You Get One Page to Hook a Reader. Yes, Really.

By Janice Hardy

Many readers decide before the end of the first page if they’re going to keep reading.

A lot of pressure is put on the opening page of a novel, and for good reason. It’s the first impression the reader gets, and if that reader isn’t hooked in some way, they won’t move on to the second page. 

As unfair as it seems, 250 words (roughly one page) are often all you get to convince readers to stay with your story and read your book. It might be tempting to pack the entire story into that first page, but that's absolutely the wrong approach.  

All you have to do is give readers something that promises them that your novel will be worth reading. 

Which is much easier to do than you might think.

One caveat before we move on: I’m referring to new novels from authors who don't have an established readership. If you know you like an author, you typically buy their new book without reading a test page first. Well-known authors and bestselling novels can also skip the “testing” phase of a new reader based on reputation and personal recommendations.

Is the first page really that important? 

Yes. Think about how you buy books. Odds are, something about the title, cover, or genre caught you attention. Most readers read the cover blurb to see what the book is about. If that intrigues them, they look at the first page. If they keep reading (or want to), they buy it. If not, they don’t.

How many abandoned samples are currently sitting on your ereader? How many novels that just didn’t grab you have you put back on the shelf? 

With ebooks and the “look inside” features online, readers can now read samples before they purchase, making this "let's see if I like it before I buy it" decision even easier to make. If you fail that test, your book doesn't get purchased.

(Here’s more with Do E-Readers Put Unfair Pressure on First Chapters?)

If the first page has done its job, readers will want to read the second page.

I’m sure there are some good-natured readers out there who will read a few pages past a horrific opening page, but not all readers do. For most of them, if they turned the page, then the first page had something on it that enticed them enough to keep reading, even if it was weak. 

Maybe the reader's curiosity was mildly piqued, or the novel’s premise was strong enough to keep them reading despite a so-so opening, but it passed muster in some way. I think this is why The Hunger Games' "waking up scene" opening worked, despite the cliché. 

(Here's more with What “Setup” in a Novel Actually Means) 

Different genres will have different first-page needs.

Make readers pick your novel.

Reader expectations play into what’s necessary and expected in that opening page, and what’s critical to one genre isn’t as important to another. This is why it’s important to be familiar with the genre  you're writing in. 

In romance, the “meet cute” is often seen on page one, and many mysteries open with someone discovering a body or even the murder itself, and science fiction and fantasy present a fantastical world or idea with problems. 

There’s a lot more on the page as well, but what your story needs to establish right away changes to suit the expectations and needs of the readers of that genre.

(Here's more with How a Story’s Genre Influences the Role of Fear)

What can you really tell about a novel by the opening page?

A lot, actually. 

You show readers all the skills that go into a strong novel on that first page. It’s a sampling of how good a storyteller and writer you are.

The opening page shows readers:

Don't bore your readers.

How well you write: A skilled writer will open with skilled prose. Sentences flow well, the scene's goal and setting are clear, the descriptions are strong, and the dialogue feels natural. 

But if readers find awkward sentences they have trouble reading, poor word choice that confuses them, purple prose that makes their eyes roll, vague description, heavy infodumps and backstory that doesn't serve the story, well, it’ll say the writer still has some learning to do.

What your voice sounds like: Voice alone can be enough to hook a reader, and that can happen in one single sentence. 

I bought a book based on the opening line of “Getting punched in the face is a singular experience.” I’ve also put books back on the shelf because I didn’t care for the voice or style of the writing. 

Genre and market play a strong role here as well, and middle grade and young adult novels often live or die by their voices. 

(Here's more with Can You Hear Me Now? Developing Your Narrative Voice)

What the characters are like: Unlikable or boring characters on the first page can make readers set the novel back down, and who can blame them? Nobody wants to hang out with unbearable people for very long. 

Interesting or likable characters draw readers in and make them want to see how the story unfolds. For some genres, such as romance or character-based mysteries, if readers don’t care for the protagonist, they won’t read on no matter how well written the rest of the novel is. The protagonist is everything.

How well you can set a scene: An opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the novel and makes a promise to readers about the trip they’re about to take. If it’s confusing and vague, it sets up the expectation that the rest of the novel will be as well. 

Movies are actually great examples of this. The opening scene is created specifically to hook viewers into the movie and prepare them for what’s about to come.

Two that stand out for me are Pirates of the Caribbean, and Lockout. You can tell exactly the type of movie you’re going to see after just a few minutes of each. 

Here's the opening of Lockout if you're curious. This opening made me want to see this movie—though fair warning: it’s rated R and is a bit violent, so skip it if fight scenes and punches to the face aren’t your thing. It’s called “Guy Pierce gets punched in the face—a lot” for a reason. But it’s actually really funny, and sets the tone of the entire movie perfectly.

(Here’s more with How the Wrong Tone Can Change Your Whole Novel)

How well you can build tension: If readers get to the end of page one and need to know what happens next, the tension was well-crafted to hook them. 

If it’s all description and setup, and there’s no tension at all, that’s one fewer reason to stay with the book. No tension means the other aspects have to be that much stronger to compensate.

If the story is going anywhere: This shows the plotting and story development skills of the writer. Even if what’s happening in the opening scene has nothing to do with the main plot, if there’s a sense that the story is leading somewhere, readers will usually stick with it to see where it goes—especially if combined with interesting characters and good tension. 

An opening that wanders around and offers readers nothing “to do” is one they usually stop reading.

Don’t try to pack too much into the opening page.

Yours isn't the only book out there.

You don’t have to cram everything into that opening page, and trying to do so usually results in a vague and confusing opening page, because there’s no room to build the story. It’s all pieces of what the writer thinks needs to be there. 

Give readers a reason to stay, and then keep doing it until the end of the novel. It’s a trail of breadcrumbs leading them where you want them to go, not a smorgasbord of everything cool about the novel at once. 

The first page of a novel has to do one thing only—make readers want to read the next page. 

That’s a lofty goal, but there are plenty of ways to do it in ways that suit whatever type of novel you're writing. 

What are some of your favorite first pages? Or opening scenes in movies for more examples.

For more help on plotting or writing a novel check out my Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.

Go step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to:

• Create compelling characters readers will love
• Choose the right point of view for your story
• Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and hook readers!)
• Find the best writing process for your writing style
• Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure also helps you develop the critical elements for submitting and selling your novel once it’s finished. You’ll find exercises on how to:

• Craft your one-sentence pitch
• Create your summary hook blurb
• Develop a solid working synopsis And so much more!

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to writing your novel or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working. 

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Indie Bound