Your novel’s first line is more than a pretty sentence—it’s a promise. Agents, editors, and readers all form instant judgments based on what you write first.
In this article, we’re unpacking how to craft a compelling opening that captures attention and sets your story in motion.
The Power of a Great First Line
Call me Ishmael. —Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. —The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. —Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Some first lines become iconic.
And while you don’t have to write the next great literary opener, your first line does carry a lot of weight.
The first line is your story’s first impression. And sometimes, it’s the only chance you get.
Agents, editors, and readers decide fast whether they want to keep going. Some won’t make it past the first page. Some won’t make it past the first sentence.
So what makes a great first line? And how do you write one that makes readers want more?
I asked Abigail K. Perry—editor, book coach, and host of the Lit Match podcast—to join me for another conversation, this time focused entirely on what makes a great first line.
She’s sharing what a first line needs to do, how to tie it to your story’s core hook, and what agents are really looking for when they read your pages.
What Makes a First Line Work?
When I sat down with Abigail, we broke down the hidden work a first line needs to do—and how it’s more strategic and story-specific than you might think. Here are the two biggest takeaways:
The first pages set up expectations for the novel, and the query letter sets up expectations for the first pages. That means the role of the first pages, and yes, even the first line, is to deliver on the expectations that you’ve set in the query letter.
Your job is to know the hooks of your story and deliver on them as quickly as possible. Those hooks can be anything—the character, voice, internal struggle, setting, world building, atmosphere, anything. Start by looking to your story’s genre for clues about your hooks. Then, ask yourself: what elements are truly core to your story? What are the unique experiences only your story can deliver?
As Abigail put it:
What you pitch as the hook of your story should be present right up front. That’s why readers bought your book, right? They come for the hook. You keep them for everything else.
Meet Abigail K. Perry, First Chapter and First Line Expert
Abigail Perry is a developmental editor, book coach, and host of the Lit Match podcast, where she helps writers find the right literary agent for their publishing career.
She’s spent years reading and analyzing opening pages—first as an intern at P.S. Literary Agency, where she reviewed query letters and sample pages, and now as an editor who specializes in helping writers refine their stories from page one.
Abigail and I met through Story Grid editor training, where we both became certified in developmental editing. And I turn to her again and again whenever I want to talk about first chapters, first lines, and how to capture a reader’s attention from the very start.
In this conversation, Abigail and I zoom in on two things: what makes a great first line, and what agents are watching for when they read opening pages.
You’ll hear how to identify your story’s hook, how to tie it into the first line, and how to use that opening moment to fulfill the promises of your query or back cover copy. Abigail also shares her insights from working in a literary agency slush pile—what gets attention fast, and what makes a reader stop reading.
Listen to our full conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Want to Study More Great First Chapters?
If you want to see these principles in action, check out Abigail’s podcast Lit Match, especially her First Chapter Deep Dive episodes. In each one, she examines a real published first chapter to show exactly how it works—and what you can learn from it for your own writing.
Here are some of my favorite Lit Match First Chapter Deep Dives:
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