Opening Lines: How Do You Start A Novel?

I got stuck before I even started.

Yup, I was chomping at the bit to dive into my YA fantasy novel The Nevers and … I got blocked on page one. On LINE one!

It happens to all of us writers. You know the drill … you sit down in your cozy writing chair with fingers poised on the keys, aaaaaaaaand …. nothing! Nadda.

I knew what the scene I wanted to write was. I knew where I was headed. But, I wasn’t sure where to start. Do I begin with an image? A sound, like the clap of footsteps on the cobblestones? A line of dialog? A description of setting? That first line is going to dictate the mood and energy of the entire scene, after all.

Granted … when you’re writing a first draft, crafting the perfect opening line isn’t that important. Inevitably, you’ll change it later. But, I wanted to come at this from the right place, from the right mood and emotion and energy. For me, writing is all about mindset. With the right energy my book will come alive, and I wasn’t ready to compromise that for the sake of word count or simply getting something on the page.

So, what did I do?

You can find out in the video below, the second in my series documenting my process of writing The Nevers. (If you missed the first one, you can check it out here).

The Nevers: Opening Lines

Please, share your opening lines and techniques for “getting into” your novel in the comments section.

Happy writing friends!

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