Do you struggle with writing the opening sentence? I know how you feel. Here’s an easy way to write an engaging first sentence for any blog post, no matter the topic.
Writing the first sentence is like jumping into icy water. There’s something terrifying about it, isn’t it?
On this website, we talk a lot about fears and beliefs that hold you back.
When it comes to blogging success, some of these fears are writing-related.
For example, there’s something both terrifying and exciting about starting a new blog post. When that white screen is staring you in the face, writing the opening sentence can feel intimidating.
Even if you don’t have that fear, you may overlook the importance of the opening sentence, starting your blog posts (newsletters, stories) with a cliché, a long boring sentence, or even something artificially sensational for the “shock value”.
You have a few precious seconds to capture the attention of the audience before they hit that “back” button.
So wouldn’t you like to instantly captivate your reader with an enthralling opening sentence that makes them brim with anticipation for what comes next?
It may sound like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be.
All you need is a few simple guidelines to steer you in the right direction, and some brilliant examples to give you inspiration. You’ll be scribbling seductive opening sentences in no time.
THIS POST WILL COVER
- General tips for writing an engaging opening sentence
- Blogging examples of eye-catching opening sentences
- Literary examples of riveting first sentences
- Tips for writing a winning opening sentence for your blog post
Shall we begin?
5 General Guidelines for Writing an Engaging Opening Sentence
1. Mystify your reader.
Make the first sentence intriguing or somewhat open-ended. Think of it as your mini-masterpiece complete in itself, a tantalizing first taste of your brilliance.
2. Don’t use deception to “lure” your reader.
Like a false advertisement, a false premise is disappointing and maddening. Don’t decieve your reader.
Also, when you’re writing a blog post, save the most valuable information for the end of the post. This way you’ll keep the reader engaged all the way through.
3. Be bold.
If you don’t want to be mysterious, get to the point. No “fluff” in the opening line! Make sure it includes some essential information that makes it clear what the blog post or story is about.
4. Be creative.
Surprise. Rattle. Catch off guard. As Graham Greene had said, a story’s beginning or ending is arbitrary. It can begin anywhere because it’s just “that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.”
5. Use humor.
There’s nothing better than humor to break the ice, whether it’s an opening line of a speech or the opening sentence of a blog.
(Disclaimer: These are guidelines; not hard rules. Sometimes opening sentences that shouldn’t work in theory do work in a paradoxical way.)
Writing an Enticing First Sentence For a Blog Post
Writing for an online audience is different than, say, writing a book or a term paper. It follows different rules.
For example, you have to account for SEO. So the opening sentence of your blog post should (ideally) contain a keyword or a key phrase you’ve chosen.
Still, you want to capture your reader’s attention, even if you can’t completely mystify or surprise them. How do you do that?
I’ve started out as a writer but I’ve been blogging for over a decade now. And I find that the best way to start a blog post is to ask a question.
It’s engaging, informal, and a natural way to include your keywords.
For example, let’s look at the opening sentence of this blog post:
Do you struggle with writing the opening sentence?
It’s just like starting a conversation or getting to know someone. The best way is to ask a question.
Another smart way to start a blog post is with an interesting statement or fact.
For example, it could be a shocking statistic. For example,
99% of people stop reading the post if the first sentence doesn’t pique their curiosity.
Or you can go with a vivid, evocative sentence:
Writing the first sentence is like jumping into icy water.
Whatever you do, don’t write a boring or hard-to-understand opening sentence.
Improvise! Play! Shock! Kid around! Inform! Engage! Just don’t be boring.
Examples of Fantastic Blog Post Opening Sentences
Most people online have an extremely short attention span. They browse, scan, and move on to the next thing.
So you may have written the greatest post of all times. But if you failed to entice your audience from the get-go, they’ll never read it.
That’s why your ability to write an opening sentence that immediately grabs your reader is paramount to your success as a blogger.
To give you some inspiration, here are a few great opening sentences from my favorite blogs.
Exciting or Quirky Opening Sentences
Below is a brutally honest, utterly snarky and mildly unhinged recap of my best year yet. — Bushra Azhar, The Persuasion Revolution
Bushra is the master of persuasion! You can learn a lot from her. This is an opening sentence of the intro to one of her blog posts.
It packs so much punch, you immediately start paying attention, expecting a practical and hilarious account from an honest blogger.
After the intro comes this opening sentence:
If 2018 kicked your butt & made you want to dry roast your own eyeballs over the pier of your burning dreams, you are not alone.
Wow! She uses so much humor and vivid imagery… you can’t help but want to read more.
Here’s another killer opener from the same blog:
If you think you’re a rational, systematic type of person, I’m sorry but you’re in line for a massive identity crisis.
What are people interested in the most? Themselves! This opening line plays on that self-interest, intriguing the reader with a promise of a major personal revelation.
A few of my girlfriends and I have developed a sacred vow with regards to our future mother-in-law status that goes like this: If I ever behave like that, please punch me in the face – and I promise to do the same for you. — Kristen Mae, Scary Mommy
Fantastic opener! Now you simply MUST read which behaviors would deserve a punch in the face.
Direct and to the Point Opening Sentences
Can the movie The Secret and the Law of Attraction be successfully applied to blogging too? Let’s find out… — Yaro Starak
This opening sentence asks a question and conveys exactly what the blog post is about. As I’ve mentioned, a question immediately engages the reader and establishes a friendly, informal vibe.
Looking to learn how to make $100 a day? — Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, Making Sense of Cents
This is another example of a simple and straight-to-the-point approach. It lacks the bells and whistles that the exciting opening lines have. But because it’s direct and concise, it promises a practical blog post chock-full of useful information.
Literary Examples of Captivating First Sentences
Since literary writing follows (slightly) different rules than blogging, I thought it’d be fun to also give examples of great opening lines from books.
“People did not know what she knew, that she was not really a woman but a man, often a fat man, but more often, probably, an old man.” — Lydia Davis, What She Knew (2009)
Lydia Davis is the master of flash fiction. This particular short story is only a paragraph long, but it packs a punch! To truly appreciate that first sentence you have to read the second one: “The fact that she was an old man made it hard for her to be a young woman.”
“Nick Naylor had been called many things since becoming chief spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies, but until now no one had actually compared him to Satan.” — Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking (1994)
This is my new favorite first line. What a way to introduce the main character! It gives you an idea of who Nick Naylor is and what he might be like. But at the same time you can’t help wondering how evil could he be to be compared to Satan, and what did he do now?
“When I was single, I was convinced my friends who took the plunge and had their first baby were victims of an alien abduction, because they would disappear from the planet and reappear a year later as unrecognizable strangers.” — Jim Gaffigan, Dad Is Fat (2013)
Comedian and “Hot Pocket guy” Jim Gaffigan starts the first chapter of his funny book about the joys of parenting with this gem. I was hooked immediately by that first sentence.
Ultra Short First Sentences
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” — Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877)”
This is a classic example you will find in any anthology listing the best first lines. Making a deep philosophical statement right off the bat is a very powerful way to begin.
“All children, except one, grow up.” — J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan (1911)
Short and poignant, this first line tells you everything you need to know about the main character.
“They shoot the white girl first.” — Toni Morrison, Paradise (1998)”
What a starter! Is there any chance you’re not going to read the next sentence? Nope.
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” —George Orwell, 1984 (1949)”
Love that one. With this short sentence Orwell effortlessly establishes the mood of his dystopian novel.
What are you waiting for?
They say: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The first sentence is that first step.
So now that you know everything you need to know about writing an eye-grabbing opening sentence for your blog post, what are you waiting for? Begin your journey today!
Seriously. Like, now.
READ NEXT
10 Killer Blog Post Title Templates That Get Clicks, Guaranteed
