Regarding opening lines

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,537
Reaction score
24,107
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
The blurb may be about the story but also not the actual story. Sure, those things are important, but I will still base final decision on the story, and for me, that means reading the opening.

Yes. It's voice that grabs me. I can usually tell within a few pages if the author is someone with whom I want to spend a whole book. Sometimes less. Sometimes as little as a paragraph.
 

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
3,727
Reaction score
488
Location
Commonwealth of Virginia--it's for lovers
Website
www.elizabethhuhn.com
Honestly? I don't pay attention to first lines. It's the premise that grabs me, especially since I usually read historical fiction. If it's about a time and place that interests me, that's enough. I pick up the book and read it. And I rarely remember first lines from those books I do pick up and read. I might remember the first scene, but it's the overall story that sticks with me. So, IMO, there's undue focus on the first lines. It can become gimmicky if the writer tries too hard to write those killer first lines.
 

Tepelus

And so...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 18, 2008
Messages
6,087
Reaction score
413
Location
Michigan
Website
keskedgell.blogspot.com
Just to throw a wrench into the works: If the title/cover intrigues me, I'll glance at the blurb, then open the book a quarter or so of the way in -- not too far, so as to avoid major spoilers -- and read a chunk at random. If the writing engages me, I'll randomly flip to another chunk, and possibly give the blurb a bit more attention. If the writing continues to hold up and the blurb makes it sound like my sort of thing, I'll seriously consider buying.

I frequently don't look at the opening lines at all. IME the opening of a book doesn't necessarily correlate to what the overall reading experience is like, and that's before you even get to things like writers putting 10x the attention into their opening paragraphs as they have the rest of the book (either improving or overpolishing, YMMV).

This right here. Unless I'm browsing online and read sample pages there, with physical books this is what I do. Then I may go read the first page.
 

amergina

Pittsburgh Strong
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
15,599
Reaction score
2,471
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Website
www.annazabo.com
I started this thread somewhat because of the currently running first 3 sentences thread, you see, my belief is that the intense focus on the first bit of the book is overemphasized.

Just FYI, the First Three Sentences thread is an exercise. It's a useful one, yes. It can make you think, yes, but no one is saying that it's the only thing to focus on. I think the reason we tend to look at the beginnings is 1) You don't need backstory for it to make sense. 2) It's the first thing agents see.

I mean, I also read the ends of books sometimes, when deciding if I'm going to buy. Because a good ending is just as important as a good beginning.

The whole thing has to be good, yes. But there are places where you need an extra punch.

BUT it's harder to critique middles and ends on a forum such as this. You need a critique group or beta readers or whatnot for that.
 

Liz_V

Not my first rodeo.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
933
Reaction score
129
It was hell's season, and the air smelled of burning children.

At first I misread that as "smelled of burning chicken." Now, that would be a very different book!
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
Just FYI, the First Three Sentences thread is an exercise. It's a useful one, yes. It can make you think, yes, but no one is saying that it's the only thing to focus on. I think the reason we tend to look at the beginnings is 1) You don't need backstory for it to make sense. 2) It's the first thing agents see.

I mean, I also read the ends of books sometimes, when deciding if I'm going to buy. Because a good ending is just as important as a good beginning.

The whole thing has to be good, yes. But there are places where you need an extra punch.

BUT it's harder to critique middles and ends on a forum such as this. You need a critique group or beta readers or whatnot for that.

I agree with the emphasis on the first sentences / paragraphs so long as it doesn't take away effort on the remainder of the book.

Product descriptions / back cover blurbs is another area that it's good to work hard on. Good examples can be found on Andy Weir's The Martian and Artemis. There's a discipline to it:
  • ~150 words in length.
  • Intro main character
  • Set stage for primary conflict
  • What are the stakes?
  • Why reader should buy the book.
 

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
4,584
Reaction score
1,412
Location
The land from whence the shadows fall
Website
www.sunyidean.com
The opening lines tell whether I'm going to like the style of writing, whether the narrative and/or author has the specific tone or subtlety I like reading, and also what kind of pace the novel will have.

In practice I usually give it a few pages, but in most cases I'd say that yes, you can tell by the first couple of grafs.
 

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,562
Reaction score
22,367
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
The first line is never going to be the thing that first gets my attention about a book. It'll be the cover or the title or the author or someone talking about it on Twitter/Goodreads. I'm not going to get to the first line until I have a reason to pick up the book.

However, if I'm buying the book, it's rarely without checking out the opening. I don't rely solely on the first line, but I'll read a paragraph, then a page in. If in a bookstore, I'll try to get to the second chapter (if it's holding my interest) before making a decision because I've been burned by many excellent first chapters that don't reflect the rest of the book. If a Kindle sample I'll give it the full sample...or until I'm bored. And that's the thing. If the beginning doesn't interest me, I won't give it all that time. So the opening lines do matter because they make me keep examining the book.

Of course, what interests me might not be what interests someone else. I might put down a book because the POV character bit their lip in the first paragraph, and others might not see that as a grave sin. I might find some poetic language too hard to connect to, but others may love it. I may just hate the character's voice, and that's a matter of opinion. The hardest ones are the ones that I find readable, but don't feel the need to buy right this second. On my Kindle, they stick around in my "Samples" collection for years. The opening matters, but you can't please everyone.

And, yes, obviously it's important that the whole book shines, not just the opening. Because while the author may not have any say in the cover or the title or whether i know their name already, they can make the story that everyone is talking about that was the reason I picked up the book to check out the opening in the first place.
 

screenscope

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Messages
681
Reaction score
78
Location
Sydney, Australia
I've never subscribed to the 'killer first line' theory and when I see one that I think is obviously trying too hard, it immediately puts me off the book, because if they have fallen that old chestnut, what else have they done? I could be wrong - and it's just a personal bugbear - but I don't hang around to find out.

I prefer a more organic, natural and thoughtful beginning that eases me in; the reading equivalent of settling into a comfortable chair.
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
The first line is never going to be the thing that first gets my attention about a book. It'll be the cover or the title or the author or someone talking about it on Twitter/Goodreads. I'm not going to get to the first line until I have a reason to pick up the book.

However, if I'm buying the book, it's rarely without checking out the opening. I don't rely solely on the first line, but I'll read a paragraph, then a page in. If in a bookstore, I'll try to get to the second chapter (if it's holding my interest) before making a decision because I've been burned by many excellent first chapters that don't reflect the rest of the book. If a Kindle sample I'll give it the full sample...or until I'm bored. And that's the thing. If the beginning doesn't interest me, I won't give it all that time. So the opening lines do matter because they make me keep examining the book.

Of course, what interests me might not be what interests someone else. I might put down a book because the POV character bit their lip in the first paragraph, and others might not see that as a grave sin. I might find some poetic language too hard to connect to, but others may love it. I may just hate the character's voice, and that's a matter of opinion. The hardest ones are the ones that I find readable, but don't feel the need to buy right this second. On my Kindle, they stick around in my "Samples" collection for years. The opening matters, but you can't please everyone.

And, yes, obviously it's important that the whole book shines, not just the opening. Because while the author may not have any say in the cover or the title or whether i know their name already, they can make the story that everyone is talking about that was the reason I picked up the book to check out the opening in the first place.

Agreed - but what role does the product description (blurb) play in your decision process?

For me:
  1. The cover lets me know in VERY general terms what genre and type of book it is. SciFi, Military, Romance, Action, they all use different sorts of covers
  2. The title also helps, but rarely tells me much.
  3. The blurb tells me more - who is the MC. What is their world like and what struggles lie ahead for them. It needs to intrigue me.
  4. On Amazon, I might use the look inside but have lately been more inclined to download the free sample to my Kindle (I've not bought a paper or hard cover book in ages).
  5. Then, if all that looks good and the book has maintained my interest through the free sample, I'll purchase it.

So, for me, the blurb is crucial because it encourages me to open the book.
 

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
10,305
Reaction score
5,270
Location
Melbourne
Website
www.lanifrank.com

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,562
Reaction score
22,367
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
Sure, the blurb, just like the opening, is vital in helping me decide whether I’d like the book because it gives me an idea of what the plot is. But there are books I would’ve never picked up from the blurbs, if they hadn’t gotten my attention in other ways (for example, through recs), and books whose blurbs made me expect one thing when the book gave me another.

Is the blurb the end all & be all of me getting the book? No. Why did I look at the blurb? How long am I spending with that blurb compared to the novel itself? It is but a piece of the whole, but if I’m buying the book for me, the writing & voice, on top of what I expect of the plot (whether because of the blurb or what I’ve heard about it), is what will decide it for me.
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
Sure, the blurb, just like the opening, is vital in helping me decide whether I’d like the book because it gives me an idea of what the plot is. But there are books I would’ve never picked up from the blurbs, if they hadn’t gotten my attention in other ways (for example, through recs), and books whose blurbs made me expect one thing when the book gave me another.

Is the blurb the end all & be all of me getting the book? No. Why did I look at the blurb? How long am I spending with that blurb compared to the novel itself? It is but a piece of the whole, but if I’m buying the book for me, the writing & voice, on top of what I expect of the plot (whether because of the blurb or what I’ve heard about it), is what will decide it for me.
Good points all around.

Blurbs are typically short (they need to fit on the back cover) and come in at 130 to 170 words. Yes, they take some work, but I tend to work on them in short bursts: before the first draft, and between edits. The effort doesn’t take away from other tasks.
 

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
10,305
Reaction score
5,270
Location
Melbourne
Website
www.lanifrank.com
Blurbs are typically short (they need to fit on the back cover) and come in at 130 to 170 words. Yes, they take some work, but I tend to work on them in short bursts: before the first draft, and between edits. The effort doesn’t take away from other tasks.

Opening lines and paragraphs are typically short (they need to fit on the first page) and come in at 130 to 170 words. Yes, they take some work, but I tend to work on them in short bursts: during the first draft and in revisions. The effort doesn’t take away from other tasks.
 

mccardey

Self-Ban
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Messages
19,213
Reaction score
15,827
Location
Australia.
Opening lines and paragraphs are typically short (they need to fit on the first page) and come in at 130 to 170 words. Yes, they take some work, but I tend to work on them in short bursts: during the first draft and in revisions. The effort doesn’t take away from other tasks.

This is time when you could be ironing, do you realise that?
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
Opening lines and paragraphs are typically short (they need to fit on the first page) and come in at 130 to 170 words. Yes, they take some work, but I tend to work on them in short bursts: during the first draft and in revisions. The effort doesn’t take away from other tasks.

But to read those opening lines you must first open the book - the blurb is what drives the reader toward that end. I've never said that the opening lines of your book are not important - but you have to find a way for potential readers to see them.

They're different animals.
First lines generally set the mood and perhaps tells something of the world of the story, but on occasion the MC isn't even mentioned, and the primary conflict and what's at stake may not show up until later.

Blurbs generate interest by providing information about the overall story, which helps the reader decide if your book is something they want to read.

Both are important.
 
Last edited:

ap123

Twitching
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
5,648
Reaction score
1,732
Location
In the 212
For me first lines are very important. They set the tone and give me the voice of the story, and voice is a large percentage of what determines whether or not I'm going to spend a few/several hours with these characters/this story. Generally I'll give the first few paragraphs, but on occasion those first lines will be strong enough to carry me through a rough patch or two where I might otherwise put the book down, and if they don't grab me in any way (or turn me off) I won't read the book.

Reviews/recommendations are what get me to pick up a book in the first place (and if all I see are five star reviews, I don't bother)
 

Woollybear

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 27, 2017
Messages
9,723
Reaction score
9,705
Location
USA
Aside:

It took me several tries to read How to Stop Time which was one of the sort-of science fiction books I wondered about comping on the basis that it was (sort of) recent, soft sci-fi, and dealt with time. I didn't comp it, because it wasn't comparable in the end, but it ended up being my gateway into Matt Haig's books.

But it took me several tries to read it. It was a bizarre experience in that my experience of the opening page was wildly different from one day to the next. My response to the opening page was everything from 'cliche' on one day to 'self absorbed author' on another day to 'wow! this is perfect!' on the day I finally managed to get into the 'voice' of the novel.

Second incidental comment about this book--it really felt to me like the original organic start of the story from a writerly perspective was chapter four, which was not at all hook-y in the commercial sense (a guy interviewing for a teaching position)--and that chapter 3, then chapter 2, then chapter 1 were added on from some consideration that the story was beginning too late. Chapter one is a short explanation of the main character's condition, Chapter 2 is a murder which is of very little import to the rest of the novel, and chapter 3 is the introduction of the villain. But the story itself feels (to me) like it should start on chapter 4. Which is not hook-y.
 

JJ Litke

People are not wearing enough hats
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
7,997
Reaction score
4,475
Location
Austin
Website
www.jjlitke.com
The one time I can recall buying a book based on the blurb without reading the opening pages, I couldn’t make it through the first scene. I couldn’t connect to the voice and tone, and just a couple of minutes of reading the opening would have told me that. Blurbs rarely have the same voice as the novel, they usually just broad strokes to let you know the genre(s) and category.

Opening lines do not have to be hooky to convince me to read. I often like slower books, too, but that's part of where assessing pacing and voice comes in.

Yes, agreed. It doesn’t have to hit me like a bombshell, just draw me in. That can be with voice, situation, raising a question, introducing a cool world or interesting character. There’s no set formula for what might catch my attention. I’ll know it when I read it.
 

JohnLine

Owns a pen.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
Messages
660
Reaction score
358
Location
California
I find openings tend to written in a different style from the rest of the book. Most either start with a bit of telling or with flowery language or both. It reminds me of query writing in that it's a good indication that the book is well written, but has very little to do with the prose itself.

If the opening is badly written I'll stop, but even if it's well written I'm not sold on the story until I've read enough to figure out what the rest is like. For me it's the first bit of dialog that's important, as that let's me know if I'm going to like the characters.
 

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
3,727
Reaction score
488
Location
Commonwealth of Virginia--it's for lovers
Website
www.elizabethhuhn.com
I've thought about this a bit, and I'll put it like this: it takes me more than a few paragraphs to get into the rhythms of a particular writer. It almost always feels weird and new, like the first day of school, for the first chapter or two, but then I usually get used to the voice (or I don't). So reading the first few lines won't help me there.
 

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
9,239
Reaction score
2,316
Location
Oregon, USA
I like the positive views some have expressed about the first few lines being what they consider a small part of a good novel.

To me, if it's important to the individual writer, comments by others on opening lines might offer helps to consider. I've benefited a great deal by evaluations of my own lines and lines of others, but I can see how it might not appeal to everyone.

If not important, it wouldn't make sense to submit anything or dwell on what we see as not essential to our writing or reading. :Shrug: