50 Ideas To Make Your Opening Chapter Captivating

The first chapter of a book is crucial as it is tasked with convincing the readers to continue the journey. In this starting chapter, you must be able to find a balance in juggling your story and find ways to keep the readers' minds captivated. Your aim is to make readers want to spend more time with your characters and be immersed in your story world. We have compiled an extensive set of techniques for your story to start.

Before delving into it, please keep in mind to experiment with different beginnings. You will never know how something might turn out unless you give it a chance. Afterward, you will have the time to judge which one would work best for your book.

1. In Media Res: Here, our goal is to transport the readers into the middle of an action. This immediately immerses the reader in the world of your story because they will feel lost and will want to understand what is going on.

The arrows whizzed past John's ear, a grim reminder of the war he was trapped in.

2. Dialogue: Starting with a piece of intriguing dialogue will direct the readers' curiosity towards the characters first. With this, you can decide to continue introducing a character or hint at the plot.

"You have exactly three days", the voice on the phone said, "Three days to do what they said was impossible."

3. Mystery: Begin with a question or a mysterious situation to pique the reader's curiosity. The readers may know what will happen, but they will be eager to understand how it will happen and what series of events led to this.

When Amy woke up that morning, she had no idea that today would be her last day in the city she loved.

4. Flashback: Start with a memory that is significant to the plot or the protagonist. Be sure to give a quick summary of the present before doing this. This will be useful if you decide to have repeated flashbacks, as the readers will know where the present is anchored.

All of the hard work James endured over these past five years paid off. It will be his first day at his new workplace. He was about to leave the room when his eyes caught the faded colors of an old photograph on his bookshelf. As he pondered, he was transported back to that fateful summer of 1989.

5. Description: A more traditional approach would be to begin with a vivid description of the setting or a character. Generally, it is advised to not delve into heavy description at the start. If you can find the perfect balance, then feel free to give this a try.

The sun was setting over the vast ocean, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, as Clara walked down the deserted beach.

6. Foreshadowing: Another known technique is to start with a hint of something that will happen later in the story. You can decide the degree of ambiguity here. For instance, if you choose, you can hint whether something will be good or bad for the character.

Little did Alice know, the decision to take the shortcut home would change her life forever.

7. Quotation: Some might wonder how a quote would fit in an opening. However, if the quote is relevant to your story's overarching theme or a character, then it makes sense to use it.

"To thine own self be true", was the motto that Henry lived by, even when it led him down a path of chaos.

8. Sensory Description: In the same vein as description, but the focus is on the senses. Using sensory language will help set the atmosphere of the starting scene.

In complete darkness and silence, I walked. With my hands forward, I was hoping to avoid any obstacles but so far, none.

9. Inner Thoughts: Starting with the inner thoughts of a character can help the readers connect with the character more intimately. Another approach would be to make these inner thoughts provocative or insane so that the readers get more involved in understanding how this character came to think in such a manner.

As Michael looked at the towering skyscrapers, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to drop a bowling ball from such heights.

10. Dramatic Statement: A dramatic statement that will make the readers perplexed. However, you have enough time to give context and provide further explanation.

It was the best of times yet it was also the worst of times. This is what echoed in Liam's mind as he was walking towards the wedding altar.

11. A Wish or Hope: A character who expresses a wish or hope. You can decide whether to use this wish or hope as a primary or a secondary element in your story. If you select to use it as a secondary element, consider what this wish or hope reveals about the character or the world they live in.

I've always wished to have a taste of ice cream, and now, I am finally getting the chance to share one with five others.

12. Introduce a Unique Character Trait: This highlighted trait must be something unique to the character. If you make this trait or ability unusual, it will catch the readers' attention. This trait may play a small part in the story, but it can add to their personality.

Sarah could always tell a person's true character by the way they ate.

13. Contrast: Having a strong contrast between what is expected and what is happening. You can layer this on another technique, such as description.

In a city known for its constant rains, the day of the water festival was ironically sunny and dry.

14. Anecdote or Short Story: You can open with a short story or an anecdote about a character or an event. With this, you have more freedom on what atmosphere you want to set at the beginning, without having to worry too much about whether this affects the plot or your main characters. On the other end, you can take the other approach. For instance, if you could incorporate some lore of your world in the form of a short story.

When George was seven, he accidentally set his grandmother's kitchen on fire. That's when he first realized his fascination with flames.

15. Thought-Provoking Statement: Something that makes the readers reflect on their own lives but also ignites their curiosity about the story.

We all have secrets; mine just happens to be a little darker than most.

16. A Victory: Often, writers start with something tragic. Fortunately, with this, you can shake things up since your character will be experiencing a victory.

Winning the lottery was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

17. Humour: Humour makes people attractive. The same can be said regarding stories that begin with a humorous atmosphere or a humorous character. Even if your book is not light-hearted or a comedy, starting with a humorous situation can be beneficial. The reasoning for this is that you can gradually build the tone towards something more serious.

If there was one thing Lisa knew for sure, it was that a cat in a tutu spelled trouble.

18. A Comparison or Metaphor: Starting with a comparison or metaphor that sets the tone for your story. This can be the most concise way to set the tone and jump right into the story. This is also useful if your scene takes place somewhere very unusual, and you do not want to delve too much into heavy description right away. However, you do need to convey the tone to the readers.

Life in the small town was like a bubble - safe and predictable, until the day it burst.

19. Interesting Fact: If your book is non-fiction or historical fiction, an interesting fact can pique the readers' interest. If it is a well-known historic time, try finding a fun fact that most readers may not know. You can also directly state the fact, but let your character have a twist on it.

In the 1800s, it was considered scandalous for a woman to ride a bicycle. Yet, here was Emily, about to enter a cycling race.

20. Action: A compelling action scene can be fast-paced. It will immediately grab the readers' attention. One way to make this opening more unique would be to sprinkle ambiguity or anomaly in some parts. This would allow the readers to take voluntary pauses for a quick reflection before continuing the story. The questions that come up from this reflection will motivate them to keep reading.

The moment the alarm sounded, Agent 47 was on his feet. There was no time to waste. Today was the day. He will finally get his legs amputated.

21. Setting the Scene: This is more than painting a picture of the setting. You can place characters, and choose the type of interaction they will have, and the emotions they might display. Before doing all of that, you must ask yourself the kind of response you want to bring out of the readers and set the scene accordingly. For instance, to showcase the extremely harsh living conditions in a city, you could choose to focus on a scene where indiscriminate betrayal is necessary for survival.

The city was cloaked in darkness, the only light coming from the flickering lampposts. As we ran through the narrow alleys without rest, my eyes were focused on Julien's neck.

22. Introducing a Prophecy: A prophecy can create intrigue. You may choose to reveal it at the opening or later on in the story. Uninformed writers may judge this tactic as ineffective or basic. However, what matters is the method of delivery for a particular prophecy. Avoid directly stating the prophecy from the start. One way would be to write a flashback that gradually reveals it. You also have the possibility of having multiple interpretations of it. This would give you more freedom to adapt it to your existing storyline.

The prophecy had been clear: 'When the moon turns red, the lost prince will return with the power of the gods'.

23. Starting with a Dream: A character's dream can be a metaphorical way to hint at future events. Note that this can also hint at events of the past. You must decide whether these events were experienced by your character, or they are experiencing what happened to someone else.

Emily woke up in a cold sweat, the dream about the strange labyrinth still fresh in her mind.

24. A Letter or Diary Entry: This can provide a backstory or reveal a character's thoughts. For this method, it is more effective if it is shown as the events are taking place in the present. This direct hook will grab your readers' attention immediately.

Dear Diary, today is the day. I'm finally going to confront him about the truth.

25. A Bold Statement: A bold or controversial statement can immediately hook the reader. You can do this by stating something known to many. This can be about a place, a tradition, or a well-known character in your story lore. Afterward, you can insert your bold or controversial statement that will ignite readers' curiosity.

Everyone thinks they know the story of the infamous pirate queen Navali, but I am among the last who know the truth about her.

26. Historical Event: A historical event can help the readers quickly locate themselves within the story. Depending on the type of genre you are working on, historical events can be of primary or secondary importance. For example, one may write about historical events but have an alternate explanation of what led to them. Another may only use historical events purely to keep track of time, and their storyline is disjunct from these historical events.

It was 1945, World War II had just ended, and the world was trying to pick up the pieces. Amid this recovery, no one would notice the anomalies among the dead.

27. A Proverb or Saying: If you begin with a proverb or saying that ties into your story's theme, it can instantly connect the readers with your story. One effective way to do this is to link the proverb or saying to the character's action. To take this a step further, you can even make this connection insane or exaggerated. As a result, you would have a character who misinterprets the proverb, pushing them to the brink of absurdity.

"What goes around, comes around", thought Sarah as she plotted her revenge.

28. A List: Starting with a list can be an interesting way to introduce a character or setting. Readers will wonder what the list is for and why the listed things are important. If you want to focus on your characters, you can use a list to portray all the things that a character values. Then, make something from that list disappear and use that event to reveal an attribute about your character.

Another interesting use of a list is to have a list of names. This will make the readers wonder what the character's ultimate goal is. Since a list of names is commonly used to indicate people whom the character will kill, you can opt for a different approach and still retain the killing aspect. For instance, consider a character who has a list of names of those who owe them money. As the character reaches out to them, he may decide to kill those with invalid reasons to have not paid him back.

Three things were certain in John's life: his love for music, his job at the record store, and his undying devotion to his dog, Max.

29. A Prediction: A prediction or a character making a prediction can go in many ways. A prediction does not guarantee an outcome. This would give you a lot of flexibility in molding your opening. You could also use a prediction as a segue to another component of your story.

By the end of the day, Jake knew his life would never be the same.

30. Strong Emotion: A scene filled with strong emotion will be intriguing. You have the liberty to go into more detail before revealing the reason for this strong emotion.

Warm tears streamed down Anna's face as she held the letter. She had been accepted into Fylion University.

31. A Riddle or Puzzle: A riddle or puzzle that is central to your story will pull in those who love to solve cryptic clues. As an opening, you might want to opt for a simplified portrayal of the riddle or puzzle that still gives a good overall sense of the puzzle. You can also reveal a hint to get the readers started on theorizing what it could mean.

The ancient map was full of symbols and cryptic words that didn't make sense to anyone...yet. The only thing we knew was it was somehow related to the Kubei Clan.

32. A Personal Belief: A character's personal belief could help readers connect with them or try to understand their perspective. Since readers are always eager to connect with new characters, this can be a good way to start your story.

Emma always believed that every sin was just an opportunity in disguise for her to live life to the fullest extent.

33. A Shocking Revelation: A shocking revelation that will immediately hook the reader. This is a powerful yet condensed manner for a story opening.

In the envelope was a letter confirming the unthinkable: Lord Henry was the father to her child. Someone dead for many years was the father. This also meant that her child was the new heir to that colossal fortune.

34. An Everyday Situation with a Twist: This can be a fun way to begin your story. You can bring the readers into an everyday situation but with a twist.

It was a typical Monday morning for Lisa, except for the damaged alien spaceship in her backyard.

35. A Promise: Promises are sacred. If you start with a promise made by or to a character, you can already set the initial tone with intrigue quite rapidly.

Before her uncle passed away, he had made Anna promise to hunt down his sons, no matter what.

36. A Confession: A confession should be taken with similar weight to a promise. You are about to reveal something that has been of significant burden to your character for some time now. You can also expand on how the character evolves after giving this confession.

I must admit: I could never tolerate humans. I always had this urge to exterminate them all despite being one of them.

37. A Journey Begins: Stories allow us to escape into fascinating worlds. When you begin with a character who is also starting a new journey and leaving their old life behind, this is a good synergy to take advantage of.

With a deep breath, I stepped onto the train with all that was important to me—not knowing what I wanted to do exactly but only knowing that I wanted to feel alive.

38. A Declaration: A character making a bold claim will prompt the readers to question the character and want to know more about them. You can take this in many directions. If you want to add a humorous tone, you can bring out a light confession to contradict their confident declaration.

I, Randell Rani, am the best thief this city has ever seen. I just got here but I have this feeling that this is it. This will be my city.

39. An Intriguing Question: A well-planned intriguing question can set the tone for your story from the start. For this to be effective, it would be ideal if this sparks curiosity or if the readers could relate to it, even if it is only some portion of it.

What would you do if you found out your whole life was a lie perpetually maintained by your parents?

40. A Misunderstanding: Have you ever been in situations where things became chaotic over time and led to interesting events, all stemming from a single misunderstanding? It is an engaging way to start a story and keep readers obsessed with your story.

It all started with a simple misunderstanding, and it ended with the adventure of a lifetime.

41. A Secret: The use of secrets is a proven way to keep your readers interested. To do so, you can have your character attempt their best to keep a secret from everyone, including the readers. This will make the readers question what the character has done that makes them so anxious and mortified. On the flip side, you can allow your readers to discover a secret through your characters.

As long as no one attempts to touch me, they wouldn't be able to figure it out. I just need to get through today and everything will be fine.

42. A Surprise: A surprising event or news has the potential to effectively captivate the readers' attention.

On my 18th birthday, instead of the usual birthday song, my family was singing a song about death and sorrow. I confusedly looked at them but they were still smiling and singing the dumb song.

43. A Challenge: A character facing a challenge is another effective way to pique the curiosity of those reading your starting chapters.

As the ugliest voted person in my school last year, it was my goal this year to keep it this way. All the time I had spent will not go in vain.

44. A Change: Starting with a change in a character's life will incite readers' interest as they get to experience this new change along with the character.

I guess this is it. No more cautious Ryan. It has been a year since I lost my job. A lot has happened during that year but enough of that. Today is a new chapter of my life. I graciously smiled as my first patient entered my office. I need to focus and not let my excitement take over me. I always knew I would end up helping people and I hope to do so until they find out that my diploma is fake.

45. A Discovery: A character making a discovery is an impactful way to fascinate the reader. For instance, it can help introduce the readers to your world, your magic systems, and your laws.

In the attic, I found a box of old letters that revealed a family secret: a picture of me with eight arms and wings.

46. A Fear: We often forget that fear manifests as a protective force to warn us against potential danger. Letting the readers witness your character experiencing fear will create a strong bond between them.

I never wanted to be afraid. Whatever problem I was facing, I always try to remember my family and it has always helped me get through things. However, I am afraid this might not work this time. As I was looking at my newborn daughter, this dreadful feeling intensified in me.

47. Philosophical Insight: An interesting way to begin your story is to start with a statement that showcases a profound understanding of life’s complexities. To do so, you would have to delve into philosophy and select a philosophical insight that you deem relevant to your story. For instance, absurdism and self-trust are among such insights.

Life, Mark had come to realize, has taught him a valuable lesson: the best way to find out if someone can be trusted is to trust them first.

48. A Loss: Loss is a universal human experience of grief. Starting with a loss your character experiences and how they begin to deal with it will bring in readers' attention.

Losing my dog felt like losing the only good thing in my life. I can't bring myself to go back home knowing that there is he will not be there to welcome me like he always did. I wonder if anyone would even notice if I went missing.

49. A Memory: When a character vividly recalls a memory, readers often find it deeply engaging, as it allows them to empathize with the character and understand their backstory more intimately.

I still remember the first time I did it. It was exhilarating. The deep breaths I had to take after we were done as she was laying down on the floor. That was the moment I knew I would become an angel of death.

50. Unexpected Statement: An unusual statement will compel readers to unravel the mystery and reasoning behind such a statement.

In all my years as a hero, I never thought I would have to wield a weapon.