In a post on Writers in the Storm, Ellen Buikema says opening lines are a lot of work, but the right one will hook your reader.
A great first line will have three elements, she says:
- Character. Great first lines introduce an interesting character.
- Voice. “Think about the first line as a close up to the action,” Buikema writes. “If you’re stuck for a first line, fast forward five minutes into the story and write the first sentence from that perspective.”
- Tone. “The tone of the first line gives the reader a sense of genre and the age group for which the book is meant,” Buikema adds.
Some editorial suggestions for first lines include:
- Don’t have too many things happening in the sentence.
- Instead of focusing on looking inside a refrigerator concentrate on what’s in it and why.
- Be personal, specific.
- Start with a bang, beginning with a compelling first line.
