Opening The Story Lid to Engage Your Reader

You had a long, trying day. Now, unexpectedly—blessedly--you have a window of time to yourself. What to do with it? Check email? Facebook? Watch another TV rerun? No, you’re in the mood to curl up with a good book.

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You pick up a few volumes from your to-be-read pile, glance at the titles, then at the back blurbs. Hmm. Or maybe you reach for your Kindle and scan what’s in the queue of all those books you downloaded months ago. You decide to read a few first lines to see if one sucks you in. Admittedly, no matter how great a writer is, sometimes a particular opening doesn't “hit the spot” on a given day. But aren't we all guilty of searching for a story that grabs us from the get-go? One that plants questions in our mind and makes us want to keep turning the pages? 

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There are a number of ways to kick off a story and each has its own appeal. Dialogue. Description. A mysterious or funny or profound thought. Openings do all sorts of delicious things—establish the setting, the tone, the point of view and character empathy. But most importantly, a good opening paragraph—opening lines—should anchor questions in a reader’s mind. Questions they’ll want to stick around to see the answers to. Openings shouldn't induce them to reach for the next book in the TBR stack or flip to the next Kindle selection.

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Mary Buckham and Dianna Love in their Break Into Fiction write: “Your job is to drop us into the story at the moment when a character’s life is about to change drastically. Think forward movement when you think ‘opening’ instead of events that have happened in the past.”

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Today let’s take a look at story openings, using a few examples from Seeker and Seeker Villager books. Let’s think about how they make us think forward movement and what questions they plant in our mind. Then you can take a look at your own manuscripts and evaluate them accordingly!

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So, here we go!

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1 - “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens.”  Raised in the pews of a sweet country church, New York State Trooper Zach Harrison embraced the poetic lines of Ecclesiastes one hundred percent. But it couldn’t and shouldn’t apply to constantly crowing roosters. (Falling for the Lawman, September 2013, Ruth Logan Herne)

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I love the subtle humor here, don’t you? And I can’t help but wonder if this Trooper will end up tangling with those irritating roosters—and their owner!

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2 - The gathering dark clouds had mirrored Stephanie Upton’s mood since she’d returned home to Freemont, Georgia, two days earlier. Grateful as she was to get the job as the Army Wounded Warrior advocate at nearby Fort Rickman where her brother Ted was convalescing from his war injuries, she was frustrated that he had refused to see her or answer her phone calls. (The Soldier’s Sister, September 2013, Debby Giusti)

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This one sets the stage with an impending storm that foreshadows the action yet to come. Why is Stephanie’s brother refusing to see her or take her calls? Inquiring minds need to know!

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3 - Welcome to Paradise. Ben Rogers stared at the glossy white sign posted in front of a row of tall Colorado conifers. Paradise? Doubtful. Salvation? Possibly. (Mending the Doctor’s Heart, Tina Radcliffe)

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Why is Ben arriving at this Colorado town? Why does he doubt the accuracy of its name? What makes him think it might possibly hold salvation—and from what?  This opening hints at a past, but communicates a forward movement that arouses my curiosity.

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4 - The wrong man showed up to collect Hannah Parrish at the train station. And he was late. (The Bride Wore Spurs, Janet Dean)

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Doesn't this make you want to read on? I want to find out who this “wrong man” is whose lateness has left Hannah perturbed—and who was supposed to be the RIGHT man? It appears the stage is set for a “drastic change” in Hannah’s—and possibly the “wrong” man’s—life!

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5- Asking for forgiveness from a man like Red Ryker was sure to backfire. (A House Full of Hope, Missy Tippens)

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Here we are, poised for conflict, because we anticipate that for some reason this opening character is in need of forgiveness and  must ask Red for it. And don’t you want to know WHY doing so is guaranteed to backfire?

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6 - The sharp crack of a cocking pistol brought Lucas Stone’s head around. (Swept Away, Mary Connealy)

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I didn't need to label that one as belonging to Mary, did I? It starts with her signature lights-camera-action! It throws you right into the middle of a conflict and ignites questions in your mind.  Who is pointing a pistol at poor Lucas and why? What’s going to happen to him?

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7- “I’m in trouble, Kip.”  (A Horseman’s Hope, Myra Johnson)

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This one’s short and sweet and packs a punch. It puts us in the middle of a conflict. Who is in trouble? What kind of trouble? Who is Kip and why does this character feel compelled to confide in him?

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And here’s another one that delivers a boatload of questions in just a few words…

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8 - It was a perfect day for a funeral. (Leaving Liberty, Virginia Carmichael)

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And another...

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9 - I will not throw up…I will not throw up.  (A Light In The Window, Julie Lessman)

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Get the idea?  What questions do the following examples pose? What makes you sense that the story is poised to launch?

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10 - Katherine Osborne couldn't escape the numbers. She dragged her gaze from the lush orange groves right outside her office window to the ledger open on her desk. (A Path Toward Love, Cara Lynn James)

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11 - “C'mon! Just a few more gates!” Jason Hunter shook his video game. Beeps and twangs filled the air.  (Rocky Mountain Hero, Audra Harders)

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12 - A high-pitched scream forced Bram Lapp’s feet into a run even before his mind could identify the source. (The Prodigal Son Returns,  Jan Drexler)

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13 - Pushing his father in the wheelchair, Everett Jamison III eyed the long lines in the large waiting area and bit back an oath. Rett didn't have time to spend two weeks on this cruise up the Mississippi, let alone the hours he’d waste on the deck waiting around to board. Hours he couldn’t afford to lose. (Current of Love, Sandra Leesmith)

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14 – Perfect. Just perfect. Amanda Gardiner pulled onto the side of the deserted country road as what she’d assumed was steam took on the alarming smell of smoke. (A Place for Family, Mia Ross)

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15 - Meri McIsaac stepped through the door of Van Deusen’s Dry Goods and Mercantile into the enveloping aromas of dried spices, leather goods and pickle barrels and right into the even more enveloping arms of Mrs. Van Deusen.  (The Marshall Meets His Match, Clari Dees)

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16 - Sheena Montgomery stood completely still at the top of Bracklinn Falls. The sound of rushing water filled the gorge. The rock underfoot felt hard and cold, a mirror image of her heart. (Highland Hearts,  Eva Maria Hamilton)

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17 - “Where’s my little brother?” Luke glared at the man with the jagged scar on his right cheek.” (Stealing Jake, Pam Hillman).

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And here are some opening lines from MY books!  What questions do they pose that make you want to continue reading?

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18 - The last time she saw Rob McGuire, he was down on one knee in front of all their friends, diamond ring in hand, and gazing up in hopeful expectation—at her college roommate. So what on earth was he doing seven years later on her parents’ doorstep? And with a cop no less. (High Country Hearts, Glynna Kaye)

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19 - Cowboys ain’t nothin' but trouble. (Second Chance Courtship, Glynna Kaye)

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20 - Oh, man. Just his luck. Sandi Bradshaw. Keith’s widow. (At Home In His Heart, Glynna Kaye)

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21 - At precisely one o’clock on a sunny September Saturday afternoon, Megan McGuire spied the pirate. (Dreaming of Home, Glynna Kaye)

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22 - Now he’d done it. He’d unthinkingly stuck his nose smack into Macy Colston’s business. The last thing he had any intention of doing. (A Canyon Springs Courtship, September 2013, Glynna Kaye)

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You can see by now that there are unlimited ways to draw a reader into a story. Some woo you in gently but intriguingly and others start with a literal bang! Is your imagination bubbling now—overflowing with ideas for your own work in progress? 

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Pick out a few opening examples here and share in the comments section the questions they evoked for you. Then feel free to share one of YOUR opening lines and solicit feedback from your fellow Villagers. What questions do you want your opening lines to pose to a reader? Do they communicate forward movement--that something is about to happen that will turn your hero or heroine’s world upside down?

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If you’d like to be entered in a drawing for a September release set of Glynna-Ruthy-Debby books, please mention it in the comments section, then check our Weekend Edition for the winner announcement!

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Glynna

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Glynna Kaye's debut book “Dreaming of Home” was a finalist in the ACFW Carol and Maggie awards, as well as a first place winner of the “Booksellers Best” and “Beacon” awards. Her 4 1/2 star “At Home In His Heart” was chosen as a Reviewers Choice finalist by national magazine RT Book Reviews. “A Canyon Springs Courtship,” her sixth Love Inspired book (and the fifth set in the mountain country of Arizona), releases in September 2013--with two more contracted for 2014!