How to see it
The first line has one job: make the reader want the second. Four ways in. Action: start in the middle of something happening. Speech: start with someone talking. A question the reader wants answered. Or a striking detail, something odd that needs explaining. Start where something is happening.
A worked example
Biscuit's story, four ways. Action: I sprinted down the lane, shouting his name. Speech: "Has anyone seen a little brown dog?" A question: how far can a dog run in one night? A striking detail: the lead was still clipped to the gate, but Biscuit was gone. All four start inside the story.
The common mistake: "One day I woke up and…"
The trap is starting with one day I woke up and. It starts before the story does. Waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast: nothing has happened yet. Skip to the moment something changes.
Try one
A story about a storm at sea. Which opening hooks best?
- AIt was a normal day, so I got up and went to the beach.
- BThe boat tipped sideways, and icy water poured over my boots.
- CThis is a story about a storm at sea.
- DI like the sea, and I like boats too.
Show the answerHide the answer
Right: B, The boat tipped sideways, and icy water poured over my boots.
It starts in the middle of the storm, with action.