5 Opening Lines that Grab an Audience
The Books in the Forest by Laura Kapfer, via Unsplash
Every writer wants their “Marley was dead to begin with” moment. That one sentence sets the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol off on the perfect footing. It establishes the catalyst that sets Scrooge on his Christmas Eve haunting, and it tells the reader that they are about to enter a world where death is not an obstacle.
Audiences look for stories that grab them and take them on wild and emotional journeys. Many classic novels use the first sentence as a preview of what is about to come for the reader. The first line can also showcase the story's best feature, like a woman who applies makeup to draw attention to her eyes.
These five techniques are great for grabbing a reader and charging the writer’s battery as they work. After all, when the writer is having fun, the audience can feel it too.
Who are You?
The opening line is a great time to introduce the main character to the reader. It is also an opportunity to showcase the “fun character.” Especially if the main character is the straight man of the story. Catcher in the Rye is one of the most famous examples of introducing a character to the reader:
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” -- J.D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye, (1951)Right from the beginning, Holden Caulfield tells the reader he is already bored. The reader already knows approximately how old or at least how mature he is, and it sets the tone for the rest of the book. Other examples include lines like,
“You better not never tell nobody but God.” -- Alice Walker, The Color Purple, (1982)That line is delivered by a side character, not the lead. The command is chilling and uncomfortable. It also tells the reader that this character has a major effect on the main character. It sparks curiosity about what led to that warning.
These opening lines tell the reader who they are settling in with and give them a chance to decide if they are ready for the ride. Is the main character colorful? Is there a larger-than-life secondary character, a Mercutio to a Romeo? Then, dialog or first-person narration may be the best course of action.
Open with a good one-liner or create a scenario that sums up the main character’s personality. Readers will decide if it’s a person they want to learn more about.
Where are we?
A story is sometimes hinged on its setting. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe uses World War Two to set the story in motion.
“Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.” -- C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, (1950)Lewis’s close friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, was a master of setting. So much so, that his descriptions of his fantasy world are used as the template for much of the fantasy work that came after him.
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, (1937)A setting instantly pulls a niche audience in, whether they were a child during the Blitz or the description of summer days and nostalgic music makes them want to stay a little longer with the story. Write a sentence that transports a reader, and they may just want to stay there.
Just Here for the Vibes
Non-fiction writers might find this technique useful. Make the reader laugh, or give a brief summary of the theme of the book. Give them something to think about.
Fiction writers can use vibes too. Mark Twain was a genius at it.
“You don’t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by a Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly.” — Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)Zora Neale Hurston was another writer who could set a vibe. She is famous for using authentic black voices to tell her stories. Setting a vibe can also introduce an overall theme for the novel. Their Eyes Were Watching God has a perfect example.
“Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.” — Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, (1937)Both of these openings tell the reader what they are in for. If the reader is prepared for the ride, they know to buckle up! When constructing an opening line, set the mood. Introduce the problem from the beginning, or let the reader know that logic has left the building. The right reader will stick around.
Say What?!
These last two are the most fun for writers. The “say what?!” response or shock value is fun to pull on the reader. Oprah Winfrey famously showcased the opening line to Toni Morrison’s Paradise on her show during one of her book club episodes. The famous line?
“They shoot the white girl first.” — Toni Morrison, Paradise, (1997)These openings are designed to draw a crowd. They often address a theme in the book, and it plays into the final technique on this list.
Where is this Going?
Ask a question that the reader can’t help but want answered. Why are they handcuffed in the back of a cop car? Start at the climax so the reader wonders, “what just happened?” A great example of both a shock value and unresolved opener is Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Virgin Suicides.
“On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide — it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills — the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope.” — Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides, (1993)This opening hits almost all five techniques with one shot. It sets the vibe of the story, it starts the story with shocking imagery, and it makes the reader ask, “what do you mean by ‘the last Lisbon daughter?” All the cards are on the table, and the reader is ready to decide if the book is for them or not.
Happy writing! Remember, the important part of writing is to just do it. Don’t get too in weeds, a first draft is just that, a draft. Try your hand at these five techniques over at Storyforge.com and start sharing the stories inside of you!
StoryForge is Calling…
A good story sets up the question, explains the question, and then answers the question. These five techniques will raise the questions that a writer needs to grab their audience.
Who are You? — open with a character that is hard to ignore.
Where are We? — show a setting worth exploring.
What’s the Vibe? — lead with the emotion that saturates the story. Lighthearted? Somber?
Say What?! — say something outrageous or disturbing. It will raise all the right questions.
Where is this Going? — start at a pivotal point in the story. Then help the reader catch up with the action.