вЂњI have never begun a novel with more misgiving.вЂќ - W. He told us about ChristвЂ™s disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen, and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman.вЂќ - Norman McLean, A River Runs Through ItД«y the end of this paragraph, you already know a great deal about the narratorвЂ™s family (especially the father) - but thanks to the introduction, as clear as a snow-fed mountain river, you want to know more. We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. вЂњIn our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. This offbeat observation from HartleyвЂ™s novel of painful reminiscence is a blindsidingly original statement that one will feel compelled to read about just how the writer acquired this wisdom. вЂњThe past is a foreign country they do things differently there.вЂќ - L. It will not surprise you to learn that the protagonist sets about retracing her steps and striving to correct the error, but after reading this subtle but striking first line, can you resist finding out how she does it? 8. вЂњOnce upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person.вЂќ - Anne Tyler, Back When We Were Grownups Ho-hum - huh? OrwellвЂ™s opening line creates a slight but immediate discordance that sets you up for an unsettling experience.

вЂњIt was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.вЂќ - George Orwell, 1984 The stage is set for an unhappy beginning, middle, and ending. Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning - and maybe the bedвЂ™s shoved up against the wall, and that attitude is a permanent condition.

вЂњJustice? - You get justice in the next world, in this world you have the law.вЂќ - William Gaddis, A Frolic of His Own The author of the Chronicles of Narnia no sooner introduces by name a new character in the latest installment than, in just five more words, he succeeds in telling you everything you need to know about him. вЂњThere was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.вЂќ - C. A spot-on metaphor expresses the storyвЂ™s nihilism, letting you know what youвЂ™re in for and lugubriously inviting you in. Oh, by the way, just in case you missed the forecast? DonвЂ™t expect any fluffy bunnies or fragrant blossoms or dulcet giggles to show up in this seminal cyberpunk story. вЂњThe sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.вЂќ - William Gibson, Neuromancer Chesterton, The Napoleon of Notting HillДЄstute observations accompanied by a implied sigh of disgust are tricky to master, but Chesterton, one of the most multifaceted men of letters, lights the way for you with this sample of the form. вЂњThe human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at childrenвЂ™s games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up.вЂќ - G. вЂњвЂTake my camel, dear,вЂ™ said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass.вЂќ - Rose Macaulay, The Towers of TrebizondДЄre you in the mood for amusement? This opening line makes it clear that farce is in force. Here are some strategies, accompanied by exemplars from literature, for making the first line of your novel or short story stand out so that the reader canвЂ™t help but go on to the second and the third and so on to see what else you have to say: 1. As a result, I went online and booked a trip.20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story By Mark NicholДЄs Glinda the Good Witch says in The Wizard of Oz, вЂњItвЂ™s always best to start at the beginning.вЂќ ThatвЂ™s where editors and literary agents generally get going, so perhaps you should, too. Consequently, she failed freshman English. She failed freshman English.Дenise decided to stop doing her homework. Afterward, they all agreed it was worth it.Дenise decided to stop doing her homework. The trip through the desert was long and tiring for the crew. In the meantime, fill up the car with gas, please. Jeffrey, weвЂ™ll be ready to leave for the trip in 20 minutes.

Therefore, she needed an extra large cup of coffee before work. She needed an extra large cup of coffee before work.Д¬arla couldnвЂ™t sleep the night before her presentation. To determine whether or not you need a transition word at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph, look at the sentence with and without the transition word or phrase and compare the results.Д¬arla couldnвЂ™t sleep the night before her big presentation. It's important to make sure transitional words flow naturally.

Opening words for paragraphs