Compelling Openings in Fiction
I've been paying close attention to the openings of novels lately and I find something compelling occurring right away.
This could be an action, tension with the unknown, or a decision that upsets the character.
An opening that intrigued me was The Firm by John Grisham. I read it – and will go back to re-read—as to why it had tension despite what could have been mind-numbing details.
His novel The Associate begins with the hero, Kyle, struggling as a basketball coach in a recreational league. An unidentified man walks in.
This is from the 8th paragraph: "After the agent/cop leaned against the bleachers, he cast a long suspicious look at the Red Knights' bench, and his eyes seemed to settle on Coach Kyle."
This is from 2nd paragraph of Liz Carlyle's Tempted All Night. "Desperation—and a rash, reckless idea—had driven her from the house, and despite the chill, Phaedra had left Mayfair without a hat."
Leslie Gould, author of Adoring Addie, gets right into it. "My parents were positive I'd met my future husband. They expected me to marry Philip Eichler, the bishop's son. And soon."
What openings of stories have you especially liked?
Which ones have gripped you and why and which ones did not catch you?
To summarize, the opening has to show something is at stake for the character.
This could be an action, tension with the unknown, or a decision that upsets the character.
An opening that intrigued me was The Firm by John Grisham. I read it – and will go back to re-read—as to why it had tension despite what could have been mind-numbing details.
His novel The Associate begins with the hero, Kyle, struggling as a basketball coach in a recreational league. An unidentified man walks in.
This is from the 8th paragraph: "After the agent/cop leaned against the bleachers, he cast a long suspicious look at the Red Knights' bench, and his eyes seemed to settle on Coach Kyle."
This is from 2nd paragraph of Liz Carlyle's Tempted All Night. "Desperation—and a rash, reckless idea—had driven her from the house, and despite the chill, Phaedra had left Mayfair without a hat."
Leslie Gould, author of Adoring Addie, gets right into it. "My parents were positive I'd met my future husband. They expected me to marry Philip Eichler, the bishop's son. And soon."
What openings of stories have you especially liked?
Which ones have gripped you and why and which ones did not catch you?
To summarize, the opening has to show something is at stake for the character.
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