5 Tips for the Opening Line of Your Book

10/11/2018

Writing Chapter One can be tricky. I’ve been there, and I’ll be there again.

With each new book, crafting that opening scene is hard. After reading it over and over, your mind can be left a jumbling mess, but the process becomes easier with time.

I searched the top 6 books on Amazon, the category: Amazon Best Sellers in Teen and YA Books. I thought it would be interesting to look at their opening lines, as well as their opening scenes. Do they have anything in common?

The Top 6 Books

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Hello, Boys and Girls. Hannah Baker here. Live and in stereo.
Opening scene begins with the recorded voice of Hannah Baker. The MC is listening to her tape for the first time, in his room, and his mom walks in.

Paper Boats by Dee Lestari

It made no sense to leave Amsterdam in summer.
The MC is sitting in his room, packing and contemplating his impending move to University, away from the place he’d lived with his Oma for the past 6 years.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I’ve read many more books than you.
The MC is talking about her white room that she’s stuck in, with its sterilized shelves and brand new books that are deemed clean enough to be in her presence. Clearly she has an illness, and she talks about the specifics of it a few more lines down.

Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

Breathe. My eyes swelled as I swallowed against the lump in my throat.
The MC is sitting on her bed, trying to concentrate on homework, trying to forget where she came from. Now, she lives in a home with people who were forced to “take her in” and the walls are absent of personal effects.

The Rise of Olympus (The Guardians of Olympus book one) by Robert Kauffman

“Davis, come on! We don’t want to be late for our flight!” Mom yelled.
The MC has just finished packing and is attempting to take his luggage down the stairs at home. He runs into his father along the way. It’s finally summertime and the family is headed to Paris.

180 Seconds by Jessica Park

Junior year of college starts now, which means I have two years left until I am free.
The MC has been in a car for 5 hours with her father, who she refers to by the first name. The AC is out and it's hot. She’s on her way to college where she doesn’t fit in and isn’t looking forward to the year.

5 Tips for Your Opening Scene

5 out of 6 scenes begin in the MC’s room.
5 out of 6 scenes declare a problem within the first couple of paragraphs/lines.
5 out of 6 scenes have more than one person, more than just the MC, in the picture.
4 out of 6 lines didn’t have anyone actually speaking.
50% were declarative statements.

No matter what, don't let the opening scene stress you out. Write the first draft of your book, and then you can revise the opening scene AND the opening line if needed. One last tip: During your final revision, make sure your opening line is "active" and not "passive" by removing the word "was."

*Blog post originally posted on www.dawnhusted.com/tidbits/opening-lines-of-books

I hope this post helps you.
Take it further and create a fantastic plot with colorful characters by using my book,
A Wordy Woman's Guide for Writing a Book.

About the author:

Dawn Husted

Dawn wrote her first book in 2008. Now, she’s the author of 5 books, owner of Yaupon Berry Press, and a member of Texas Association of Authors. She's passionate about the Oxford comma and loves a well-structured plot.

A Wordy Woman's Guide was created with a tenacious spirit and an enormous vision to offer resources that empower aspiring authors.