The Power of the First Sentence

Agents and editors often decide whether to keep reading based on a single sentence. Your opening line carries enormous weight—it promises the reader what’s to come.

What Strong Openings Do

The best first sentences create immediate tension. They drop readers into motion, raise questions, or establish voice so distinctive that we must continue.

Consider: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” Orwell signals immediately that something is wrong with this world.

Common Opening Pitfalls

Weather descriptions, alarm clocks buzzing, and characters waking up bore readers. These openings delay the story’s true beginning. Start closer to the action.

Avoid throat-clearing sentences that summarize themes or introduce characters by description. Trust your readers to gather context as they go.

Techniques to Try

Begin mid-scene or mid-thought. Drop readers into conflict already in progress. Start with dialogue that reveals character under pressure.

Make a bold statement that demands explanation. Present a contradiction that must be resolved. Establish stakes in the first breath.

Testing Your Opening

Read your first sentence to someone unfamiliar with your project. Do they want to hear the second sentence? If they shrug, revise.

Your opening is a promise. Make it one worth keeping.