The very beginning of a story is like the front door of a house. It is the first thing your reader sees, and it decides whether they want to come inside. A strong opening makes the reader think, I have to know what happens next.

The first sentences of a story introduce who and where. Your reader needs to meet the main character and see the setting fast. If they do not know who is in the story or where it happens, they feel lost before things even start.

One easy way to start is to drop your reader right into the action. Instead of My name is Jack, try The dog burst through the door with my sneaker in his mouth. Action openings make the reader curious right away.

You can also open with a character doing something or feeling something. Lila stared at the giant slide and swallowed hard. In one sentence we meet Lila, we see a tall slide, and we feel that she is nervous.

A boring opening tells the reader everything is normal, which gives them no reason to keep reading. A strong opening hints that something is about to change. That little hint is like a hook that pulls the reader along.

So when you start, introduce your character and setting, then add a spark of something interesting. Do this well and the reader isn't lost before things start happening — they are hooked and ready for the ride.