Novel opening ideas

Is there anything more daunting than writing the first page, first scene, first chapter of a novel? There's no exact "right way" to open a novel, of course… but there is an exact formula that you can use to uncover the unique, strong opening to your novel — and I'm going to show you what the formula is today.

Opening lines define our stories in so many ways, setting the stage for everything to come. Yet, they don’t have to be as confounding as they seem—all it takes is knowing the traits of a strong opening, and then applying those to your own novel!

If the opening of your book is one of the most important things you can write, it could be argued that the ending is even more so. A great ending can save an otherwise okay book. A great ending can have readers talking about your book for years to come. A great ending is what creates readers that keep coming back for more.

So, chapters. It occurred to me the other week that I’d yet to talk about them here on Well-Storied, despite the fact that I’ve been running this show for well over two years now. How could I have skipped something so crucial to the structure of a good novel? I'll be honest. For a long time, I really didn't consider chapters to be all that important. Chapters give your novel structure, sure. But over the years, I've come to realize that that's not all they do... Chapters also create a…

Make the opening pages of your novel sell your story by getting readers invested and showing them that they picked up the right book.

Everyone knows the best way to start a novel or a story is with a killer opening line. You need something that hooks the reader and immediately sets whatever mood you’re trying to set. It should be your best sentence. In fact, what follows doesn’t really matter that much because you’ve done such a good … Continue reading How to write a great opening line that will make your readers salivate

Learn how to start a fantasy novel with our comprehensive guide. Explore world-building, character creation, plot design, and more for a strong beginning

It seems that every expert, agent, editor, publisher, and successful author agrees that you should never begin a novel with a prologue. I’ve personally had an agent tell me that she’ll …