If you haven’t already entered the 4th Annual Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge, please do so in the official contest thread! Win partial consideration by Catherine Drayton and a signed ARC of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW!
One of the things I love about the annual first paragraph contest is just seeing the sheer number of ways you can start a book. Violent, sedate, loud, quiet, profound, prosaic, rapturous, reserved…. every possibility is on display in just this one contest.
So what do you like to see in the opening pages of a book?
We’ve all picked up books in a bookstore or perused them online. What makes you decide to read on and decide to buy the book? Is there a common element that keeps you reading or something you look for in an opening? How do you know you’re in good hands?
An author who isn't afraid to be subtle. Both in voice and in story.
same as everyone else. steamy vampire romance! <3
Almost always there is something about the voice that grabs my attention and makes me want to read more of what the author has to say.
And making me curious about what will happen next is never a bad thing.
Still working on my paragraph, but I will be entering the contest!
Let's see…I read a wide range of books. If the beginning has a sympathetic element to it, and the humanity of the character or situation is believable. I sympathize or share some aspect, and continue reading to see how similar we are.
Other times, a question is posed or a situation is set up and I must continue to read to find the answer or figure out why it happened.
Either way I'm intrigued and want to know more. Thanks for the post. Gives my writing a different angle.
The footprints of some mysterious new creature leading tantalisingly away.
As I was reading the entries, it surprised me how much I was drawn to subtle, ominous openings with a confident voice. Those were the ones that most intrigued me and made me want to read further.
Great job everybody!
I don't think it's very tangible for me. Humor will generally get me to read more. But it could be a great voice, an interesting turn of phrase early on, a character doing something out of the ordinary…
Though command of the language is uber-necessary. If I have to struggle figuring out what the subject of the sentence is doing I'll put a piece down quick.
For me, it's voice combined with one of the following:
1) a tense moment. Strong, obvious tension or subtle, below-the-surface tension. Either way works.
Good example: Hunger Games.
2) a character moment. Specifically, I'm talking about something quirky here. Something that shows the character as unique, funny, weird, etc.
Good example: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone
3) a poetic/literary moment. A concise and targeted literary opening, especially in a book where you don't expect it, gets me every time.
Good example: Twilight
I read the jacket first. If I like the premise, I can forgive a number of first-page sins, but if the author's voice doesn't grab me, I put the book back down.
Or rather, in some cases, if the author's voice doesn't bore me, I keep reading. I think it depends on the book.
I believe prefered genre plays a major factor here. I doubt folks who like romance look for the same thing–on average and in general–as those who lean towards sci-fi.
I must confess: I don't read anything except the back of the book before buying.
If I've heard of the book, like the cover and/or like what the synopsis is on the back then I'll buy and try to read the novel. I probably should read at least a few paragraphs from now on.
Boredom and impatience really keeps me out of book reading. Sometimes it's the book's fault sometimes it's mine.
I think a really great first paragraph has a great narrative voice. I'll read a wide variety of openings and love them as long as I can picture a person behind the voice and not just see a string of words relaying events.
The curiosity factor—what will happen next? Plus voice and quality of writing.
I enjoy a confident voice and a relatable scenario. One I could actually envision happening to me in real life. Like "Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets". Or "IT".
Language, voice and honesty.
And no weird distractions, like typos and errors I notice a lot.
Any number of things can intrigue me and make me keep reading, but I would say that the most common has to be voice. If the WAY a writer tells a story stands out, makes it sound like no other story I've read before, then it could be about almost anything, with almost any kind of characters in it.
If it doesn't have that sound to it, then it would have to be about something I really like, or contain some amazing characters (like lots of sword fights, space monkeys, kung-fu, existential philosophy, chi manipulation, lusty barmaids, and warriors of questionable honor).
Voice.
And on the flipside, I almost always put down a book if it starts violently or with a true action sequence. I don't want to read about ninja kicks, dodging bullets, etc. if I don't even know who the heck the characters are.
Voice, nine times out of ten.
You can open with a murder, a snog, waking up, eating breakfast, having sex, or whatever you very well please.
It doesn't have to be 100% enthralling right off the bat, but if the writing comes across as dull, I don't give a damn if you've got the most fascinating opener in the world. I will get bored, wander off, and probably never pick that book up again.
Voice is that intangible answer – but I tend to prefer an authorial voice over a character voice. Even in first person, I prefer it when it feels like the character is 'telling' the story with an agenda rather than narrating it like a play-by-play.
I also prefer openings that are a bit of a 'slow burn', enticing me with the language or an interesting idea, rather than thrusting me into the middle of a conversation or an action scene.
I definitely don't know…but as agents sometimes say about what grabs them, I know it when I see it.
I open a book I'm considering to a random page in the middle and read a page or two. If I like the style and voice, I flip to another random page and read more. After doing that several times, I either buy the book or check it out of the library. I rarely read the first page and never make a read/stop decision based on it.
Tension. In the words, in the Character in the world created by the author. A good beginning becomes like an endless soup that you are swimming in, drowning in. You keep devouring more and more without looking at the clock until it is 3 am in the morning. That is a good book!
I don't usually buy books based on the first paragraph, but I have enjoyed reading some of the entries for your latest contest, and I was surprised by what did and didn't entice me to read more.
I think Nicole already said it well when she wrote she liked subtle ominous openings, and I agree. I like openings that leave me with a feel for the book's tone, and at least a hint of a question that begs me to read more.
On the contrary, I don't think I like first paragraphs that start in the middle of action. I think the build-up is usually way more interesting… without it, who really cares what happens in the action?
Lyrical cursing.
I like to be thrown right into the action. I don't want to many characters at first but I need to have a feel for the scenery or lack there of.
It can't kick off with melodrama. If a teenage girl is whining in the first sentence, or there's some ambiguous allusion to lost love, I probably won't read it. Also "memoir" type beginnings where the narrator is reminiscing abstractly before launching into the plot are a turn off. I like to be dropped right into the middle of action when I open a book.
I like a little mystery without too much melodrama. I wanna be curious without rolling my eyes.
Here, Nathan.
https://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase
It's unrelated, but I thought you might enjoy it. =D
(Sorry about my ignorance of making links blue and shiny.)
I think I'm subconsciously trying to make this into a science so I can make my story start out the right way. There are a number of things I look for (and this is a great exercise btw):
1- Voice
2- The hook (this can include not giving away too much and which really could be a lot of things, but something that interests me about the MC that I want to keep reading on)
3- Topic, which is different for everyone.
4- Setting, although I'm finding I like a verious rainbow of these now. Really, in the old days I don't think I could be so thrilled to have a book start off in outerspace, but I've rethunk that…thunk. =)
When I open a book in the bookstore to see if I'm going to buy it, I want something that "flows" nicely (just is generally well-written) and is either a nice description (pretty or interesting) or says something unique about a character. It doesn't need to be exciting, because I don't mind being drawn in gradually (I usually like that better)
It's not so much a hook as it is voice and character for me. Who can deny the allure of Holden Caulfield and Harry Bosch and Nick Carraway?
I have to confess that I don't read the first page when deciding to buy a book. I read the blurb. What keeps me going when I start a book I've bought (or has been bought for me) is the character. If I can care about the character (or the "Oh snap" moment that upsets their world) enough to care, I keep going. If I can't empathize in any way with the character or their plight, I stop.
I noticed that many of the submissions so far, although well-written in detail, seemed to be trying too hard. They sounded like the author has heard that you should start with something that catches the reader from the get-go and demands their attention! Like this! Wow!
I noticed a while ago that my openings were a little forced, trying to be too grabby. They sounded like a cheap made-for-TV movie that had no confidence in the body, and therefore felt the need for a kick in the gut at the beginning.
Is that what some have mentioned in the comments as the need for subtlety? If so, I heartily agree. Even a YA novel would turn me off slightly if it started out by trying too hard. Maybe thrillers could do this, but I think most novels can get away with a serene beginning that doesn't try to smack you in the face as long as they are well-written in general and are self-confident.
Sounds daft but ever since I started learnign about the craft of writing I don't read the first page in a prospective book. I flick to the middle and scan through to get a feeling of style and prose.
1st paragraphs are too much like the hard sell. "Look at me! Look at me!" I think for an agent they work due to the shear volume of 1st paragraphs they receive, for me as a reader they can be too overengineered and overwrought to be a valid representation of what's inside.
I like to be strung along a little. An intriguing hook is vital, but I get overloaded if the author tries to tell me everything up front. I admire authors who can balance exposition with movement of the plot and trust their readers to keep up.
Also, I completely forget who I'm quoting here, but I saw an agent comment once that the reader should get a glimpse of what's 'normal' for the protagonist, if only for a few paragraphs. I think that's really good advice.
Beautiful writing? Voice? Humor? They're good, but they're secondary to the one thing that matters most: The first page has to incite a sense of urgency that spurs my desire to know what happens next.
When I scan that first page, I'm jonesing for the feeling that something is happening. I crave the notion that I’ve come in at a crucial juncture, and not a moment too soon. What intoxicates me is the hint that there is not only trouble brewing, but that it’s long standing and about to reach critical mass. This means that from the first sentence I need to catch sight of the breadcrumb trail that will lure me deeper into the thicket. I have heard it said that fiction (all stories, for that matter) can be summed up by a single sentence: “All is not as it seems.” Which means what I'm hoping for in that opening sentence is the sense that something is about to change – and not necessarily for the better.
Simply put, I'm looking for a reason to care. So for a story to grab me, something must not only be happening, it must have a point, a.k.a. a consequence. It’s my desire to find out what the consequence is that draws me deeper in. This means that whether it’s an actual event unfolding, or that we meet the protagonist in the midst of an internal quandary, or merely a hint that something’s slightly “off,” on the first page, there has to be a ball already in play. Not the preamble to the ball. Not all the stuff you have to know to really understand the ball. The ball itself. This is not to say the first ball must be the main ball — it can be the initial ball, or even a starter ball. But on that first page, it has to feel like the only ball, and it has to have my complete attention.
compelling characters are my #1 choice. If a book has that I'll forgive a lot.
Action that raises questions.
It's the questions that the opening raises in my mind. I keep reading in order to find the answers to those questions, which, if things are done right, will raise more questions to keep me reading.
A little while ago, I studied the openings of 7 books I had read recently and tried to figure out why they worked. The summary is above, but the full (and interesting) results are here.
I also analyzed the opening prologue to Coyote Horizon, because it did its job so well.
Anything that tells me I'm going to care about the character and want to know more about him/her and his predicament.
Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
The language must be masterful — it must flow seamlessly from one word to the next; and secondly, it must not give too much away. I crave an air of mystery in the prose — it helps create tension.
Not a fan of sneakiness or tricks in the opening paragraphs. I love clarity and accessibility, where the reader experiences the mood, characters, and plot and without difficulty. No guessing games. I need useful information in the opening paragraph. I need to know why I should keep reading. Also, while reading through the contest entries, I found myself skimming or skipping paragraphs entirely if my eye detected too much baggage (i.e. excess adjectives, adverbs, passive voice). Reading the entries made me appreciate short, crisp sentences. As a composer, the experience reminded me of "noodly" melodies…music where the melody waffles around the same cluster of notes (usually in the middle of the music staff, which on paper looks like a noodle) without any dramatic climaxes. Such peaks gave the music distinction. Short, powerful sentences give writing definition.
The quality of the prose matters a lot to me. A strong voice, a smooth flow, an instant feeling or vision of place or person. I like a book that feels intimate right away.
I've been reading Mating, by Norman Rush, and it's a good example of a very strong, individual and engaging first-person voice.
One more thought: great novels don't always start with urgency. Cliff-hanger moments in the first pages don't always work. Novels provide escape. Some of my favorite novels in literature spend the first few pages describing a setting or a mood that is irresistable. For example, I remember one novel that opened with a description of two characters standing in a park in London at sunset. Nothing urgent was happening, but it was so well written that my first reaction was, "I want to spend time in this world immediately." I kept reading to prolongue my stay in that world. Urgent things developed in the plot eventually, but not at first.
I don't know about "makes" me read on. If I'm made to do something, I tend to shy away. The differences between rape and seduction: forced against one's will and powerless to resist.
Compels me to read on? Okay.
Curiosity, caring about what will happen next, passionate, evocative circumstances, clashing wills, relevant, timely, timeless themes, exotic settings, emerging larger-than-life characters suffering insuperable struggles, potent opposing forces, and contentious private and public intra- and interpersonal interactions.
Give me an intimate reading experience, voyeur-like, vicariously experiencing an out-of-body transformational projection into the time, place, situation, events, and persons of a story.
Interesting characters and conflict. It doesn't have to be a the big conflict, but just something standing in their way.
I would say "voice" grabs me, but I think voice is simply the product of a skilled and confident writer and it's not always obvious.
I hate hooks. You know, the kind that start out with someone holding a gun and you're supposed to read further to find out why they're holding a gun and what they're going to do with it. When people start a book that way, I have no interest in continuing because anyone can hold a gun. I don't care about the book or the character yet.
I agree that the voice has to capture my attention. What that means to me is that the voice has to show me:
1. What genre I'm reading
2. A hint of the main character's personality including weaknesses or strengths that might lead to the conflict or denoument
3. That the author has a good handle on the point of view
A wide variety of things will make me read of: an interesting set-up, character I can relate to, anything involving thieves or assassins.
I think a more concrete answer would be, what turns me off. The major turn-off for me is a first paragraph that is nothing but description. Be that of the landscape, the character's features, the social climate. It doesn't really matter. If there is no action on the first page (I will allow one or two rambling paragraphs, if they are interesting), I put the book down.
A hook of a first sentence.
Followed by a first paragraph that is short, enticing, and lives up to that first sentence.
So many different things make me want to read a book that it's hard to put them down. A clever line, something that peaks my interest. A bout of action told in a sardonic voice. A sarcastic take on a mundane setting. A beautiful sweeping vision on a world to be discovered. A voice unique to the author and the character. All these things and more make me want to read beyond the first page.