On Beginnings

"There was once a boy by the name of Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." C.S. Lewis The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

"Your beginning- whether a short story, novel, or even a travel article- is very important. That first page may make the difference between whether the editor reads on or not. No matter how great the rest of the piece is, the reader may never get to it. Even famous writers are sometimes guilty of slow beginnings. (Much as I ultimately loved the best sellers Lonesome Dove and Presumed Innocent, I nearly gave up on both of those novels several times during the first slow 100 pages.) The beginning writer, or at least the unkown writer, cannot afford the luxury of a leisurely start. I believe the first page- maybe even the first paragraph- of a story or a novel should either introduce conflict or hint strongly of conflict to come. A word or two can sometimes be enough to whet the reader's interest." (The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction)

"There is simply no set or standard way to begin a short story or a novel except for the feeble, generalizing rejoinder: 'Start interestingly!'

I would add- with the modern proclivity to boredom your first sentence should grab the reader and not let them go until they've finished the book.

"The oyster leads a dreadful but exciting life." M.F.K. Fisher- Consider the Oyster

"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." Rafael Sabatini- Scaramouche

Sean