How much attention do you pay to the first line of your work? Do you obsess over trying to get it right? Or do you just dive in with the first sentence that comes into mind?
The shorter the writing, the greater the value that your first line carries. While a 300-page novel might survive a rough start, a one-page essay will probably suffer for it. If you’ve resolved that a powerful first line is what you’re aiming for, trying to make sure these four qualities find their way into your work should prove a worthy use of your time.
1. Properly written sentence. Naturally, a good first line should be structurally correct, not to mention elegantly constructed. A quality writing software should help.
2. Hints at the overall content of the piece. What’s the rest of the text about? If your first line can offer a clue, then it should prove an effective instrument for making the document easier to consume for your reader.
3. Sets the tone of the material. How do you want your reader to act, feel and think while they’re going through your work? A good first line will steer the reader in the direction that you want. Not doing so can lead them down the wrong path, potentially pushing them to lose interest.
4. Hooks the reader. You want to draw the reader in with your first line and pull them into the story, wanting to know more.
Of all the four characteristics above, the last and the first ones are easily the most vital to employ. If the first line can get the reader to dive further into the piece, all while being elegant and proper, then it has done its job marvelously. The succeeding statements can then proceed to assist with the other two qualities.
Tags: first line, introduction
