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Kate Collins' article How to Write a Dynamic Opening Scene
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Northwest Indiana Chapter of Romance Writers of America
It was a Dark and Stormy Night . . .
How to Write a Dynamic Opening Scene
by Kate Collins
Isn’t it every writer’s dream to bedazzle an editor with an opening so dynamic, so compelling, that she will grab the nearest phone and make the call? You bet it is. And here are a few tips on how to do it.
RULE OF THUMB #1: Make the reader ask questions.
Start by examining what hooks you as a reader when you open a new book. Pull out a few of your favorite novels and read only the first two pages. Then go back and find the one line in each that compelled you to read on. Was it a character’s startling exclamation? A shocking action? A hint of danger or intrigue? A heroine’s first “knocked-her-off-her-feet” glimpse of her hero? A line that grabbed your heart and tore it into bits? Whatever it is, I guarantee that you kept reading that book because you had to find answers. Why is she worried? Running? Hiding? Why doesn’t she trust him? Why did he come back to town? What trouble is he in?
RULE OF THUMB #2: Don’t answer those questions right away.
Once you hook the reader with a question, you need to reel her in a little more. A page or so later, put a second question in her mind, building on the first. If the initial question was, “Why is she running?” then the second might be, “What will happen if she’s caught?” Whatever you do, don’t answer those questions right away. Keep them guessing until they’re involved with your character. What leads to—
RULE OF THUMB #3: Open your story with the character toward whom you want your reader to be most sympathetic.
Chose carefully in whose viewpoint your first scene is written. Readers tend to identify with the first character they meet, and expect that she or he is the one they’re supposed to care for. They don’t take kindly to being fooled. Personally, I like to be introduced to the two main characters right away, if not both in person, then at least by reference. Books that start off with too many characters can cause confusion, and those that don’t clearly define the heroine or hero can be annoying. If I can’t figure it out by the end of chapter one, I’m already out of the story.
RULE OF THUMB #4: Make the reader care.
Always ask yourself: What would make my heroine sympathetic to the reader? Why should the reader care about her? Is she hurting? Lonely? Scared? Happy? Okay, great, but why? What common experience has she had that the reader can identify with? Show emotion that’s real enough for the reader to feel.
RULE OF THUMB #5: Who, what, where, when, why, how
Remember the standard journalism method of writing a lead paragraph and apply it to your first scene. Start out with a POW! statement, then tell the who, what, where, when, why and how. Not all of that is possible in every case, of course, but it can’t hurt to try.
RULE OF THUMB #6: Start in the middle of the action.
Think of a train leaving the station. People board, and the engine moves slowly out of the station, building up speed until it’s nearly flying along the tracks. But ahead, the bridge is out, and it’s too late to brake. Where would you want to begin the story? Showing everyone climbing on board, stowing their luggage, and getting settled? In a word, boring. But how about when the engine hurtles through space as it hits the span where the bridge should have been? Where is your main character at that moment? Staring out the window in horror? Praying? Falling to the end of the car? That’s where you want to start your book.
A good way to examine the qualities of a dynamic lead sentence is to look at a bad one.
Here’s one from a newspaper article entitled, “Coloradan’s sentence wins annual bad-writing contest.” The contest, sponsored by San Jose State University, sought the most appalling opening sentence to an imaginary novel. The winner’s sentence (yes, she was a real writer!) read as follows:
“Ace, watch your head!” hissed Wanda urgently, yet somehow, provocatively, through red, full, sensuous lips, but he couldn’t, you know, since nobody can actually watch more than part of his nose on a little cheek or lips if he really tries, but he appreciated her warning.”
If you examine that sentence, you will see too much information, too many adjectives, rambling thoughts and a poor tag. Yet it does meet a few of the rules of thumb listed above. The main characters (we suppose) are introduced, we’re in the hero’s point of view, danger is eluded to and we know the who, what and when. So I guess the moral of this story is to use common sense. Make your opening as attention grabbing as possible. Use short, concise sentences that give pertinent information without being overwhelming. Make your reader care about your main character. And give it an element of surprise, danger or suspense, or put questions in the readers’ minds.
As to the origin of the well-known title of this article, “It was a Dark and Stormy Night,” was the first sentence from the book PAUL CLIFFORD by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, a prolific 19th century English novelist. It is sad that the novel goes downhill from there.
Good luck writing!
Kate Collins is the author of the flower shop mystery series. Check out her website.
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