Read. Turn Page. Repeat.

The tourists have arrived in Cornwall. The beaches are rammed with people curating (I’m not too fond of that word) content for their feed. Social media platforms have already sent tourists in their thousands to once hidden, idyllic coves. Drones zip around the coastline, filling the silence left by our dwindling bee population.

Suffice to say, the reliance and overexploitation of tourism results in destroying whatever made people visit in the first place.

So what’s this got to do with writing?

The opening page

The opening page will forever be my bane. The early chapters are the most egotistical; I write for myself. In the subsequent edits, I focus on writing for the benefit of my readers. The first hurdle is the first page. Here, I need to:

• Set the tone of the novel

• Create a hook so the reader turns the page, wanting to discover more

This is where the crowded Cornish beach comes in. My early draft will have an opening chapter. There’s good stuff in it, but I know I can improve it. However, every reworking, striving to progress and perfect that opening line is like another tourist crowding up the beach to the point I lose sight of those raw words I wrote in the early draft. (Luckily, the snapshot function in Scrivener means I can always go back to it.)

Prologues

Prologues typically relate to an event or earlier period indirectly related to the story. I’ve written many. However, they normally get the cut because I find a better way to get the information from that scene to the reader. Prologues often mask a weak opening chapter. Then I must ask myself, what can I do to strengthen it?

What makes an effective opening?

Readers will remember the books where the opening page grabbed their attention and they couldn’t put the damn thing down and spent all night reading it.

How do we entice the reader to keep reading?

Get their attention in the first sentence

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

Orwell’s opening line from 1984 depicts a fairly ordinary setting until the last word turns everything on its head. Introducing the protagonist, setting, or incident compellingly makes the reader take notice.

Make the reader feel something

Create an emotional response in the reader so they invest in the story. How does Orwell’s opening line make you feel? Surprised? Confused? Discombobulated? Intrigued?

Make the reader ask questions

Clocks only strike up to twelve. Why do these clocks strike thirteen? What else on this seemingly normal April day is different? Think of the questions your story will raise in the reader’s mind. (Also be kind enough to answer them.)

The Protagonist

Remember, the reader wants to like your protagonist, even if they’re not relatable. Also remember, the reader doesn’t know your character like you do. As writers, we know their character arc. Hell, we probably know their entire life story. First impressions count. Get their personality, and current predicament (and what they feel about it) across succinctly and powerfully. Don’t be wishy-washy.

Lastly…

Leave it alone!

Not one, but two beta readers told me, ‘Great! Now leave it alone!’ after I sent them numerous variations of the reworked opening. Like scabs, they heal best if you stop picking them. Sometimes I have to remind myself to put it to one side to rest and come back to it at a later date when I’ve purged my sheer bloody-mindedness to get it perfect.

What’s your favourite opening from a novel? Hit reply and let me know.

Love Emma