Writing Tips: First Sentences

Call me Ishmael.

I'm sure we've all read our share of incredible first sentences like this one.  Usually, it's something simple, yet utterly profound and intrigues the reader so much that they cannot help but keep reading.  Sometimes the first sentence in funny, other times crude, and sometimes a mixture of both.

The first sentence is probably one of the hardest sentences you'll have to write in your entire novel.  Why?  Well, for starters, it's also probably one of the most important sentences.  Unless your reader skipped around a bit before reading page 1, the first sentence will likely be the first, or one of the first, sentences that is read.  That's a lot of pressure on the author.

Also, because this is the first sentence, it will be your reader's first taste of what is to come.  Even after just one short combination of words and punctuation, your reader will already be guessing your writing style, point of view, and even key plot points in your novel.  This sentence will (hopefully) transport your readers into a completely new and exciting world to explore, filled with interesting characters, places, and events.

So in other words, you don't want to mess this sentence up.

Now, all that being said, the first sentence isn't as important as I just made it out to be.  Even though all the things I said earlier are true, chances are the reader won't decide whether or not to read your book based solely on the first sentence.  They'll probably read a few paragraphs, pages, or chapters before making their final decision.  So don't focus so much on the first sentence that you forget to work on the rest of your beginning as well.

In most circumstances, these short yet profound first sentences I've been referring to are usually very mysterious and seem almost out of place.  Take the example I used at the beginning: "Call me Ishmael".  Upon reading this sentence, many questions arise.  Ishmael is a rare name.  Who is Ishmael?  Who is he talking to when he makes this statement?  Most importantly, this sentence sounds like one character introducing himself to another character, which makes the sentence seem odd at the very beginning.  Those three words that make up the first sentence cause us to ask all these questions and continue reading with curiosity.

I don't know if you caught where I was going with that.  In order to draw the reader in with the first sentence, you must add a sense of mystery and confusion.  For instance, consider this: "Mary walked down Main Street."  Besides being rather bland overall, this sentence lacks the intrigue and mystery that a hooking first sentence has.  "Mary tried to walk as slowly as she could without looking too obvious" would be much more fascinating.  Why is Mary trying to walk slowly?  There are a million possibilities, and all these swirling thoughts in the reader's head will want to make them keep turning the pages.

So far, I've only talked about exciting and mysterious first sentences.  But there are other types of sentences that, although less common, are equally effective in certain books.  "For a long time after that summer, the four sisters still talked of Arundel."  This sentence lacks the intriguing mystery that Moby Dick has, but is equally effective in the story.  The words "four sisters" and "summer" were already mentioned in the book's subtitle.  The only mystery world is Arundel, but even that isn't too shocking.  This first sentence, from Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks, silently reveals to the readers the atmosphere of the book: a charming, timeless tale of a family who takes a summer vacation in a captivating place.  With that in mind, this sentence is highly effective to give off that dynamic.

In fact, when choosing a first sentence, it's very important to consider the mood of your book.  For instance, in the famous Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, four out of seven of the volumes that make up the Chronicles of Narnia begin with the words like "once there was a..." or "this is a story about...".  These words almost sound like the beginning of a fairy tale, which is very effective for children's fantasy books like these.

The point is, you shouldn't write an mysterious or shocking first sentence if your story doesn't supply one.  It's perfectly fine to write a first sentence that isn't especially eye-catching and hooking.  But you should analyze the mood of your novel and make an intentional decision based on your observations.  Is your novel a delightful romance?  Then make your first sentence delightfully romantic as well.  How about an intense mystery?  Make the first sentence intense and mysterious.  If you're writing an exciting adventure novel, you might want to consider starting your book with a cliffhanger.  Of course, you don't have to follow this guideline, but if you do, your readers will know what to expect from your book and won't be disappointed as easily.

The bottom line:

1)  Your first sentence is very important.

2)  To spice up a boring first sentence, add a little mystery and intrigue to keep the readers guessing.

3)  In your first sentence, give your readers a taste of what is to come.

4)  Think about the atmosphere of your story when considering a first sentence.

So there you have it, my thoughts & tips on first sentences!  I hope this was helpful for you, even in just a small way.  If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or feedback to give me, just leave me a comment below (or you can send me an email me on my new Contact page).  I'll be back next Saturday.  Thanks so much, and have a great week! :)