Tip Sheet: Will You Keep Reading?

Openings are tricky, but here's how to make them better.

Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash

How many sentences do I get?

How many before you stop reading?

Three lines? A paragraph?

A study from more than a decade ago—ancient history, digitally speaking—says writers get eight seconds. Eight seconds to hook a reader before they scroll, swipe, or close the tab.

In longer work, you might get a page. A chapter, maybe. But let’s be honest: we spend hours obsessing over plot twists, voice, structure, and language—none of it matters if the opening doesn’t land.

What Makes a Good Opening?

The opening is a promise. It sets the tone, places the reader in time and space, and introduces the characters they’ll be spending time with.

In nonfiction, it defines the problem—and promises solutions and perspective.

The best openings, no matter the form, spark curiosity. They make the reader feel something. Curious. Connected. Like they relate, or belong.

In essays and articles, openings frame the idea. They introduce the question, the argument, or a person who embodies it. Someone who’s lived it.

In fiction, the opening offers voice, character, and a hint of what’s at stake. It might even drop the inciting incident—but more importantly, it gives the reader a reason to keep going.

A strong opening generates tension, curiosity, and movement. It tells the reader: You want to know what happens next.

What an opening can’t do is stall.