How to Hook Your Readers with Your Opening Line // A Guest Post by Madison Guy

A Tuesday post! Today I'm giving you all a break from my self-publication series and letting my friend Madison take over the blog. She's got some amazing content here for you. You may remember her from her previous guest posts introducing her blog Miss Maddy Cakes and tips on character creation. She's recently celebrated her first blogging anniversary and has moved sites. Her stunning blog is now A Little Southern Grace. Make sure you not only click that link and drool over it, but also give her a follow! Enjoy the post. I'll see you Saturday :)

I'll get straight to the point: writing the first chapter of your story is extremely hard.  A bundle of doubts and questions come to your mind before you even begin typing.  What is the perfect first impression to give your readers? How should I introduce my characters?  How do I keep it interesting when nothing has happened yet?

Sometimes the hesitation comes from realizing you don't know where the rest of the book is going.

But writing a killer first line is so important.   The first line - or the first few lines, we'll make an exception - is the most important aspect of your book.  It could be the difference in someone buying a book at a bookstore or not.   It could be the reason someone decides to check out a book at the library.

That's a lot of pressure!  WAY too much when you're staring at a blank page.  But don't worry.  Here are a few tips for those of us who get intimidated (cheers to you if you don't!):

1.  Provoke questions.

This one is a biggie.  If there are no questions, your reader won't have any interest following your story.  You want to leave unanswered questions and cliffhangers;  who here has binge-watched a not-so-great show just because we want to know what happens to that one character? *raises both hands*

So make your readers ask questions.

Let's take this first line from a well-loved book:

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

What's the first thing that comes to your head?  For me, who would name child this and why did he deserve it?   It makes you want to find out what Eustace did in order to deserve a name like his.

2. Add a little pizzazz (aka a hook).

Make your readers interested right off the bat.   Make them want to read the rest of the book.

This could branch off number 1, but it is slightly different.  While you want the reader to ask questions, you want them to ask the right questions.  Don't make them wonder why your character wants a pb and j sandwich for breakfast, make them wonder something important and plot-related.

Make it interesting and give us a snapshot of your story all in one sentence.  For example:

"It was a pleasure to burn."

- Fahrenheit 451

This author did a fantastic job giving a punch and making you want to read more.  First of all, who thinks it is a pleasure to burn?  Second, it gives the readers a picture of what makes this story interesting.

3.  Introductions.

Next, introduce your readers to what kind of a world your character lives in.  You can be upfront and tell them where the story takes place or you can hint at what makes your world different.  Are we in modern-day England or are we in a futuristic tavern with crazy aliens?

Here's an example:

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

- 1984

This quote from 1984 shows us how the world is different from our modern-day world - clocks striking thirteen?  Wouldn't you want to keep reading?

4. Give your character a voice.

This is especially fun when you're writing in first person.  Your readers want to know what kind of character they will be following, so give them a distinct voice.

For example, take The Book Thief:

"First the colors.  Then the humans.  That's how I usually see things.  Or at least, how I try to. HERE IS A SMALL FACT: you are going to die."

-  The Book Thief

Okay, yes, this isn't ONE line.  But it's still a brilliant example because it gives you an idea of who the narrator is.  He calls people "humans."  He's blunt.  It gives the readers a glimpse at what your narrator is like and how the rest of the story is going to go.

Here's another one:

"Sometimes it seems like all I ever do is lie."

- The Princess Diaries

This quote tells the readers something about the character before we even know her name.  She lies, and sounds a little tired of lying.  Why does she feel like she has to lie? Who is she? Bam, instant hook!

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You might be thinking, how the heck am I supposed to fit all this in ONE SENTENCE?!  Honestly, sometimes you won't.    Sometimes it will take a few sentences to give the reader that punch (The Book Thief example).  So I could call this post: "How to Hook Your Readers With Your First Page," but it is so much more powerful to find one line that accurately represents your story.  Try to find a way to squeeze the idea behind your story into a few words that'll lead your readers into the rest of your plot.

"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish."

- The Old Man and the Sea

In this first line, the author tells us who the character is (an old man), where he lives (off the Gulf Stream), what the problem is (not catching a fish), and makes us ask questions (why does he fish alone?).

It's not the most "pizzazz-y," but it's one of the best classic first lines that I've read.

And don't worry, the amazing opening doesn't always come to you in the first draft! I've gone through multiple first lines in my novels before landing on ones I love. And, even then, it will probably change many more times...  so next time you're trying to find that perfect opening line, you can use this handy little cheat sheet!

How does your story start?  Does it draw your readers in?

*pops back in* Here's her blog again: A Little Southern Grace