwind of adventure they can't escape. Don't start at the lonely fireplace…the character's boring life…or the book you're setting down. Give us a thrill. Start two seconds after the moment of impact, and sweep up back into the action. Putting together puzzles is one of the ways our brain's work. We want to piece it together ourselves. Don't provide every detail right off the bat. Give your reader a chance to figure things out themselves. The best way to do this is to start in the middle of your story.

The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.
-Donna Tartt, The Secret History (1992)

There's no time to question if we want to read this story. We're already reading it. Pages are flipping faster than we'd like to admit. With a sentence as attention grabbing as this, you can hook your reader. How did Bunny die, and what situation are they trapped in? We've got everything we need for a story. There's conflict, a memorable start, and a question to unfold. Now, we start writing.

Let your voice shine through. The first sentence is a representation of you. By reading your story, readers are getting to know you. That opening sentence sentence is the same as a first impression. It needs to interest your reader while staying true to the story and you!

Hello all, I'm Courtney. My knack of embarrassing myself and living to tell the tale has turned me into a carefree writer. I can't embarrass myself any further. Have you ever gone for a swim and not realized your swimsuit floated away? I have. Has the bathroom door ever swung open on its own, revealing a line of people staring at you? It's happened to me. My experiences have allowed me to be open with my readers. We're humans. We've been through a lot of stuff, let's just get it out. Whether it's a blog post, screenplay, short script, or short story, I'm going to be open and honest. It's the best way to get your readers to trust you. Except for the waterfall incident of ‘08. I'm not going to discuss the waterfall incident of ‘08. Put that in my file. Get in contact with me at: https://courtneyam98.wixsite.com/website/contact