The first line changes everything - in fiction and in business...

Here's a confession: I've put down more books than I've finished. I've closed more pitch decks than I've read to the end. And I've deleted more emails before the second paragraph than I care to admit.

The reason is always the same: the first line didn't earn the second.

Whether you're writing a novel that needs to pull a reader in from page one, or a business proposal that has to make a decision-maker sit up straighter, the opening is doing the heaviest lifting of your entire piece. And most writers rush right past it.

Why Your Opening Line Is a Promise

Every first line should impact the reader. It should say... keep going, this will be worth your time. A great opening doesn't have to be flashy. It just has to create a question in the reader's mind that they immediately want answered.

In fiction, that might look like: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Something is off. We want to know why.

In business writing, that might look like: "Most companies lose their best clients in the first 90 days, and never know it." Suddenly, you're reading to find out if you're one of them.

Different genres, identical mechanism: raise a question, create a gap, make the reader NEED what comes next.

The Three Things a Great Opening Does

✦  It creates immediate intrigue

You don't need to reveal everything. You need to make the reader feel they're missing something if they stop.

✦  It signals your voice

The first line tells the reader who they're dealing with. Warm? Witty? Authoritative? Make sure it sounds like you, and like the rest of what follows.

✦  It earns trust

A confident, clear opening signals that the writer knows where they're going. Readers follow writers who seem to know the destination.

A Simple Formula to Try

Start with tension, contrast, or a bold claim. Then test it with this question: Does reading this line make someone want to read the next one?

"The most dangerous thing a writer can do is assume the reader is already interested. They're not. Not yet."

Go back to your last blog post, your last email, your last chapter opening. Read just the first line. Would you keep reading if you hadn't written it?

If the answer is no, or even maybe, you have your next editing job.

Your Writing Prompt This Week

Take your current work in progress, fiction or non-fiction, and rewrite the first line three different ways. One that opens with action. One that opens with a question. One that opens with a surprising fact or contrast. Then choose the one that makes you most want to read on.

That's the one.

WANT TO GO FURTHER?

My writing membership and mentoring packages are a great way to hone your writing skills and help you to write 'stuff' that readers don't want to put down. Get in touch if you'd like to know more, or you have a particular question - karen@mabelandstanleypublishing.com