on Fiction University:

The opening scene of a novel walks a fine line between piquing curiosity and confusing the reader.

Opening scenes are under a lot of pressure. They need to pique reader interest, set the scene, introduce characters, and give just enough information to intrigue, but not overload or confuse the reader.

That’s a lot to ask of 250 words.

While trying to hook readers and not give everything away, it’s common for an opening scene to be less than forthcoming with information. We hold back details to sound mysterious, we hide clues we think will reveal too much, and sometimes, we even bend over backward not to provide the exact details readers need to get sucked into the story.

The fastest way to lose a reader isn’t boredom—it’s confusion.

Too often, we think the best way to create intrigue is to keep everything vague. But instead of drawing readers in, it leaves them frustrated, because they don’t yet have enough context to care about the answers. Instead of thinking “Ooo, what happens next?” they’re stuck wondering, “Wait…what’s even happening?”