Creating a Reader Experience in the Opening to Your Story

Beginning a story is, for some writers, the hardest part of a manuscript. The difficulty is often a matter of not knowing how to write an exciting enough first line or first page. M. Todd Gallowglas, writer, critic, and educator, explains how to write an opening scene that grabs the attention of a reader. When he’s teaching a writing class or workshop, he quotes American poet Richard Hugo: “Begin in an experience, real or imagined.” If an author can draw a reader into a story by placing him or...