How to Nail Your Novel Opening and Hook Your Reader - Advice from a Book Editor

[@iivin4233]

Snow Crash opens with a pizza delivery that has geopolitical consequences. It revels in dialect. Even the narrator's voice drips with it. The main character is named Hiro Protagonist. It does everything wrong exactly right, and so I love it.

[@carlosfernandez8777]

Alyssa, you are the most professional commentator of all the ones that post videos on different channels related to fiction writing ( and I have seen many) You are thorough, clear, and right to the point. I am just finishing up my first nove,l and your videos have been very helpful. Thank you! Carlos.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Thanks so much, that means a lot! Best of luck with your novel!

[@brandic89]

Yes! Great point re: light, as-you-need-it world building. I listened to a fascinating character-driven book and then saw so many reviews bitching about the "lack of world building." I actually felt immersed in the fairy world (which was described), but we didn't have time to sit around talking about all the rules (at one time) of the Seely and Unseely courts bc we were so busy in the conflicts and emotions and hopes and fears and triumphs of the magical characters.

[@sanamir9886]

Very helpful video. Thanks 1. Conflict 2. Intriguing characters (Protagonist) 3. Strong momentum. (Suspence) Example: “The things they carry” technically a collection of short stories by Tim O Brian.

[@StatmanRN]

Loved the Things They Carried as well. As a Vet of another era, I was blown away. Got to talk with Tim Obrien at length after a reading at U of Tampa years ago..I was shocked to learn his characters were entirely made up and not composites of men from his time in The Nam. He is an amazing Writer.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Wow! That goes to show that he really understood his craft! Thanks for sharing your experience :)

[@kardsufur2966]

would love if you had a segment where you ask people to submit opening pages for you to critique their 1st page or first few paragraphs ! Those are my favorite segments from other agent-tubes but sadly it's still rare to see

[@AlyssaMatesic]

That's a great idea! I'd love to do something like that in the future. If I get to 1,000 subscribers, I can post on my Community feed to ask if people are interested in submitting. Would you want to see that in a live stream or a prerecorded one?

[@CarameltPud]

@@AlyssaMatesic I'm not the original commenter but in my opinion, I would love to see that in a live stream so both you and your subscribers (I became one just now, yay!) can have a smoother Q&A .

[@clintcarpentier2424]

@@AlyssaMatesic Would you look at that, 1.04k subscribers... I would prefer prerecorded.

[@WriteHollyDavis]

Great advice and I love that you gave us an example. Thanks!!

[@jordendarrett1725]

Something a lot of new writers don't think about...including myself! When I flip through books and see how each chapter starts with interesting opening lines, I realize just how important this is.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Thank you, Jorden! That sounds like great practice for tackling chapter openings.

[@AdenThinksNonsense]

My book I'm writing personally, I started it with one the main characters as a kid and why he led to the capital of the kingdom. Just for a backstory

[@123gorainy]

Excellent, thank you for these clear and followable tips, Alyssa.

[@jaydean7]

Some of the things you say seems so obvious after I hear them. Now I believe I know why most agents look for the first ten pages Thank you

[@masonengel636]

I’m about to revise a WIP so this was perfect timing for me 😊 I do start with a non-main character ... but he gets hit by a bus after a few pages 😮 Hopefully I can make it clear the story isn’t about him.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

What an intriguing opening! As long as you don’t string the reader along for too long, that approach could definitely work.

[@thisisdmc]

Extremely helpful tips, nice quality videos, and flawless speeches! You certainly deserve more subscribers ^^

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Thank you very much! That's great feedback to receive :)

[@momo_genX]

I agree with you about character building in the first chapter is important, but also plot setting is important, if not more so, explaining the seeting better to get a general feel for mood. Like an opening describing how things were in a certain city at a certain time, while developing and introducing characters?

[@Doucette767]

Thank you! Your speaking voice and style is the best I have ever heard. I have hearing problems. Have you considered the broadcasting industry? You would be the greatest thing since Walter Cronkite.

[@INTJ91]

This was great. To the point and insightful 🖤

[@martinsvaneborg]

Your videos are absolutely delightful. Informative. I love how style-neutral they are. Most author tubers are quite biased in their personal taste for genre or style. I like that you are so clean, so to speak.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that :)

[@paulrobinson9087]

Good information, as always. Every author should know the opening line, page and chapter need to grab a reader. Especially in this day and age of look inside. Those first few words need to have me reading on, not flicking to another chapter to see if it becomes interesting or simply putting it down. I loved your approach, especially the example. Great work. Keep the momentum rolling!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Completely agree. Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@elaynegriffith]

Great advice and example. Although it’s obviously well written, it doesn’t make me want to read that book because it’s not a genre that interests me. So remember, writers, it’s also a very subjective industry. Find your audience and write to them, not everyone on the planet.

[@danielmartin8913]

New writers are erroneously told to always start with an explosion, and many have taken the advice literally. "Conflict or the promise of" is a better, though more nuanced, way of putting it. The audience needs to see that something is happening. Thanks again!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Completely agree - really well put. Thank you for the thoughtful insight!

[@rowan7929]

Beta readers are indeed helpful as everyone has a different perspective. My editor made/suggested some changes as well that I can describe some parts about the character and the world without being too detailed. Working now on my fourth book, I hope that this time I didn't overload the reader with infos. But it's still in early stages, so lots can change.

[@classicalbum]

Is it ok to use a short quote just below the chapter number and before the text?

[@DalCecilRuno]

Thank you for sharing, it's very helpful.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Thank you, too!

[@oldguyinstanton]

Thank you for this video. These are all great ideas. How would you modify your advice for a novel written with framing (i.e.: two stories, where the first one "frames" the second one, example: The Princess Bride). The structure of my novel is: Prologue - the formative event that shapes the Timeline 1 story. Timeline 1 - protagonist -vs- antagonist, where antagonist wants to convince the protagonist, and so tells a story Timeline 2 - the story being told. Timelines 1 and 2 then alternative, as each story progresses. Epilog - ties each story together.

[@amazinga2514]

😊Thank you so much. This really helped me in my writing!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

I'm so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for commenting!

[@themikeshowlive]

Is a short first chapter OK? Mine is considerably shorter than other chapters. It establishes character, setting and conflict. Should I embellish more to bulk it up? Love your content. I'm watching you to get back into finishing my novel after several years of putting it off. Thank you.

[@kirstyohara]

These videos are awesome! Thanks for making them Alyssa 💛📒✏️

[@ds8249]

I am currently finishing my master's degree in psychology and will be starting a Ph.D. program in the fall (I just got accepted last Thursday, woohoo!). I have written one novel so far and have collected enough novellas/shorts for a collection book. I feel that my writing structure and story itself is solid. My grammar is decent (I am better than average, but definitely short of a professional editor) and I think what I have is more than good enough to make it onto the market, barring some looming grammatical fixes. All this said, I am not sure what my next step is because, as I stated, I am a graduate student (i.e. fantastically poor). I had actually found you on Reedsy and have been exploring your channel some. I think my next step is to find an editor, but the prices are astronomical for me. With my stipend, 1000$ for an edit of my novel (400ish pages) is nearly a tenth of my yearly salary. What would you suggest my next step be? Would it be an awful idea to cold approach an agent despite the minor grammatical fixes my eyes just can't seem to catch? I feel like I am hitting a financial brick wall. If you were in this situation, what might your next step be to squeeze some blood from a stone? P.S. I love the channel and am still exploring more of your videos (master's thesis eats up a good chunk of my day unfortunately). This question does not exactly relate to this video's subject, and I apologize for that. I thought the newest video might be my best shot at getting a reply :) Best, Random subscriber

[@AlyssaMatesic]

I really appreciate the note. There's nothing stopping you from querying without a professional edit - and it's still definitely possible to score representation that way! So if you feel equipped to do so and you're confident in your draft, go ahead and begin querying. It never hurts to test the waters. Another avenue to consider is asking friends/family you trust or people in a writing group to beta read your novel and provide some high-level feedback. I know there are Facebook groups and such where people look to exchange novels with others and you exchange critiques. It isn't as in-depth as a professional edit, but having some other eyes on your work is really critical. Thank you so much for the kind words about my channel, as well. Happy to have you here!

[@comsy]

For the characters over worldbuilding, I usually forget about worldbuilding!

[@jasonhester1294]

Love your channel. I wonder how well this story would sell today.

[@Greed23]

Great video! My novel is mostly from the point of view (close third person) of three characters, so the first 30 pages are basically 10 pages with each character. Would you recommend that each one has their own completely separate hook or should there be a shape between all three? Like a rise in tension up through the first and second and then grabbing the reader to keep reading by the end of the third? To be honest, right now they're all fairly distinct openings but as I go into my third draft and look to focus on polishing these early pages I'm going to try and make it more of a cohesive whole.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Great question. It depends on how the storylines ultimately interact and how dependent they are on each other.. If they are all fully distinct, I recommend the first approach of having a separate hook in each. If your intention is for the storylines to merge and intermingle, then build the tension as more of a crescendo throughout all three.

[@BelvedereSchumack]

Love ❤️ the channel, die hard fan. It's 0418.

[@megorra]

Well, I'm so pleased. Whether it's by luck or talent, I've nailed this. One thing I've been really proud of with my work is that my characters are really strong and the opening draws readers in right away. Those who've read my drafts have all said that it leaves them wanting to know so much more. Thank you for your truly inspirational videos. I'm self-isolating after contracting covid, so working my way through your videos is great.

[@BulletWave84]

It might be fruitful for writers to analyze the opening chapter of their favorite book. Mine is Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. It doesn’t at all follow the guidelines listed in this video, no main character, no conflict, no tension and incredible detail and scene setting.

[@AlyssaMatesic]

This is also a great idea!

[@kardsufur2966]

actually that's bad advice because ancient books like that are revered as 'classics' to this day but most of them no longer adhere to modern contemporary standards and many of them would have been rejected if submitted to today's agents/editors. It's best to study contemporary books if you ask me

[@tophat2115]

You should get Colgate as a sponsor for your segments. 😀

[@ZombieJohn]

Great stuff!

[@Justmetmt24]

I think you provided a great example of an opening hook to a novel. What would be your advice for an opening to a novel where the main character does not exist yet? - Told from the third person omniscient point of view.? If you have an example that does that, it would be helpful to me !

[@Redskirt]

Another great video, Alyssa. I'm glad you brought up the matter of having a time disparity in the opening pages, because I have a prologue, and I'm not sure how to manage it in the querying process. Its action takes place centuries before the main action of the novel (backstory), and I can't seem to find a video on whether to include it in the sample pages, or mention it in the query letter. Another question, if I may. The book in question is the first in a trilogy (all of which have connecting prologues), and do I mention the trilogy when I query? It only seems fair, really, though I've read that publishers are more interested in stand-alone novels these days. Thank you for your work!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

For your prologue, you can quickly introduce the time disparity by using language such as, "The novel opens 100 years in the past, with an event that sets up the rest of the story." As for the trilogy, it's very hard to get agents to sign a trilogy without knowing the author beforehand--so if you believe your novel can be a standalone story then mention that as well!

[@Redskirt]

Thank you for the reply, @@AlyssaMatesic!

[@arturiapendragon9642]

I had to read The Things They Carried my junior year of high school. We didn’t read the whole thing, though

[@CurriedBat]

The time gap on those first pages is something I have... but we're following the protagonist's mother, and in the very next scene she is interacting with her children, so it should be okay.

[@jordangagat]

I wroth 7 volume thriller very brutal Like code da Vinci

[@גרשוןפרלמן]

You're clear, precise and most importantly you give an example. Do you have advice as to how to find reliable, serious and trustworthy Beta Readers?

[@AlyssaMatesic]

I would recommend checking out writers groups online, such as Facebook, and seeing if there's anyone there you can connect with! Some groups also meet in person, so if you're able to join one of those as well, it can help expedite the beta reader search process. Best of luck!

[@MrWarrenjc]

What is required of a first page? All the elements on which you just expounded?

[@MrWarrenjc]

I stole an idea from film and started my novel with an establishng shot. I wrote it in 3rd distant (omniscient) but the rest i write in 3rd Limited (close). Is this OK?

[@darknessfall9890]

So I tend to write like a director. My opening scene is how a movie may start. Describes the setting and shows two characters fighting and the reader does not immediately know who the main character is. Within about two paragraphs this is resolved because only one fighter survives. Do you think this could work or should I immediately make it obvious who the main character is?

[@age7766]

Books and movies are different when it comes to storytelling. I think your idea of have two characters at the beginning without the reader's knowledge of who is the leading character can be good at being suspenseful. If we already knew who the protagonist was, then there is no suspense in who will die (if the "only one person walks out of here alive" was established). Will the fight scene be a scene from halfway through or at the end of the book, or will this scene be the beginning of the story? It all depends on the writer and what kind of story they are going for.

[@mikevalla2349]

how many books have you written and published yourself?

[@samp4050]

In my first three pages the reader knows who the main characters are, what happens to them and why, and how the female mc changes when she discovers the man she's in love with, has been hiding secrets from her, and what she does about it. Oh yes, and some romance of course! 😅

[@LifeInHades]

Yeah, I hate getting invested in the opening section only to realize all that happened five ages before and all the characters you just learned about are now dead. ANYWAY, here's this boring ass teenager who lives on a farm...