Once upon a time …
Let’s briefly consider opening lines. So much depends on getting them just right. They invite readers into the story, and if we’ve done our job well, they’ll want to keep reading.
There are three main options.
Action: “A dragon was trying to hide in the storm.” —Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
Character(s): “This Story Begins within the walls of a castle with the birth of a mouse. A small mouse. The last mouse born to his parents and the only one of his litter to be born alive.” —The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Story world: “In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.” —Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones
In practice, this tends to be one of the last parts of the story we nail down.
Looking at several stories in our genre and subgenre can help us get oriented. We should certainly consider our favorite openings and what we like most about them.
What is emphasized, and how does this relate to the central conflict in the story and what the protagonist must overcome?
What is the first image we get?
Are we told about it or shown?
What assumptions do you make based on the opening lines?
What does it promise?
How close are we to what we’re seeing?
On a second read of the opening after finishing the story, what do we notice?
To make an informed decision about our first lines, it helps to revisit the “five whys” of the story’s essence. The answers to these questions can help us anchor on what’s essential to the story before settling on a particular direction.
Once we make a tentative decision, we can write the opening lines on an index card and carry it around with us during the day. Reviewing it often will help us see it from different perspectives. Our minds work in the background while we’re doing other things.
This post is part of a 75-day writing challenge and experiment. From September 9 through November 22, I'll be posting daily thoughts on writing, storytelling, and creativity based on recent readings or reflections. While my intention was to keep them very short—250 to 400 words—I've found that this range doesn't always give me enough space to cover these topics adequately. I aim to keep them brief enough to be read quickly, but they will typically be longer than 400 words.
Photo by Heather Zabriskie on Unsplash