When you go to write a book, I’m sure all you can think about is how your plot will be. Who your characters are. What the major fight scenes will look like. You’re envisioning this amazing story for your readers, but to be frank, if your first page is lacking, you may not get the number of readers you were hoping for. You see, the first page of your book is probably the most important page.
The first page gives your readers a glimpse into your writing style, your prose, and your ability to captivate people as fast as possible. It’s why on YouTube, for example, you need to retain viewers, so something as minimal as that first minute could make or break your success.
But, there’s definitely more to it than that. So, here’s why the first page of your book is basically the most important one of all.
1. First Impressions are Everything
When a new reader picks up your book, they will base their perception of your story depending on the quality of your first few lines. I know this is a lot of pressure, but the first page gives the reader a perspective on what they will be seeing from you as a writer.
It’s not only that, but your reader will actually feel like your story is memorable if your first few lines are as well. Many famous lines from books actually come from the first page because it’s just that memorable. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” ring a bell?
You should definitely work to make sure your first page really captivates the reader. It doesn’t have to be set smack-dab in the middle of some insane and crazy action sequence, but it should still be somewhat captivating and it needs to draw the reader in so that they take the investment of their time to read the rest.
Here’s an example from my book, Malware. On the first page, main character Blide Stevens says this: “The documentary playing in the background was beginning to irritate me.” That instantly sparks a level of intrigue with the reader. Why is this person annoyed? Why is he irritated? What documentary is he watching that would illicit this response?
That’s what you’re trying to get your readers to do: Think and ponder about your story.
2. The First Page Sets the Tone
Another important role that the first page of a book plays is the fact that it helps to set the tone of the rest of the story. If your first page is a very dark and grim one, as a reader, I expect the remainder of your story to follow a similar pattern. You could even use the first page to create some type of weird contrast so that your readers find your story intriguing and unique.
The first page of your book helps to build the atmosphere surrounding your story as well and gives readers a more proper sense of immersion. A romance story might start out with something funny or heartwarming. A horror story might talk about an eerie town or a creepy alley. Whatever it may be, the first page helps to position your story better.
3. Reel the Readers In
When the first page of your story is presented to the reader, you have a slim chance that they will continue reading if they are not satisfied with what you’ve presented to them. Unfortunately, most people are not very forgiving and since there are so many options of different books out there, yours needs to stand out amongst the crowd. Otherwise, you risk losing out on a lot of potential fans and readers.
The first page can spark some sort of curiosity in the reader and compel them to keep reading. Additionally, you can delve into some interesting character emotions and thoughts, which could draw readers in even more.
4. The Intro Introduces A LOT
The introduction to any essay or movie or game typically introduces a lot of information that will help the consumer of that piece of literature understand what’s coming next in the story. The first page of your book also introduces a lot of important elements to the story. The main character is typically introduced on the first page and your readers can instantly judge if they will like that main character or not.
Sometimes though, you can be a bit more clever and not introduce your key characters. That’s where the prologue comes in as your first page instead. I often like to use a prologue to set the tone for the story because the prologue will tell about something that happened in the past that is highly relevant to the rest of the story.
For example, in Book 2 of my series, The Fallen Age Saga, you are not introduced immediately to Joel Vandernord. Instead, I provide an excerpt from a book that exists in the universe of my story and this excerpt reveals a very interesting backstory about some main antagonists.
It’s a creative way to immerse your readers in the lore of your story, especially if you write in fantasy or sci-fi like me.
5. You Set the Narrative Voice
The first page is an excellent opportunity for you as a writer to set the voice your narrator will have, which also helps to shape the perspective of the story. You can use first-person or third-person, but you can also use a combination of those perspectives. The Fallen Age Saga often portrays both perspectives, so you can get a glimpse at characters from their perspective or from an omniscient narrator. That helps to create a bit of a twist for readers.
The first page also helps the reader understand who the narrator is. The narrator can be humorous or serious, but that does also play a role in setting the tone of the story. It also helps to show if your narrator matches up to your objective tone.
Conclusions
The first page of any book is the most important page of your book because the first page is really the first impression after the cover. It introduces readers properly to your story. If your first page sparks curiosity or intrigue in the reader, then you’ve done a great job. The first page will stick with your reader until the very end of the book because if they flipped past it to keep reading, then you’ve done the right stuff with it.
When you craft your first page, think long and hard about how you would react if you picked up your own book in Barnes and Noble or some other bookstore. What would it mean to you to read that first line? That first paragraph? That first page? What impression do you get upon reading your own story? That’s what you should be thinking about.
If you’re still not ready to start writing and you want to outline your novel first, check out my guide on how to outline a novel in one day!