How to Engage the Reader in a Creative Writing Opening (AQA GCSE English Language): Revision Note
How to hook the reader from the first paragraph
Engaging, or “hooking”, the reader from the first paragraph is an important tool to improve your marks for descriptive or narrative writing. A strong opening grabs attention, creates intrigue and sets the tone for the rest of the response. You should ask yourself why the reader should care, and what will make them want to continue reading.
In order to capture your reader’s attention, it is important to plan your writing, consider your setting and start your writing in an interesting, surprising or thought-provoking way. Creative writing that spends too long “getting to the point” of the story shows a lack of direction and control, thus limiting your marks.
Techniques to grab the reader’s attention
There are lots of imaginative ways to start your creative writing. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
Technique | Why is this effective? | Example |
Start in the middle of the action (in medias res) | This raises immediate questions for the reader | “The sirens wailed as I sprinted down the alley, my breath ragged, my heart hammering against my ribs. I didn’t dare look back; I already knew they were gaining on me.” |
Establishing atmosphere | Creating a mood pulls the reader into the world you are trying to create | “A thick fog curled around the cobbled streets, swallowing the dim glow of the gas street lights. The air smelled of damp earth and something metallic — something that sent a chill up my spine.” |
Introduce a character with a strong voice | This makes the reader curious about the character’s personality, thoughts or situation | “I never meant to steal the watch. I only picked it up to admire the glint of gold in the candlelight.” |
Pose a question (address the reader directly) | This prompts the reader to consider the question and what it means | “Do you ever think that you only ever realise what is important to you once you no longer have it?” |
Start with a shocking or mysterious statement | The shock factor immediately poses questions for the reader | “By the time they found her, the only thing left was a single, blood-stained shoe.” |
Start with an imperative | This involves the reader and makes them think differently | “Picture the scene: a beautiful, calm and tranquil lake with a lone boat bobbing in the middle, completely empty.” |
Examples of opening sentences
The following examples of interesting opening sentences are taken from famous works of literature:
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” | This opening sentence from George Orwell’s 1984 creates intrigue through the reference to the clocks that were “striking thirteen”. This is unusual and unsettling, hinting at the dystopian world of the novel |
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” | This opening line from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is both witty and ironic, immediately establishing the novel’s themes of love, marriage and social expectations |
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” | This line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens uses contrast to create intrigue and foreshadows the dramatic events of the French Revolution |
Example of a Grade 9 creative writing opening paragraph
The house, once the epitome of life and joy, now stood dead and desolate, a shadow of its former glory. The house was no longer alive, and never would be again. Where there was once sunlight and laughter there was now only cobwebs and the stillness of dust, the dining room table bare of food and fun. As I stood in the hallway, the silence crept slowly towards me, mocking me with its emptiness. |
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