How Do The First Paragraphs Of The Story Create Tension? Trust The Answer

Tension proves how much readers can engage with literature. Taking words on a page and translating them into this urgent, nerve-wracking concern requires great writing and genuine emotional engagement from the reader.

Tense scenes leave the reader both desperate and anxious to turn the page. Tension is the most immediate form of reader engagement and one of the most visceral.

But how do you create tension? How do you build it once you have it? How can you use it effectively in a story without the use of life and death? And more important than all that: What is tension?

1. Voltage is stored energy

In physics, voltage is based on stored energy. A material in tension experiences a constant force, and that force has to come from somewhere.

The same applies to a scene written in a tense manner: tension is built only by the intense influence of an external force. A passage of text can be happy or sad on its own, but it can only be tense when it relates to something outside of the immediate scene.

Tension is not an experience of the moment, but a partial experience of the moment with a constant focus of attention on what comes next. Tension depends on imagining events beyond the section where the reader actually feels tense.

The constant force that keeps events tense is the reader’s constant awareness of what is coming next.

2. Tensions are not about the event

A popular theory holds that tension arises from fear of an event. For example, a scene in which a detective is sneaking around a house is tense because the reader constantly knows they might get caught.

This seems like a reasonable theory until you look at it a little further. If we spend tense scenes dreading an anticipated event, how come…

3. Any event can create tension

In Philip Ardagh’s The Fall of Fergal, the suspense of the story revolves around a young girl who wins a spelling bee. The reader is not led to believe that great events depend on outcome, but it is made clear in the novel that she deserves and needs the recognition that victory would bring.

The reader can spend tense passages dreading a particular event, but if that can be any event, there must be another influence at work.

4. Tension is about consistency

More specifically, tension is about the presumed emotional impact of possible outcomes. The reader may dread a particular event, but only because he anticipates the consequences of that event and experiences the emotional impact it will have.

Tensions are about the suspected emotional impact of possible consequences. Click here to tweet

Holding the protagonist at gunpoint is tense because the reader can imagine how he will feel when the gun is fired. Tension is simply that anticipation that stretches out for more than a moment.

5. Imagined consequence can work even better

Paul Auster’s New York trilogy is one of the most exciting reads of all, and yet the reader doesn’t quite know what to be afraid of from one moment to the next.

The protagonists are never threatened by death, only by an escalating sense of the uncanny. Auster cleverly makes it clear that some form of abstract “consequence” is approaching, leaving the reader to invent their own worst-case scenario.

Here we see tension at its most basic level. The reader doesn’t even need to know what the consequences will be or what event will cause them, they just need to be convinced that they are worth fearing.

6. The tension is increased by the character

Of course, consequences are strongest when we really care about who is dealing with them. The key to increasing the suspense is not to increase the severity of the event, but to increase the reader’s caring and understanding of the characters involved.

The most mundane event can create more suspense than a life-and-death exchange if the reader cares enough about the characters.

Fall of Fergal’s Spelling Bee is more gripping than many detective stories ever get because the reader is familiar with the protagonist’s personal life and aspirations. They care deeply about the character’s emotions and so the emotional anticipation of her sadness when she loses is palpable.

The most mundane event can create more tension than a life-and-death exchange. Click here to tweet

7. Excitement can be shared with characters…

Not only the reader has to fear foreseeable consequences. It’s a social impulse that fear increases when we’re surrounded by other people expressing their fear of it, and when a reader is involved in the story, fictional characters can pass as people.

When characters feel tense or scared, it increases the reader’s emotional anticipation of what might happen and can even be used to control them. When the character’s fear of possible consequences mixes with the reader’s, the character may begin to suggest things that the reader needs to worry about.

8. …or not

Of course, the impulse to worry about someone is also strong. When doom or a mild but intense unease descends on an unsuspecting character, the tension can be almost breathtaking.

Why? Because the reader is the only one thinking about the consequences, and that can make avoiding those consequences feel like their responsibility. Of course, there’s nothing the reader can do unless you write a book in which you choose your own adventure, but that won’t stop the nail-biting suspense.

9. Tension must be maintained

As I said in the first point, tension only arises when pressure is applied. You can’t mention a roving killer in chapter one and then expect the reader to stay tense until chapter thirty, where he reappears.

There are many ways to do this, but you have to work at keeping the reader engaged. This can be so insignificant as to remind the reader of what might happen if the dreaded event occurs.

Fall of Fergal rarely mentions the spelling bee, but is littered with examples of the deprivation and poverty the protagonists live with. When the heroine is forced to smuggle her entire family into her room because they can’t afford a second one, the author subtly reminds the reader of how little she has in her life and invites them to consider how annoying it is would be if she lost.

10. Tensions must be satisfactorily resolved

Tighten a rubber band until the rubber is taut, then release. The rubber releases the tension by snapping back to its original shape: the energy has to go somewhere.

Emotional energy is the same, except that if you don’t provide the reader with a proper outlet, all the tension you’ve built up will backfire as irritation.

Because of this, horror movies build tense moments and then pierce them with an inconsequential leaping scare: the open door and creepy footsteps turn out to be a friend.

Tensions need to be resolved, not just negated. It can trigger when the dreaded event occurs and turn the expected emotional response into an actual emotional response, but what if the protagonist wins?

A moment of relief is a satisfying release from tension, but it’s not something the reader can feel for themselves. As an author, you have to make it happen. This is easier when the reader is sharing their experience of suspense with a character, since they can share a moment of relief, but if the reader was the only one who knew a threat was coming, you have to give them their own moment.

It doesn’t have to take long, in fact, one sentence acknowledging that the sense of threat is over is enough. Just don’t carry on as if the tension never existed.

Suspense is a great tool, made all the more fun because it uses the reader’s intellect and awareness to fuel their emotional enjoyment. The more imaginative and informed a reader is, the more implicitly they understand the possible consequences used to create tension.

10 Facts To Tell You How To Use Tension In Your Story Click To Tweet

Trust your reader, encourage their engagement and understanding, and work with them to make the tension in your story unbearable in the good way.

Suspense works particularly well in crime fiction, so if that’s your genre, why not try our article How to Write a Readable Crime Fiction? Or try 5 popular misconceptions about story pacing for advice on creating excitement through pacing.

What was the most exciting book you’ve ever read or the least exciting activity that made an author bite their nails? Let me know in the comments.

I. General structure

Most paragraphs in an essay conform to the general three-part structure of each section of a research paper, and therefore the entire research paper, with an introduction, a body that contains facts and analysis, and a conclusion. You can see this structure in paragraphs, whether they are information, describing, comparing, contrasting, or analyzing. Each part of the paragraph plays an important role in conveying the meaning you want to convey to the reader.

Introduction: the first section of a paragraph; should include the subject sentence and any other sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that provide background information or provide a transition.

Body: follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea using facts, arguments, analysis, examples and other information.

Conclusion: the last section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body of the paragraph and the guiding idea of ​​the paragraph. For long paragraphs, you may also want to include a bridging sentence that introduces the next paragraph or section of work. In some cases, the bridge sentence can be written in the form of a question. However, use this rhetorical device sparingly, otherwise ending many paragraphs with a question to lead into the next paragraph will sound awkward.

NOTE: This general structure doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be creative when writing. The arrangement of each element in a paragraph can make a work more interesting to the reader. However, don’t be too creative when experimenting with the flow of paragraphs. This can distract from the main arguments of your research and weaken the quality of your academic writing.

II. Development and organization

Before you can begin determining what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you need to consider what is the main idea you want to convey to your reader. This is the “dominant idea” or thesis statement from which you compose the rest of the paragraph. In other words, your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a recurring relationship between your controlling idea and the information in each paragraph. The research problem works like a seed from which your work and your ideas will grow. The entire process of sales development is an organic process—a natural progression from a seed idea to a full-fledged research study, where at work there are direct, family relationships between all your controlling ideas and the sales derived from them.

Deciding what to put in your paragraphs starts with brainstorming how you want to pursue the research problem. There are many brainstorming techniques out there, but no matter which one you choose, this phase of paragraph development cannot be skipped as it lays the foundation for developing a series of paragraphs [representing a section of your work] that represent a specific element of your Describe the overall analysis. Each section is further described in this writing guide.

Given these factors, each paragraph in a paper should:

Consistent – ​​All sentences in a single paragraph should relate to a single controlling idea [often expressed in the main clause of the paragraph].

Clear reference to the research problem – The sentences should all relate to the central idea or thesis of the work.

Coherent – ​​Sentences should be arranged logically and follow a specific developmental plan.

Well Developed – Each idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported by evidence and details that work together to explain the controlling idea of ​​the paragraph.

There are many different ways you can organize a paragraph. However, the organization you choose depends on the driving idea of ​​the paragraph. Ways to organize a paragraph in academic writing include:

Narration: Telling a story. Proceed in chronological order, from beginning to end.

Descriptive: Give specific details about how something looks or feels. Organize spatially, in the order in which they appear, or by topic.

Process: explain step by step how something works. Maybe follow an order – first, second, third.

Division : Divide into groups or explain the different parts of a topic.

Descriptive: Give examples and explain how these examples support your point of view.

Arnaudet, Martin L., and Mary Ellen Barrett. Sales Development: A Guide for English Students. 2nd Edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents, 1990; About paragraphs. The writing laboratory and the OWL. Purdue University; Organization: General Guidelines for Paragraphs. The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; the paragraph. The Writing Center. Pasadena City College; paragraph structure. Effective writing center. University of Maryland; Heels. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; Heels. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Heels. University Writing Center. Texas A&M University; paragraphs and subject sentences. Writing Tutorial Services, center for innovative teaching and learning. Indiana University; Weissberg, Robert C. “Given and New: Sales Development Models from Scientific English.” TESOL Quarterly 18 (September 1984): 485-500.

What is the purpose of the details in the paragraph?

Every story has to start somewhere. It almost doesn’t matter how you start, but it’s important that you start. So begin your story. Whatever it takes to get you writing.

Later on, the beginning of your story will be very important because it’s the first thing people will read and if it doesn’t work, they won’t continue reading. Even if you’ve written the most brilliant fiction of this century—especially if you’ve written this—pay special attention to the beginning so the rest of your work gets the chance it deserves to shine.

So how do you start a story? Let’s start with just one basic tip: you don’t have to start at the beginning. You can start it at any point in the process. You don’t have to stick to the first line that comes to mind. Or the second or the third. The only thing that matters is that the beginning of your story engages the reader and encourages them to read on. It’s worth taking the time to think about good ways to start your story. So, follow our tips for writing your beginning.

Pique the interest of a reader

At the beginning of a story, you just want readers to keep reading. So make sure you start with our tips in a way that makes them want to. Ask a question; introduce a character; set a scene; entice them with seductive prose; give an indication of the direction the novel will take; Plant the seeds of an idea; make a dramatic impression; give them a taste of action. There are many ways to start a story, but they all have in common that to be effective they must keep the reader reading. The first few lines are the business card for getting readers (which essentially means agents, editors, and publishers) to care enough about your story to keep reading.

The content will continue after the ad

Put a character in an environment

No, we don’t mean “it was a dark and stormy night,” the flowery opening of Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s Paul Clifford, which is now considered the benchmark for bad writing. But you could introduce a place and create an atmosphere. “Grandma was setting out the funeral tea cups when I remembered leaving the safe open.” “Mingus used to sleep on the red blanket in the back room.” “Laurence realized he forgot his phone at the office” and “He couldn’t see the road because of the fog” – all locating someone in one place while also introducing elements that encourage further reading. whose funeral? What’s in the vault? Why is Mingus sleeping on this special blanket? What are the implications of Laurence returning to the office? Whose journey is hindered by fog, and where are they? Immediately we have characters, locations and questions that need to be answered.

WAYS TO MAKE AN OPENING Flashforward/Flashback

Begin with a meaningful scene that takes your reader forward or backward in the timescale of the story’s dialogue

Captivate your reader with a meaningful line of dialogue. shock

Grab the reader’s attention with something dramatic and captivating. seduction

The Soft-Soft Approach – Draw the reader into your story by engaging them with a suggestion of what’s to come. In media res

Jump right into your story by starting in the middle of the action, with a pivotal situation that ties into the rest of the narrative.

Introduce a main character

If you’re writing a character-driven novel or short story, start with the character. Let the reader see something about this character that will make them want to get to know him better. Imagine being introduced to a real person. “This is Emma and she works in Human Resources” is boring. What are you going to talk to Emma about? customer secret? “This is Emma and she collects stuffed frogs” is a conversation starter.

Don’t try to fill in a full description right at the beginning: “Emma had yellow hair and blue eyes and was madly in love with her boyfriend Greg” is a terrible start because the reader doesn’t know who Emma is or what matters to them like she does looks like or how she feels about her boyfriend. (You must take care of them). “Emma had blue hair and yellow eyes and had just eaten her boyfriend Greg” is far more intriguing because it reverses conventional expectations. But better yet, make it something that relates to the rest of the novel or story. “Emma watched the cars collide in the distance” is the kind of line that says something about her (she’s the kind of person who watches cars collide/she’s a person who just witnessed something horrible) . It also gives hints as to what might be explained in the novel (why the cars crashed and why Emma was watching them) and gives an indication of the author’s style and what kind of narrative might ensue (distant, dystopian).

If the narrator is speaking in first-person, show something fascinating through their eyes and let their voice do the talking. “I see the cars crashing again. I got here just in time.”

Start with action

Starting action with a dramatic opening scene is a great way to make an impact and can be a really effective opener. Start in media res, literally right in the middle: at a dramatic point in your story. It could be the discovery of a corpse if it’s a detective story; the separation from an unsatisfactory lover in a romcom. Put your reader in the middle of a scene instead of building page after page. Keep it active. “Emma woke up, got out of bed, brushed her teeth and put the kettle on” is boring. “Emma Jumped Out of the Helicopter” is dynamic. Use active verbs. But be careful here – if you’re going to start writing a novel with a dramatic scene, you’ll need to be somewhere to go through the rest of the story, so build your story and keep your big guns in reserve if you do they really need it later in the story to create a dramatic showdown.

Hook them up

How you do this has a lot to do with what kind of story you are writing. If it’s literary, it’s through creating a unique voice and a compelling statement that makes the reader think, “I’ve never read anything like it.” When it comes to crime, your first task might be to focus on the Incitement to focus on incident – ​​ie the crime that triggers the investigation. “The stab wounds corresponded exactly to the positions of the stars in the constellation The Plough,” might have you reading on to learn more about a serial killer with a penchant for astronomy. If it’s horror, you’ll want to make a suggestion that everything isn’t okay: “It always felt damp in that room.” If it’s historical, you need to introduce the setting and era, as well as the character: “Abigail wished she had the liberties her brother was granted and could ride in the front cab.” It’s amazing what you can put in one sentence can do if you really think about it.

make it clear

Although you want to captivate your reader, you also want to entice them to read on, which means putting them at ease so they can read on comfortably. If you can evoke the atmosphere of your novel, hint at its plot, or introduce a main character in the first few lines, you’re giving readers a taste of what they can reasonably expect from the rest of the book. From the start, readers will be looking for clues as to what to expect, so whatever you mention at the beginning will have special meaning.

Since readers are actively hoping to be invited to the start of your work, you want them to be intrigued enough to read on but not confused—even if you’re conjuring up a dark forest of killers, you need to make your reader feel ” safe” – in the sense of understanding that you have created a fictional world that you can rely on to provide a satisfying reading experience.

Have a distinctive voice

One of the most important elements at the beginning of a story is the voice with which it is told. Your opening is the first and foremost opportunity for the reader to encounter your storytelling style or voice. So give them a taste. Think about the beginnings of stories you love and how each one can only be written by that particular author, whether it’s Stephen King, Charles Dickens, Zadie Smith, or Virginia Woolf. Be like them by writing those important opening lines in a voice that is unique to you. But don’t try to copy them — find your own writing voice and make the most of it right at the beginning of your story.

If your story has a first-person narrator, you need to establish their voice from the start, so make sure their first few words make an impression and evoke a feeling for the person saying them.

Make it dynamic

Drop readers straight into a scene; give the impression that they’ve seen something really interesting as it unfolds. Instead of working towards a climax, put the reader in the middle of an event. Think cinematically. The opening scene of The Handmaid’s Tale on TV showed a family being chased through the woods. At this point, viewers didn’t know who the family was or the significance of the car chase, but it was a gripping start to the series. You can replicate the narrative style in your writing to dramatic effect by immersing the reader in the middle of a scene. No setup, just action and impact. You’ll have to make sense of it later, but this is an impressive way to start a story if you have an opening scene that warrants such impact (i.e. it could be a great way to start a thriller with a fight or chase , but less useful for a rural romcom where the village knitting marathon doesn’t lead to the same element of tension).

A captivating line of dialogue

Just as you can pause when you hear someone say something — in real life, in a play, in a movie — you can grab the reader’s attention from the start with a great line of dialogue. Just make sure it’s either really great, or at least has some dramatic impact. And remember to add the context as soon as possible after the dialogue to start filling in the picture to give the reader a sense of the context in which the words are being spoken. That doesn’t mean starting with “I want a divorce” and adding a mundane line like “said Emma as she filled the kettle while her husband Ian ate his toast.” You’d have to show how the sight of Ian changed chewed through Another piece of whole grain fills Emma with existential despair.

The beginning of your story is so important that it pays to experiment with different introductions to see what works best. You may know exactly where your story begins, or you may be looking for the best place to start. As with anything in creative writing, there is no one-size-fits-all method, and you must apply the best one for your particular story. Test it in different ways. Be ready to revise it when you’re done and refine it until it’s perfect. We hope these storytelling tips will help you. Much luck!

It’s the roadmap for your essay, it’s the prognosis for your argument, it’s… your opening paragraph, and writing one can feel pretty intimidating. The introductory section is a part of almost every type of academic writing, from persuasive essays to research papers. But that doesn’t mean that writing one is easy!

If you’re trying to write an introductory paragraph and you’re feeling like a muggle trying to do magic, trust us: you’re not alone. But there are some tips and tricks that can simplify the process — and that’s where we come in.

In this article, we will explain how to write a captivating introductory paragraph by covering the following information:

A discussion of what an introductory paragraph is and its purpose in an essay

An overview of the most effective introductory paragraph format, with explanations of the three main parts of an introductory paragraph

An analysis of real examples of introductory paragraphs with a discussion of what works and what doesn’t

A list of four top tips for writing an introductory paragraph

Are you ready? Let’s start!

What is an introductory paragraph?

An introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of an essay, paper, or other type of academic writing. Argumentative essays, book reviews, research papers, and even personal essays are common types of writing that require an introductory paragraph. Whether you’re writing a research paper for a science class or an argumentative essay for English class, you need to write an introductory section.

So what is the purpose of an introductory paragraph? As a reader’s first impression of your essay, the introductory section should introduce the topic of your essay.

Your introduction will also list assertions, questions, or problems that your work will focus on. This is commonly referred to as the thesis of your work. This condenses the overall point of your essay into a short sentence or two that your reader can come back to and refer to later.

But introductory paragraphs need to do a little more than just introduce your topic. An introductory paragraph is also meant to grab your reader’s attention. The introductory paragraph is your chance to provide just enough information and intrigue to make your reader say, “Hey, this topic sounds interesting. I think I’ll keep reading this essay!” This can help your essay stand out from the crowd.

In most cases, an introductory paragraph will be relatively short. A good intro is clear, short, purposeful, and focused. Although there are some exceptions to this rule, it is common for introductory paragraphs to be three to five sentences long.

Effectively introducing the topic and purpose of your essay and getting your reader interested in your essay sounds like a lot of questions from a small paragraph, right? In the next section, we’ll demystify the intro paragraph format by breaking it down into its core components. When you learn how to approach each part of an intro, writing an intro won’t seem so scary!

Once you figure out the three parts of an introductory paragraph, writing becomes a breeze!

The 3 main parts of an introductory section

In general, an introductory paragraph consists of three main parts: a hook, context, and a thesis statement. Each of these parts of the introduction plays a key role in familiarizing the reader with the topic and purpose of your essay.

Below, we explain how to start an introductory paragraph by writing an effective hook, providing context, and formulating a thesis. When you put these elements together, you have an introductory paragraph that will make a great first impression on your audience!

Introductory Section Part 1: The Hook

When it comes to how to start an introductory paragraph, one of the most common approaches is to start with something called a hook.

But what does hook mean here? Think of it this way: It’s like the start of a new Netflix series: you look back a few hours (and a few episodes) later and you’re like, “Whoa. I think I must be addicted to this show!”

Here’s how the hook is supposed to work in an intro paragraph: It’s supposed to grab your reader’s interest in a way that doesn’t make them want to hit the proverbial “pause” button while reading. In other words, a hook should grab your reader’s attention and make them want to read your essay!

That means the hook comes first in the intro paragraph format — it will be the opening sentence of your intro.

It’s important to realize that there are many different ways to write a good hook. But in general, hooks need to include these two things: your topic and the angle you’re taking on that topic in your essay.

One approach to writing a working hook is to start with a general but interesting statement about your topic. With this type of hook, you’re trying to provide a broad introduction to your topic and your perspective on the topic in an engaging way.

For example, if you’re writing an essay about the role of government in the American healthcare system, your hook might look something like this:

There is a growing movement demanding that the federal government provide affordable and effective health care to all Americans.

This essay introduces the essay topic (government and healthcare) broadly by presenting a general statement on the subject. But the assumption presented in the caption can also be seen as controversial, which piques readers’ interest in learning more about what the author—and the essay—has to say.

In other words, the above statement fulfills the goals of a good essay: it is intriguing and provides a general introduction to the essay topic.

Introductory Section Part 2: Context

Once you’ve provided an attention-grabbing hook, you’ll want to give more context to your essay topic. Context refers to additional details that reveal the specific focus of your work. So while the hook provides a general introduction to your topic, the context helps readers understand what exactly you’re going to write about

Depending on your teacher’s expectations, the length of your work, and the complexity of your topic, you can include between one and more contextual sentences in your intro. In these context-providing sentences, you want to start narrowing the focus of your introduction. You can do this by describing a specific problem or question related to your topic that you will address in your essay. It also helps readers understand why the topic you are writing about is important and why they should read about it.

So what counts as context for an introductory paragraph? Context can be any important detail or description that provides background information about existing perspectives, shared cultural attitudes, or a specific situation or controversy related to your essay topic. The context you include should familiarize your reader with the issues, questions, or events that motivated you to write an essay on your topic… and which your reader should be aware of in order to understand your thesis.

For example, if you’re writing an essay analyzing the consequences of sexism in Hollywood, the context you put after your hook might relate to the #metoo and #timesup movements, which support victims of sexual harassment in public to have.

The key takeaway here is that context determines why you’re bringing up your topic and what makes it important. It also prepares you for the success of the final part of an introductory section: the thesis statement.

Elle Woods’ testimony offers a specific take on murder… which means it could serve as a pretty decent thesis!

Introductory Section Part 3: The Thesis

The final key part of writing an introductory paragraph is the thesis statement. The thesis statement is the backbone of your introduction: it conveys your argument or point of view on your topic in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner. The thesis is usually the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

Whether it’s making a claim, outlining key points, or proposing a hypothesis, your thesis statement will tell your reader exactly what idea(s) are being raised in your essay. A good thesis will be clear, straightforward, and will emphasize the general point you are trying to make.

Some faculty also ask students to include an essay card as part of their thesis. An essay map is a section that outlines the main topics that a paper will address. For example, let’s say you’re writing a paper arguing for the importance of public transportation in rural communities. Your dissertation and essay map could look like this:

Public transportation in rural communities helps people improve their economic situation by providing them with reliable transportation to work, reducing fuel expenses, and creating new and unionized jobs.

The underlined section is the essay card because it touches on the three big things that the author will talk about later. It literally maps the rest of the essay!

So let’s recap: Your thesis takes the idea you introduced into its hook and context and summarizes it. Think of it like a TV episode: the hook sets the scene by presenting a general statement and/or interesting idea that pulls you in. Context drives the storyline by describing the topic in more detail and helping readers understand why the topic is important. And finally, the thesis paper provides the climax by telling the reader what you have to say on the topic.

The thesis paper is the most important part of the introduction. Without them, your reader won’t know what the purpose of your essay is! And for a text to be effective, it must have a clear purpose. Your thesis statement conveys that purpose, so it’s important to think carefully about writing a clear and compelling thesis statement.

How to Write an Introductory Section: Example and Analysis

Now that we’ve given an overview of the introductory paragraph and explained the three main parts of an introductory paragraph, let’s take a look at an introductory paragraph in action.

To show you how an introductory paragraph works, we’ve included a sample introductory paragraph below, followed by an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses.

Example of an introductory section

While college students across the US struggle with how to pay for college, there’s another surprising demographic impacted by the pressure to pay for college: families and parents. With college tuition totaling more than $100,000 (a low estimate), families must make difficult decisions about how to save for their children’s college education. Demonstrating a viable way to save for college is further complicated by the FAFSA’s estimates of an “expected family contribution” — an amount of money that is rarely feasible for most American families. Because of these challenging financial circumstances and cultural pressures to give their children the best possible chance of succeeding in adulthood, many families go into debt to pay for their children’s college education. The US government should begin to shoulder more of the financial burden of college education.

Example of an introductory section: Analysis

Before we dive into analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of this sample intro paragraph, let’s set the essay topic. The sample intro shows that the essay topic will focus on a specific topic: who should cover the cost of college education in the US and why. Both the hook and the context help us identify the topic, while the thesis in the last sentence tells us why this topic is important to the author – they think the US government needs to help fund college education . This is also the author’s argument, which he will address in the main part of his essay.

Now that we’ve identified the essay topic presented in the example intro, let’s move on to an analysis. To pinpoint its strengths and weaknesses, we will use the following three questions to guide our sample introductory paragraph analysis:

Does this intro provide an attention-grabbing opening sentence that conveys the essay’s topic? Does this introduction provide relevant, engaging context to the topic of the essay? Does this introduction provide a thesis statement that outlines the author’s point of view on the topic and what specific aspects of the topic the essay will address?

Now let’s use the questions above to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of this example intro paragraph.

Does the intro have a good catch?

First, the intro begins with an attention-grabbing hook. The author begins with an assumption (that the US federal government bears most of the financial burden of college education) that makes the subject accessible to a wide readership. Also note that the catch relates to the general theme of the essay, which is the high cost of college education.

The hook then takes a surprising turn by presenting a counter-claim: that American families, not students, are feeling the true burden of college expenses. Some readers will react strongly emotionally to this provocative counter-claim, which will encourage them to continue reading! As such, this intro provides an effective opening sentence that conveys the essay’s topic.

Does the intro give context?

The second, third, and fourth sentences of the intro provide contextual details that reveal the specific focus of the author’s work. Remember: the context helps readers align on what the work will focus on and what aspect of the general topic (university costs) will be discussed later.

The context in this intro reveals the intent and direction of the paper by explaining why the college family finance issue is important. In other words, context helps readers understand why this topic is important and what aspects of this topic are covered in the paper.

In order to provide effective context, the author refers to issues (the exorbitant cost of college and the high level of family debt) that have recently received much academic and media attention. These contextual sentences also address the interesting perspective contained in the caption: that American families are hardest hit by college costs.

Does the intro have a thesis?

Finally, this introduction offers a thesis statement that conveys the author’s point of view on the issue of funding higher education. This author believes that the US government should do more to fund students’ college education.

However, the explanation of the thesis does not give us any details as to why the author made this claim or why this will help American families. There is no essay card to help readers understand what points the author will make in the essay.

To revise this thesis statement to establish the specific aspects of the topic that the essay will address, the author could add the following at the beginning of the thesis statement:

The US government should shoulder more of the financial burden of college education, as other countries have shown that it can improve literacy rates while reducing levels of family poverty.

Check out the new section in bold. Not only does it make it clear that the author is talking about the pressures placed on families, it also touches on the big issues the author will address in the paper: improving literacy rates and reducing poverty. So not only do we have a clearer argumentative statement in this work, we also have an essay map!

So let’s summarize our analysis. This sample intro paragraph does an effective job of providing an engaging hook and relatable, interesting context, but the thesis requires some work! If you are writing your own introductory paragraphs, you might consider using the questions above to evaluate and revise your work. That way, you can make sure you’ve covered all your bases and written an intro that your readers will find interesting!

4 tips for writing an introductory paragraph

Now that we’ve gone through an example of introductory paragraph analysis, let’s talk about how to write your own introductory paragraph. Read on for four tips for writing a successful introductory paragraph for any essay.

Tip 1: Analyze your essay prompt

If you’re having trouble starting an introductory paragraph, analyze your essay prompt! Most teachers give you some sort of assignment sheet, formal instructions, or a prompt to set expectations for an essay they’re assigned, right? These instructions can help you write your introductory paragraph!

Since they’ll read your essay and respond to it, you want to make sure you meet your teacher’s expectations for an introductory paragraph. For example, if they gave specific instructions on how long the intro should be or where the thesis statement should be, be sure to follow them!

The type of paper you’re writing can also give you clues as to how to approach your intro. If you are writing a research paper, your professor may expect you to ask a research question or state a hypothesis in your introduction. If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you need to make sure your intro gets the context of your argument and your thesis statement makes a clear, justifiable claim.

Using the parameters set by your teacher and assignment sheet can set some easy-to-follow limits on things like the length, structure, and content of your intro. By following these guidelines, you can focus on other aspects of your intro…like finding an exciting hook and getting your point across on your topic!

Tip 2: Narrow down your topic

You can’t write an introductory paragraph without first identifying your topic. To make your intro as effective as possible, you need to clearly define the parameters of your theme — and you need to be specific.

Say you want to write about college football. “NCAA Football” is too broad a subject for a treatise. There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to college football! It would be difficult to write an introductory paragraph that is focused, purposeful, and engaging on this topic. In fact, if you tried to address this whole subject, you would probably end up writing a book!

Instead, you should narrow down general topics to identify a specific question, claim, or issue related to some aspect of NCAA football in order for your intro to be effective. For example, you might phrase your topic like this: “How can college professors better support NCAA football players in academia?” This focused topic related to NCAA football would give you a more manageable angle to discuss in your thesis.

So before you think about writing your intro, ask yourself: Is my essay topic specific, focused and logical? Is there a topic or question being conveyed that I can explore across multiple pages? Once you’ve settled on a good topic, you’ll have the foundation you need to write an effective introductory paragraph.

Once you’ve figured out your subject, it’s time to hit the books!

Tip 3: Do your research

This tip is closely related to the above and is crucial to writing a good intro: do your research! And guess what? This tip applies to all work, including non-technical research work.

Here’s why you need to do some research: Educate yourself on what others have said about your topic — whether it’s scientists and researchers or the mainstream media — to narrow your topic, write an engaging hook, and provide relatable context.

You don’t want to sit down to write your intro without a solid understanding of the different perspectives on your topic. Whether these are the perspectives of experts or the general public, these viewpoints will help you write your intro in a way that will be intriguing and compelling to your readership.

Tip 4: Write several drafts

Some say you should write your intro first; others say write it last. The truth is that there is no right or wrong time to write your intro — but you must have enough time to write multiple drafts.

Often your professor will ask you to write several drafts of your paper, giving you a built-in way to make sure you revise your introduction. Another approach you might take is to write a rough draft of your intro before you start writing your essay, and then revise it several times as you write your essay.

Here’s why this approach can work: As you write your paper, you’ll likely come across new insights into your topic that you didn’t have from the start. You can use these “lightbulb” moments to re-evaluate your intro and make revisions that bring it in line with your evolving essay draft.

Once you’ve written your entire essay, you should consider going back and revising your introduction again. You can ask yourself these questions when evaluating your intro:

Is my hook still relevant to the way I approached the topic in my essay? Am I providing enough appropriate context to present my essay? Now that my essay is written, does my thesis still accurately reflect the point I am making in my essay?

Using these questions as a guide and revising your intro multiple times can help ensure you’ve written the best intro for the final draft of your essay. Plus, it’s always a good thing to revise your copy—and that goes for your intro too!

What’s next?

Your college essays also need great introductory paragraphs. Here’s a guide focused on how to write the perfect intro for your admissions essays.

Of course, the intro is only part of your college essay. In this article, you’ll learn how to write a college essay that will make admissions officers sit up and take notice.

Are you trying to write an analytical essay? Our step-by-step guide can help you hit it out of the park.

by Anne R Allen

Let’s face it: the first few chapters are tough.

When you write your first draft, you are writing for yourself – getting to know your characters and their world. You should let everything flow onto the page free from the censorship of your inner editor.

But when you revise, it’s a different story. You have to strip out a fair amount of information that you put in the opening chapters. Don’t delete anything – keep it for later to distribute throughout the book.

You will end up with an opening chapter that is very different from what you started with. And that is how it is supposed to be. In fact, your entire original Chapter 1 could be one of those favorites you have to kill.

I usually write the final draft of my first chapter last. That’s because I don’t know exactly what needs to be in there until I polish the ending all the way up.

An ideal first chapter should do the following things:

1) Introduce the main character.

You want to start with a scene that involves the protagonist. Yes, I know the standard opening of every cop show on TV is random strangers discovering a body or getting killed. That’s something that works great in drama, but not in a novel.

Whoever we meet first in a book is the character we connect with. If that person is killed on page five, we feel betrayed.

We don’t need to know much about the MC right away, but we need to know enough to care. They can be very sketchy when it comes to looks (all Jane Austen has told us about Elizabeth Bennett is that she had “beautiful eyes”).

We probably need to know gender, age, and maybe social status/job/position in society, but most of all we need to know the emotions the character in the scene is feeling – preferably something the reader can relate to.

How to open Ghostwriters in the Sky:

“The subway car was so full I couldn’t tell which of the sweaty men pressed against me was attached to the hand that’s now crawling up my thigh. I should have known better than to wear a dress on a day when I had to ride the subway, but in the middle of a New York heat wave, I couldn’t take another day in a pantsuit.”

I didn’t use a description of the protagonist, but we can say that she is

Female

a cosmopolitan city dweller who takes things easy

not rich enough to take a cab

engaged in any way that would normally require wearing a suit

far too polite for her own good.

We can also relate to their distress at being groped. She’s in an awkward situation and we hope she gets out of there unscathed.

2) Give us enough concern to go on a journey with this character.

This is trickier than it sounds. What are we interested in? There is no formula and nothing will work for every reader in every genre.

Agents and editors always tell us they want a “likable” protagonist, but that doesn’t necessarily mean someone you’d want as a friend.

Scarlett O’Hara is shallow and narcissistic, but readers have found her fascinating for nearly a century. Dexter Morgan is a sociopathic serial killer – not exactly the kind of guy you want as a best friend. And who would want to spend time with Lisbeth Salander? Even Jane Austen’s Emma is something of a witch.

You don’t have to present us with a protagonist as flawed as these characters. But they must have weaknesses. My detective, Camilla Randall, is supremely polite and always believes things will be perfectly fine, although the reader can certainly tell that trouble is brewing.

Some people like a kick-ass-first, ask-questions-later character, and some prefer a more thoughtful, honorable hero. It depends on genre and tone.

What readers generally don’t find sympathetic is arrogance, whining or a victim mentality. A hero has to be brave in some way, so let’s see the potential for that right away.

3) Adjust sound.

You don’t want to start a romantic comedy with a gruesome murder scene or open a thriller with light flirty banter. You want to immerse your reader in the world of the book from the first paragraph. Since novelists don’t have music or visual elements to set the scene, we must use words to set the tone.

Long descriptions of weather or surroundings are out of fashion these days, but broad descriptive strokes can go a long way in setting the mood of your story.

My above opener is light and humorous. The muggy weather reflects Camilla’s muggy situation. In another type of book, this could be a situation of great danger or something that would put the heroine in extreme distress. Then describing wet weather in terms of darkness or heaviness would convey a different mood.

But you don’t have to use the weather or the description to set the tone. Sharp, choppy dialogue can convey danger, or a self-deprecating narration voice can indicate that some laughs are in store for us.

4) Tell us the topic.

If you’re dealing with a specific topic, you don’t want to hit us on the head with that, you want to give us a taste. Great writers can do this in the first sentence.

Check out how William Gibson began Neuromancer, the novel that defined cyberpunk: “The sky over the harbor was the color of television, tuned into a dead channel.” Gibson lets us know from the start that this is about the dark side of technology.

I begin my mystery Sherwood, Ltd with this paragraph:

“Anyone can become an outlaw. All it took for me was a little financial short-sightedness, an inherited bad taste in marriage, a recession—and there I was, the great-granddaughter of newspaper baron H.P. Randall, snaking around the shadowy alleys and becoming a common thief.”

You’ll know right away that we’re dealing with a theme like poverty, outlaws and thieves that reflects the Robin Hoody title.

5) Let us know where we are.

Don’t give us a lot of physical descriptions, but we need to know what planet/historical time period we are on.

Despite what you’ve heard about show-not-tell, it’s perfectly fine to give the reader some basic information in a simple way, like Jeffrey Eugenidies does in Middlesex:

“I was born twice: first as a little girl on a remarkably smog-free Detroit day in January 1960; and then again, as a teenager, in August 1974 in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan.”

Especially in SciFi and Fantasy you need to build some worlds, but limit yourself to what is absolutely necessary and fill in the details later. Most new writers tend to tell us way too much about their fantasy world beforehand. They want to tell us just enough for us to imagine the scene that’s taking place, but not slow down the action.

6) Introduce the antagonist.

An antagonist is someone/something that keeps the protagonist from their goal.

The concept of an “antagonist” is probably the most difficult to grasp for most new authors.

You might think you don’t need an antagonist unless you’re writing a crime thriller about a sadistic serial killer or a spy novel in which the hero must foil the evil genius plotting to take over the world.

But there’s a difference between an antagonist and a villain.

An antagonist can be an entire society, an addiction, a legal system, or anything that might prevent a hero from achieving his goal. But you definitely need one. (I found this out the hard way. I spent 10 years writing a novel that had no antagonist and I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t end.) The wonderful Kristen Lamb writes some of the best stuff I’ve ever written seen the theme of the antagonist, whom she calls the Big Boss Troublemaker. Here’s one of Kristen’s great posts on the BBT.

7) spark conflicts.

We don’t just need conflict in the opening scene, we need to see an overall tension that drives your plot.

In the Hunger Games, the burning question in the opening scene is who will be chosen to play the games. But the bigger conflict lies with the Hunger Games itself. With the opening scene conflict resolved, the underlying tension still keeps us turning the page from a larger story question – how will Katniss survive?

Conflict doesn’t have to mean actual combat. In fact, starting in the middle of a battle can be terribly confusing for a reader. It’s better to start with something like the heroine, who prepares for battle by stealing her brother’s armor after her father forbids her to fight.

8) Give us a goal: Tell us what your protagonist wants.

We need to know immediately what he wants, which might mean that the troll that just killed his companions will stop swinging that pointed sword at him.

But we also need to know pretty early in the story what your hero really, really wants (sorry to the Spice Girls) – his ultimate goal, like maybe taking a magical trinket to Mount Disaster to destroy it forever.

I realize that ultimate goal doesn’t always appear in chapter one. But we need a goal in chapter one that leads to the end goal.

9) Present an exciting, life-changing incident.

This incident has to create something that propels us to the next scene – and the one after that – and throughout the book. Think of it as the explosion that launches your story’s rocket.

This is easier for some genre writers. When you write a crime novel, you can find a corpse and the story continues.

Or in romance, the beautiful Griselda may meet Lord Puddlesbury when his horse accidentally knocks over her grandfather’s vegetable cart and she vows to hate him forever.

But in other genres, it can be difficult to get the provocative incident close to the opener. Work on it, though, because anything else will seem like a throat clear to the reader. Most readers won’t admire your beautiful prose until you’ve got a story going.

10) Introduce the other main characters.

“Major” is the key here. Don’t let secondary characters overshadow the hero in the opener. In fact, you’re better off without supporting characters in the opening scene. We have so much stuff to cram in, we don’t have a lot of room for the maid/guard/pizza guy role that opens up so much drama.

We need to be introduced to Lord Puddlesbury fairly early on – or at least be heard from. Ditto Griselda’s rowdy sister, whose loose morals threaten to embarrass the poor but honorable family of greengrocers, and perhaps the intrepid ploughman Jack, who has loved Griselda since childhood. But we don’t need to know about his lordship’s groom or his tailor, unless the bratty sister elopes with them in chapter ten in a scandalous ménage a trois.

Many new writers tend to overload the opener with colorful characters that never appear in the story again. This may confuse a reader who expects people to reappear and play important roles in the opener.

***

Hold on, sez you. I can think of half a dozen bestsellers that don’t do these things.

Yes, I can too. I didn’t say these are hard and fast rules. But they are something to aim for. If your prose is so intriguing that the reader doesn’t notice, then you have more power. But for most of us mortals, our readers are happiest when they get as much information as possible in the opener.

If your opener doesn’t do any of this—and most first drafts don’t—try this trick: try cutting off the first two chapters. Does chapter three give you a better start? Start there. Then, later in the book, give us the information from the first two chapters.

How about you, scribe? Are there any other things you’re dying to see in an opener? Having a hard time cramming all of this stuff into chapter one?

by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) June 9, 2013

There will always be some tension between wanting to reduce risk and wanting to make as much money as possible.

The book describes the tense days before the war.

There was a lot of excitement at the meeting.

Do you feel the tension between the two?

The author releases the tension too soon.

You can see she’s just full of tension about her job.

Current examples on the web: nouns

The issue of dormitories has created tensions between the Vatican and the Canadian government. — Francis X Rocca, WSJ, July 28, 2022

A source of excitement was the book Mr Pence is writing about his time in administration. – New York Times, July 26, 2022

Part of the tension stems from the belief that comics are only for kids, a misconception rooted in the industry’s long history of censorship. – San Diego Union-Tribune, July 21, 2022

In fact, Caro Quintero was the source of 37 years of tension between the two countries. — Mark Stevenson, ajc, July 19, 2022

Within these large regions will be another line of tension between people and the impact that AI is having on their lives (e.g. on minorities). – Mike O’sullivan, Forbes, July 15, 2022

Satisfy every thriller fan’s appetite for suspense with 15 films from the undisputed master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, July 12, 2022

Squeezing your glutes and core to create lots of tension, grasp the end of the barbell with the same arm as your front leg (i.e. your right arm if your right leg is forward and your left knee is on the floor ). — Brett Williams, Men’s Health, July 11, 2022

But even before his April 14 unsolicited offer to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share, there were signs of tension. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, July 8, 2022

Current examples on the web: Verb

The roof poles tension the whole tent well and pull against the pegs so the walls don’t sag and the roof doesn’t sag. – Bill Gifford, Outside Online, July 26, 2022

The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunscreen layers to stretch them into their final shape. — Julia Musto, Fox News, January 2, 2022

Will the tension between hawks and doves be the defining feature of Juntos going forward? — Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, Nov. 14, 2021

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual contained a kinetic semi-circular plate that used the movement of the wearer’s arm to tension the mainspring, eliminating the need for manual winding. — Kyle Roderick, Forbes, June 22, 2021

Its cocked grips make it easy to control and aim, and the included 25mm and 10mm eyepieces sit firmly and comfortably on the included accessory tray. – Popular Science, April 9, 2020

The degree of hold can be changed using tensioning screws on the shells. – The Editors, Outdoor Life, February 20, 2020

Post-tensioning Workers must complete post-tensioning of the bridge segments. — Anna Beam | [email protected], al, Oct 23, 2019

At the Richmond shipyard, workers are learning to tension the cables and attach the struts before actually building the net across the bay. – Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, December 12, 2019

See more

Literary definition of rising action

Whether you’re using the classic five-element plot structure or a three-act plot structure, rising action means the same thing. Rising action is an element in your narrative or story arc.

In this sense, the ascending action comes after the presentation or basic introduction to the story and begins with a stimulating incident. It contains a series of events that add to the conflict and ends at the climax of the story.

Examples of Great First Phrases (And How They Did It)

1. Disclosure of Personal Information

“School was tough for me, for many reasons.” – Tiffany Haddish, The Last Black Unicorn

When most people think of comedian Tiffany Haddish, they think of a glamorous celebrity.

They don’t think of a kid who struggled at school because of an unstable home life, smelly of onions, and struggled with bullying.

From the first line of her book, Tiffany reveals that you will learn things about her that you don’t know – personal things.

I mean really personally.

The book’s opening story ends with her trying to cut a wart off her face because she was teased about it so much (hence the nickname “unicorn”).

This level of personal connection immediately invites the reader. It promises that the author will be honest and vulnerable without compromise.

It won’t be a picture perfect memory. It will be real and it will teach you something.

And that forms a connection.

2. Mirror the reader’s pain

“How can I become more confident?” is by far the most common question we get asked, whether it’s approaching women, dating them, or just having sex. — Tucker Max and Geoffrey Miller, PhD, What Women Want

Geoffrey and I chose this opening sentence because it lets readers know right away that we know their pain.

Not only that, we knew how to fix it.

If a reader picked up the book and didn’t connect with that opening line, they probably weren’t our target audience.

But when someone picks it up and says, “That’s exactly what I want to know!” we already had them hooked.

They would trust us immediately because we proved in the first sentence that we understand them.

In this sentence, Geoffrey and I are positioned as experts. People come to us for help.

But you can also mirror your reader’s pain more directly. Check out this example from Jennifer Luzzato’s book Inheriting Chaos with Compassion:

“In 2013 my husband was diagnosed with leukemia.”

That’s a slap in the face for everyone. But there’s an even bigger one for Jennifer’s target audience: people who have unexpectedly lost a loved one and are struggling with financial chaos.

Jennifer doesn’t just give the reader advice.

She shows that she has overcome the pain. She understands. And she is the right person to help the reader solve it.

3. Ask the reader a question

“Let’s start with a question: Why do certain groups perform better than others?” – Daniel Coyle, The Culture Code

Readers come to non-fiction books because they want help solving a problem.

If you’ve picked up a book on team building, culture, and leadership, you probably want answers to a few questions.

Daniel Coyle’s book shows the reader right away that he will provide answers.

Nor is his question a boring how-organizations-question.

It’s compelling enough to keep you reading for at least a few more sentences. And then ideally a few sentences, pages and chapters after that.

Starting with a question is often a variant of tactic number two.

If the reader has picked up your book in hopes of solving a specific problem or learning how to do something, this persuasive question can immediately show them that you understand their pain.

It can set the stage for the whole book.

You can also pique the reader’s interest by asking them a question they’ve never thought of.

Nicholas Kusmich’s book Give begins with the question:

“How are entrepreneurs like superheroes?”

It’s a unique question that captivates a reader.

But the answer still goes straight to the heart of his book: “Both entrepreneurs and superheroes want to use their skills to serve people and make the world a better place.”

The unexpected setting gives readers a fresh perspective on a topic they’ve probably given a lot of thought to.

4. Shock the reader

“We shot dogs. Not by chance. We did it on purpose and we called it Operation Scooby. I’m a dog person, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot.” — Phil Klay, redeployment

I said in the introduction to this post that you don’t have to shock the reader to get their attention.

I never said you can’t.

But if you want to do it, you have to do it well.

This is the best opening of a book I’ve ever read. I’m actually a dog person, so this shocked me deeply. It was gripping.

As you read, the sentence begins to make more sense, but it remains just as shocking. And you can’t help but end the page and chapter to understand why. But my god, what a way to captivate a reader (in case you’re wondering, the dogs licked blood off dead bodies and relayed the soldiers’ positions to insurgents. They had to kill the dogs or risk detection).

I read that opening sentence as part of an excerpt from the book on Business Insider.

I dug through the excerpt, bought the book on Kindle, canceled two meetings, and read the entire book.

5. Captivate the reader

“It was on the morning of June 9th in Frisco, Texas that I made the most shocking realization of my professional life.” – Will Leach, Marketing for Mindstates

If you’re not reading this and want to know immediately what the realization was, you’re a force to be reckoned with.

People love to read about drama, misadventures, and revelations. Leading the way, Will immediately captivates his readers.

The beginning of a story sets the tone for everything that will happen next. An opener is like an appetizer that offers a tasty bite of what’s to come.

When you start writing a story, you may not know where it is going. That’s okay. Play with possibilities! Try one or more of these strategies.

Strategy 1: Start with action or dialogue.

I squatted down to the starting position, hands on the track and back coiled like a spring. “On your mark! Set!” The starting gun rang. I threw myself forward, trying to get ahead of the pack.

Strategy 2: Ask a question.

Why is trouble always following me? Do I have a “kick me” sign on my back or something?

Strategy 3: Describe the environment.

I was snuggled into three branches on top of an old oak tree behind my house. I could see over the roof, could see for miles. Above them planes lined the sky, heading for O’Hare Airport to land one by one.

Strategy 4: Start with background information.

Tommy is my little brother and he is in the first grade. He is fearless. One day he wore a cape to school. I told him everyone would laugh at him. The next day five other boys with cloaks came.

Strategy 5: Have the main character introduce themselves.

I am Tabitha. I just turned 13 and I’m here to tell you a secret.

Your Turn Practice each starting strategy. Think of a time when you recently accomplished something important. Try each strategy to start a narrative about that time. Then trade your story starters with a partner. Find out which starter makes your partner most interested in reading your story.