10 Common Mistakes Most Fiction Writers Make in the Opening of a Novel

Opening a novel can be tricky. You feel as though you are stepping into the unknown, looking at the vast abyss of the blank page. It is easy to make mistakes. Below, we have listed some of the most common errors writers make, and how you can omit them, or use them to your advantage…

1. Waking up

Unless you are writing a novel about insomnia or coming round from a coma, waking up is not the most inventive beginning to a novel. If, however, you are adamant that this is the opening you have been looking for then go with it! Just bear in mind that you may get a few eye-rolls from potential publishers…

2. Talking about the weather

Weather, weather, weather… We talk about it so much. It has taken over our minds, and now has invaded our stories. Of course, a bit of pathetic fallacy can be beneficial to your novel. But is this really the most important topic to be addressing at the start? Even if you are having an inspirational dry spell, please try to shelter away from it!

3. Listing all the characters in the first page

While we would like to hear about Timmy and Samantha and Uncle Doug and the murderer next door and Sally the psychopath’s daughter, there are also 100,000 more words left for you to tell us about them. Sometimes you have to be patient when you are writing, which can be frustrating when you have spent days agonising over every single detail of your characters. There are exceptions to this rule. For instance, in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, he lists all animals on the first page. This, however, was designed to illustrate the underlying hierarchy of the farm, which is an important part of the story. Always remember that if you decide to write something clichéd, that there should be a nuanced purpose behind it. This will ensure that your work does not end up with the other rejected manuscripts.

4. The dream sequence

And it was all a dream! The infamous literary excuse to get out of a messy plot line. While dreams can be used as an interesting device to play with in a novel, they are not always the best openings to a story. In the right novel, however, they can be powerful. Daphne Du Maurier used a dream sequence at the start of the novel ‘Rebecca’. The famous first line ‘last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again’ has been lauded as one of the greatest openings ever written. And speaking of first lines…

5. Spending too long on the first sentence

In a hole in a ground there lived a hobbit. It was a bright day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… If only mine could be like that! You think as you look at your document with a single ‘the’, and a gaping blank space following it. If you are really stuck, it is better to take some time out. Chat to a friend. Go for a run. Anything to take your mind off the activity will help. Alternatively, you could start by writing the part of the story you like the most. This will engage you in the plot and make it easier to think of a suitable opening.

6. Fancy language

Use it incorrectly you can end up sounding like Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses. Use it correctly and you risk coming across as obnoxious. A general rule of thumb is to stick to the language you know, or, if you do want to use a particular word, look it up in context. Hemingway, known for his succinct writing style, was once asked to write a short story in 6 words. This is what he came up with:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

It still makes an impact even though it only consists of six words. Ask yourself whether you too can convey a point without being superfluous with your language.

7. Describing every detail of the setting

Settings are important to establish the scene. However, too much detail can make your writing very tedious to read. This will vary depending on your genre and writing style. For instance, if you were writing a sci-fi novel set in another universe. Even then, this is not completely necessary. Take a look at the introduction to Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of
the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded
yellow sun.
Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles
is an utterly insignificant little blue green planet whose ape-
descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still
think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.

Although he does describe the scene, Huxley places far more emphasis on his humorous tone, rather than the setting itself. This makes the passage more enjoyable, light-hearted and sets the reader up for the rest of the novel.

8. Revealing too much information

It is best not to tell you reader everything at once. Pacing yourself with your novel is a great skill to have when writing, as you can be more thoughtful about how you craft the novel. A holistic, yet flexible approach to a book often benefits writers.

9. A long backstory

Unless you are taking on the task of a huge memoir like One Hundred Years of Solitude, Les Miserable or Great Expectations, long backstories are not ideal at the start. A shorter one can, however, be advantageous. ‘The Kite Runner’ is an excellent example of how you can create a compelling backstory for your reader.

10.Not knowing where you are going with the rest of the novel

So… you’ve got the opening. But what about the rest of the story? Authors often spend too much time on writing the ‘perfect’ first chapter, that they forget to write the rest of the novel! Openings are not just about hooking the reader, they are also an introduction to the plot. While this may seem obvious, it is important to bear it in mind. Remember, you can have an incredible opening, but that does not necessarily make the story worth reading…