The First Page

Opening the door to your first draft

If you are looking for the perfect opening line, you will never get started. The perfect opening line is the one that gets you into the opening paragraph. Once you are in, you are on a roll, and you can go back and edit that line a thousand times later if you want to. The key is to begin.

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The first page feels intimidating because it carries so much imagined weight. Every writer has stared at a blank page, convinced the start must be brilliant, poetic, or flawless. In truth, the first page’s job is simple: to open the door and get you walking through the story. You can polish it later.

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Getting started

Start with what feels alive in your story. It might be a piece of dialogue, a description, or even an action that sets the tone. Forget about perfection and focus on movement.

Tips for getting into the flow:

• Write anything that gets you started, even if it is rough.

• Try writing the second or third scene first if the beginning feels stuck.

• Start with a small moment that shows tension or curiosity.

• Use your protagonist’s senses: what do they see, hear, feel?

• Remind yourself that no one will read your first page until you are ready to show it.

If your first attempt feels clumsy, that is good. It means you are writing. The magic happens in revision, not hesitation.

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What the first page should do?

Your first page does not need to be perfect, but it does need to do three things:

1. Introduce a character or situation worth following.

2. Establish tone or mood.

3. Give readers a reason to turn the next page.

That might sound like a lot, but it can be as simple as a question left hanging, a piece of dialogue that hints at conflict, or an image that sparks curiosity.

Example:
“The rain had not stopped for seven days, and somewhere under the river, the city still hummed.”
It raises questions. Why is the city underwater? Who lives there now? You are hooked, even without knowing the full story yet.

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The pressure to be perfect

Writers often imagine that great books began with perfect first pages. They didn’t. Most opening lines are rewritten many times. What matters is starting somewhere and giving yourself material to shape.

Think of your first page as scaffolding. You can rebuild it once the rest of the story exists. For now, its purpose is to hold space for the story to begin.

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A few tricks to ease the pressure

• Give yourself permission to write badly at first. You are allowed to warm up.

• Try writing by hand if typing feels stiff. It can free your thoughts.

• Read your favourite book’s opening line, then forget it and write your own.

• Stop worrying about style and focus on what happens.

• Tell yourself you are writing a “practice version.” Often, that becomes the real one.

Your first page is not a test. It is the start of something that will grow stronger with every chapter. Once you push through the hesitation and get words on the page, you will find that the story begins to take on a life of its own.

When you reach the end of that page, stop and take a breath. You have done the hardest part. You have started.

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Summary: The First Page

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• The first page feels heavy, but its only job is to get you started

• The perfect opening line is the one that leads into the first paragraph

• You can rewrite your opening later, many times if needed

• Begin with energy, not perfection

• Start with what feels alive in your story: dialogue, action, or emotion

• The first page should introduce a character or situation, set the tone, and spark curiosity

• Write freely and worry about polishing after you have words on the page

• Treat the first page as scaffolding to build on, not a finished product

• If you feel stuck, start mid-scene or with a vivid image

• Use small tricks: write by hand, give yourself permission to be rough, or call it a “practice draft”

• The hardest part is starting, and once you do, the rest will follow