Make your opening pop

As a new author, I remember making the dreaded mistake of opening my story with my character's alarm clock going off. We've all seen it. The alarm clock goes off. The character groggily gets out of bed, takes a shower, gets dressed, eats breakfast, then finally rushes to school or work because now they're running late.

As a more seasoned writer, I've learned the cold, hard truth. This is not compelling. It doesn't draw in the reader. It's cliche. No one wants to start their day or book with a screeching alarm clock and a morning routine.

So, let's not do it.

Instead, the opening to your story, whether a novel or a short story, should pack a punch. It should be a brick in the face. It should make the reader want more, and keep them reading. I take this advice to heart and put a lot of thought into my first lines. I ask myself, what's the ideal place to start? When does the action begin? What would quickly put the reader into the scene?

Here's the first line from my book, The Lost Sepulcher:

"He had never hired a hitman before."

I love this first line because it's short, punchy, and immediately sets off the warning bells.

Here's the first line from my book, The Aegean Vault:

"Leila wanted to flip the table--just this once, just to see what it was like."

This line makes me smile because it instantly sets the mood and makes one wonder what's causing so much frustration that Leila is ready to wreak havoc.

One thing to keep in mind is that it's often advised to avoid dialogue. Mainly because the reader doesn't know yet who's speaking and reading the voice before having a mental picture of the speaker can throw someone off. That said, I've seen it done well and I've seen it done not so well. I tend to avoid it, preferring to introduce the character a little bit before he or she speaks.

Here's the first line from my current work-in-progress, book one of The Archaeo-Files:

"Theft, murder, and fraud weren’t unusual requests from Uncle Mario. But this? This was new."

I love the curiosity this first line evokes. It builds a picture of a nefarious Uncle Mario, hints at an intriguing proposal, and puts us straight in the head of the point-of-view character.

In the end, it's entirely up to you, the author, how you want to start your story. If you're not satisfied, it's okay to write, rewrite, revise, and rewrite again. That's just a part of the writing process. I just hope these tips inspire your first sentence so your story starts off right!