Cornerstones’ Monica Chakraverty offers advice about writing compelling opening pages for a novel manuscript
Q I feel there’s so much at stake on the first pages of my novel but can’t settle on the best way to start.
A I’ve been working with a few authors recently who have submitted a book draft and then (apologetically!) sent through revised first pages that they felt worked more strongly. They’re right in assuming that the outset can make or break an agent’s response, yet publishers and agents are looking for so much more. I’d try not to put too much pressure on the perfect way in, despite tales of established authors such as Stephen King spending weeks, or even months, securing the perfect start.
Remember that the opener needs to feel in line with the remaining book, which can be an issue for some stories with brilliant first pages. One can dive in with a challenging, compelling start yet, if the remainder of the book fails to incorporate some element of the opener, a reader can feel cheated at what might be perceived as false advertising. Choose a start that’s intrinsic to the story on some level, not an anomaly that pulls the reader in but leaves them puzzled at its later absence. George Orwell uses a terrific opener to his novel 1984, and it’s one that establishes an unsettling mood and poses questions from the outset: It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
Depending on the genre, a hook of some degree is a sure-fire method of pulling in a wavering reader. Ensure that questions are posed rather than shock tactics being used per se. High-impact starts work well for certain novels but you need to allow yourself room for the story to develop capably beyond this point. A life-or-death scenario can set a reader’s pulse racing, or you might consider a mysterious or darkly humorous start such as at the beginning of The Crow Road by Iain Banks: It was the day my Grandmother exploded.
Mark Billingham, the writer of the Tom Thorne crime novels, works within a clearly defined genre and advises that, if a book hadn’t gripped you within 20 pages, then it’s acceptable to give up on it and even throw it angrily across a room. I’d suggest this might not be true for every style and genre. One is effectively inviting a reader into the book and so setting a scene, a mood, or some form of connection can work just as well for different styles.
On a language level, be sure that your narrative voice feels in keeping with the story, without drawing too much attention to itself. A l
