Story Starters

I would say that one of the most frequently asked and debated questions in the writing industry is how do I start my story? It's an excellent question because with the fast-paced world we live in, even less people than before wait around for a book to go somewhere before closing it for good. We need a reader to read until the end, because that end is the hook. It's what makes them tell their friends about it; it's what makes them come back to us for more good reads again and again.

It may be important to get your characters introduced, but descriptions and backstories might be better saved for after the first chapter, once a reader is hooked on the action. So, how can you hook that reader without confusing them entirely? I have compiled four of the best ways that I and other authors use to pull the reader into the book and keep reading.

1. Begin With A Funeral

This is a personal favorite of mine that I have used more than once. In particular, this sort of opening scene works well in a book where there is some sort of sinister mystery going on. I particularly like to use this in paranormal novels. Funerals will either draw attention to whatever is causing the death to happen or to the fact that one or more of the characters cannot die. It also gives the reader a chance to get some introduction to a character through their inner thoughts about the funeral. A person who is unaffected or laughing at someone's death is often a tell tale sign of an interesting character.

2. An Instant Sense Of Foreboding

This one is good because the readers already know something big is going to happen in the first few pages. They will be on the edge of their seats, waiting for the ghost to jump out and say "Boo!"

You can set the tone by describing the coming of inclement weather, someone's sinister actions or facial expressions, or even just a gut feeling of the main character.

3. Give The Reader Something Strange To Chew On

This is all about strangeness, disorientation, and irony. If you freak a reader out or confuse them with an impossibility, they will likely want to know how it happened in the first place. Think Alice In Wonderland here and her shrinking body or a disappearing, smiling cat.

In particular, there is one famous example of this sort of opening, and it comes from one of the greatest but also one of the most banned novels out there; George Orwell's 1984. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

4. A Well Known, Interesting, Theme-Encompassing Quote

Two of my favorite book series use this exact technique when starting every single book. One of them quotes famous books and plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Wuthering Heights, pointing to a steamy but tragic love affair ahead. Another, quotes Milton's Paradise Lost, and it is a book about demon hunters. How more appropriate can you get than that?

When done right, these quotes can hint at the theme of your whole novel before it begins, pulling in just the right audience who will gush about the book ocne it's over.