The Art of the First Page: Hook Readers Instantly
5 strategies to create a captivating first page that sells
What makes a reader buy your book? More often than not, it's your first page. This crucial opening must hook readers, impress agents, and set the tone for your story.
If you’re struggling in this area, you’re not alone. As a bestselling author and coach, I’ve helped writers transform their stories by nailing the first page.
To help you here are five elements you need to include in your first page and the writing techniques to execute those elements.
1. Time and place
Establishing the setting of your book early will ground your reader and provide an anchor for your story. However, the first page is not the place to write long descriptions about the weather or scenic views - it needs to be more subtle than that.
Here are a few ideas:
Use date and place as chapter titles
This is a common technique and can be a quick and relatively easy way to establish time and place. Some writers may consider this approach cheating, but if it works for your story, genre, and reader, there’s no need to overcomplicate things.
Example: Chapter 1 - London, 1985
Focus on the few but significant details
Pick out one or two elements of your setting and craft words around them rather than lengthy descriptions of the complete surroundings.
Example: In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the opening subtly establishes a dystopian setting through sensory details like the faint scent of sweat in an old gymnasium.
Consider how your character feels about the setting
We all have opinions about places. How does your character feel about where they are at that moment? How would they describe it? You could also take it one step further and use dialogue.
2. Main character
The main character should be included as early as possible as this is who the reader will connect with. If you have multiple characters, go with the assumption that the first character you introduce is the one your readers will buy into.
Here are a few ideas to introduce your character on the first page in a compelling way.
Go beyond the mundane
Start your story with something interesting that happens to your character.
Example: in my first novel, The Good Mother, I opened with the main character writing a letter to a murderer in prison. It’s thought-provoking (what do you write to a prisoner?) and unusual enough to spark interest.
Avoid realms of backstory
While I often advise aspiring authors to write their character’s backstory, not all of it will make it into the book and it certainly shouldn’t be on the first page.
Give your character a goal
It might be difficult to include your character’s goal on the first page, but you can hint. By doing this, you’re establishing a connection with the reader, leaving them with the question as to whether the character will achieve it.
Exercise: Write a one-sentence goal for your character and try incorporating it into the opening scene. This creates intrigue and grounds your story.
Keep it simple
It sounds obvious but avoid introducing too many characters as it can cause confusion for the reader.
3. Tone
Readers have certain expectations when they buy a book. If they pick romance, they expect a happy ending. If they pick a thriller, they expect a twist.
Establishing the tone of your book on the first page is one way to meet, and hopefully exceed, those expectations. For example, if you’re writing comedy make sure there’s a few well-placed jokes or humorous anecdotes on the first page.
Here are a few other ways to establish tone.
Determine your point of view
Writing in first person (I believe / I think etc) provides a very different feel compared to third person (Paul thinks / Paul believes etc). First person is a lot more intimate and develops a deeper connection with the reader. However, using third person gives you much more flexibility, allowing a broader perspective.
Use dialogue
Short, staccato dialogue is a great way to indicate a sense of urgency, perfect for thrillers and crime novels.
Focus on emotion
Use the emotion of your character to establish tone. How are they feeling and how can you reflect their emotions through their actions?
Read within your genre
Whatever you’re writing, look to other novels within the same genre for ideas and new ways of establishing tone. Pay special attention to the first page and analyse the language to see what works for you as a reader.
Example: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice begins with witty dialogue, setting a humorous and satirical tone right away.
4. Hint at what’s to come
A reader will only continue reading if they think there’s something exciting to follow. Experiment with the below techniques to see if any work for your novel.
Use a prologue
A prologue is at the beginning of a novel and separate from the main story. It’s role is to introduce important information related to the story but which can only be understood by the reader at a later stage.
Use foreshadowing
This is a literary technique used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.
Example: Little Red Riding Hood, when the mother is concerned for her daughter’s safety. This concern foreshadows the appearance of the big bad wolf.
Symbolism is often used for foreshadowing. This might be a lone animal, like a black crow signaling danger, or storm clouds. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, witches are an omen of future bad things.
5. Tension and conflict
No book is complete without tension and by including it on the first page, it’s a powerful way to ensure a great start to your book.
Check out some of these ideas:
Introduce the antagonist
The antagonist, whether that’s a villain or a concept, will help define your main character indicating what obstacles your character has to overcome.
Tip: If your antagonist isn’t introduced right away, hint at their presence through the protagonist’s unease or a symbolic detail.
Include the inciting incident (the main event that kicks off the story)
Many crime stories open up with a dead body and are a great example of how an inciting incident can be used on the first page.
Example: The Good Mother, I established tension immediately by introducing the protagonist’s shocking act: writing a letter to a murderer. This instantly set the tone and piqued curiosity.
Final thoughts
Don’t be afraid to go big on your first page. Readers are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing what to read so an action-packed opening scene is memorable.
Need help with your first page? Join my course, KickStart Your Book with Karen, where I guide aspiring authors to craft openings that captivate readers and agents alike.
