Jump-Start Your Story Opening

The hardest part of writing a novel is the beginning. A reader’s interest must be captured in the first few pages, or they’ll move on to the next title in their wish list. An author might want to introduce the characters, the setting, and the main conflict all at once, but these should be weaved in gradually.

Then there’s backstory, especially if this book is a later installment of a long-running series. We must clue in new readers with essential information without boring our loyal fans. How do you fit it all in?

Some authors start a whodunit with the murder up front. Others do a slow-burn of letting readers get to know the suspects first, so they can guess which one will be axed. This path is fine if your people are engaging and the dialogue is either witty or tension-ridden to keep the pace. Otherwise, you’re bogging the story down in idle chit-chat that appears to go nowhere.

At this point, the reader may skim pages to find out when the body will drop. Or they’ll lose interest, not caring anymore about what happens to the protagonist. Some writers can pull this technique off wonderfully. Others bore readers after a few chapters of rambling scenes that seem to have no purpose.

As a mystery writer, you must strive to keep the focus on the puzzle. Remember that you’re writing a murder mystery and not a family drama or women’s fiction. Introduce tension-filled scenes where we can begin to see who might be killed and why this might matter to the heroine.

My early renditions of Dreidels and Dead Ends, #19 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries, starts out with hairstylist Marla Vail at work in her salon. I wanted to show her normal life to establish the setting before confronting her with another dead body. Then at the book’s end, I could frame the story by having her chat with her colleagues again during a festive holiday scene.

But these initial pages seemed to go on too long. Marla spoke to her friend, Nicole, another stylist, and to various clients. Too much backstory bogged down the beginning with the impending birth of her second child, her husband’s early retirement, their financial pressures, and gift shopping for the upcoming holidays. It was taking too many pages to get to what really mattered. How could I draw readers in more quickly?

I fixed this by moving Marla’s dialogue with Nicole to later in the chapter. Marla has one conversation with a client to set the scene before the inciting incident occurs. Instead of five pages that detailed Marla’s life situation, now on page two the main external conflict begins. She accepts a compelling challenge, and readers will want to know what happens next.

In Amazon’s Look Inside feature, a reader’s interest must be captured right away, or they’ll move on. When I’m considering a book purchase, the cover might attract me first, but then I’ll look at the story’s description, customer reviews, and the opening pages. If I’m not engaged by this sample read, that’s it for me. Evaluate your own work accordingly.

Which approach do you prefer—The body up front, or getting to know the suspects first?

Want an exclusive sneak preview of Chapter One in Dreidels and Dead Ends? CLICK HERE to sign up for my reader list NOW, before my next newsletter goes out this Saturday. You’ll also get a bonus short story for joining!

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win two free books from Booklovers Bench, including a hardcover first edition of my tale, Perish by Pedicure.