If you’re lucky enough for a bookstore browser to
pick up your debut novel and read the back cover, the next goal is to get them
hooked on the first page of the story. At a book signing recently, one reader
told me that she decided whether she liked the style of an author in the first
three to four paragraphs. With millions of books to choose from, it is an
enormous challenge to engage the reader fast.
James Scott Bell[1]
says the keys to a good opening are:
·
Getting
the reader hooked
·
Establishing
a bond between the reader and protagonist
·
Establishing
setting
·
Establishing
the tone, style and nature of the novel
·
Introducing
the antagonist
·
Compelling
the reader to continue
What are our options for the opening scene?
1: The Big Bang: In this opening, there is major
conflict for the hero from the first page. The hero is in full flight, saving
someone, or in deep trouble and has to get out.
This is how I began my debut novel No Remorse:
“Lee McCloud
ached to kill the five men in the valley below. But he couldn’t. Not yet.”
In this case, McCloud is a soldier on a
personal mission to save two kidnapped girls.
The advantage of this type of opening is
in the use of high stakes conflict to hook the reader. Some readers, however,
prefer to get a feel for the key characters of the story before they are
plunged into a crisis. So the second option is to portray the main characters
in their everyday lives just prior to the inciting event that triggers the
story. I call this the Grenade opening.
2: The Grenade: Here the reader is
introduced to the hero, or possibly the antagonist, in their normal routine and
the second or third scene moves to the inciting event. This style of opening
occurs less often in thrillers and suspense, and more often where setting is
important, and in literary fiction.
3. Indirect Impact: One of the more
popular methods of opening is to use an event without the protagonist, which
nevertheless impacts on the main characters in some way. A great example is
John Grisham’s The Client, which
sees two boys trying to stop an attorney committing suicide by repeatedly
pulling the hose from his car’s exhaust.
This technique is frequently used for the beginning
of a mystery, where a body is discovered or someone is murdered, although such
openings have become a little worn and predictable.
4. The Prologue: The prologue is designed to hook
the reader by showing an event or stakes character that becomes significant
later in the story, or by relating an event that has happened in the past that
has brought us to the point where the story begins. It is used less frequently
these days, as writers try to avoid delaying the start of the story or use
other techniques in place of the prologue.
5. The Foreshadowing Hook: This involves a
character recalling how an event was to have traumatic impact later on,
implying that the reader has to read on to see what happens. Stephen King is an
author who uses this technique.
6. The Narrator Setup: This type of beginning
usually has a character as narrator, who explains the genesis of the story.
Such openings frequently use a device such as a diary, discovery of a document,
photograph or item with significant value or importance, which becomes the
focal point of the story.
Whatever technique you use to start your story, it
doesn’t alter the importance of hooking the reader in the first few paragraphs
so they’ll want to keep reading.
[1] Bell, James Scott. Plot and Structure, 2004. Writers Digest Books.
Guest post by Ian Walkley, http://www.ianwalkley.com
Ian Walkley has had a
career in social and market research, and has been writing novels, short
stories, travel articles and copywriting since 2008. He has co-authored two
publications on small business and his first novel, No Remorse, was published
in 2012. Ian's screenplay "Deniable Justice" placed fourth in the
Writer’s Digest 2011 Competition for best screenplay. Ian has travelled
extensively and researched his subject, and brings a knowledge of location and
technical detail to the exotic settings and big screen thrills. Ian lives in
Brisbane with his wife and three children.
Ian will award a $50 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. I encourage you to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/05/virtual-book-tour-no-remorse-by-ian.html
