Writing that first sentence

 

Next to the title, I find the first sentence of anything is always the hardest. What seems to be a thousand things go through my mind: does it grab the reader’s attention? Is it a strong sentence? Is it an active sentence? And so on… I fall into the mindset of it needing to be absolutely perfect the second I type the words, otherwise everything that follows is just wrong.

It’s complete and utter BS of course, but at the time it makes perfect sense. I would bet it does to most writers. After all first sentences tend to have the most pressure on them. We’ve all been taught that the first sentence has to grab a reader’s attention, but I think its very easy to get caught up in so many things… that the first sentence can become a chore and a bore more than anything else.

So what do you do?

Keep it simple. Don’t try to fit every detail into that one sentence — that’s what the rest of your paragraph and indeed your book is for.

Do try and set the tone for the first paragraph or chapter, because that’s what matters really — that first paragraph and/or chapter needs to make the reader want to continue to read.

I think momentum in those first paragraphs or chapter is key — you need to give the reader something to make them want to continue reading. Give them questions to ponder, and answers to crave.

And, then when your manuscript is finished, come back and look at your beginning with new eyes. Trust me, something will always need changing.