First Impressions

I'm not sure where I read this, but I read once that the first line of a story has to "grab the reader by the lapels and hold them until the story is over" and that's always stuck with me. Another good quote is from The West Wing: "An artist's job is to captivate you for however long we've asked for your attention."

The first line of your story is incredibly important, and the first few pages follow this. Of course, you need to have a captivating tale over all, but if you can't get a hold of your reader in that first line and those first pages, they aren't going to give the rest of your book a chance, unless they are really dedicated.

We've all been there, as readers. I always try my hardest to finish every book that I begin, but if those first pages don't grab me, then it gets harder and harder to get through it.

First impressions are important in life, but unlike a person, it is harder for a book to get that second chance. A reader has chosen to read your book as a form of entertainment, as an escape. If you can't show them that that's what you will give then, then they will move onto something that will.

The first step is the hardest and when it comes to writing, this is why. There is so much importance on that opening. You have to set up your plot and characters, and you have to capture your reader. Your opening is sort of like a loop of rope on the ground and your reader is the unexpected adventurer that you need to hoist into the air!

And I bet if someone wants to start a story with an adventurer getting caught in the old rope trap then you might have a way to get your reader hooked. Just make sure the rest of the story keeps them there, and you're all set.