Great Opening Lines

Posted by Jo | Filed under Writing

First off, here are some great examples of opening lines that you might want to review. While you’re at it, there are some terrific scifi novels listed here.

Here are some things I do to try to get a good opening line for my novels and short stories.

  1. I start in the middle of some action or conversation. I know some people like to start off with some description or back story, but I like to get right into the middle of things.
  2. I don’t read other people’s openers when I’m trying to work one out of my own. It’s too easy to copy the tone and style of someone else’s work.
  3. I cut as ruthlessly as I can bring myself to. I prefer sparse language for an opener, so no flowery adjectives or adverbs for me.
  4. I try to set the tone. If the piece is dark, then the opening should hint at that. Same for humor, horror, etc. This doesn’t have to go overboard, just give the reader a hint at what’s coming.
  5. I make it involve the main character, or one of them. I think you might as well get the reader involved immediately with the person/people he’ll be rooting for for the next few hundred pages.

And here’s what I think is the best tip of all…

Don’t sweat it early on.

I’ve done it, and I know other people do too. You work and worry and fiddle with the opener when you haven’t told the story yet. For me, it’s too easy to get bogged down on page one and get frustrated. Instead, I put down whatever for the opening line, no
matter how crappy it happens to be. I know that as I work, I’ll revise
anyway. Sometimes great openers just grow organically out of what I’m
doing, and if they don’t, I’ve got the whole time I’m writing to mull it over and see what I come up with.

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Comments (1) | July 25, 2008

One Response to “Great Opening Lines”

  1. Avid Reader Says:
    July 31st, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    Great post, consider entering it in the WOOF Contest at plotdog.com!

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