RESOURCES | By Nina Munteanu  » "A novel is like a car," says Sol Stein in Sol Stein on Writing. "It won't go anywhere until you start the engine." 

The opening of a story should sweep the reader into the story like a tidal wave. It doesn't need to be wild action. It just needs to compel the reader to want to know more. This is accomplished by engaging the reader with "intrigue". 

In his article "Three Ways to Keep Your Readers Hooked" in the April 2001 issue of Writer's Digest, Joe Cardillo suggested that the three elements of hooking a reader resemble the steps he uses to train his Samoyed puppy: 1) arouse interest; 2) delay, then 3) reward.

The writer arouses interest in the reader by providing enough detail to get the reader to ask questions. Now they want something. You tease them with the delay, which keeps them reading and turning the pages. It also gives them the chance to try to come up with the answers themselves. The reward comes in stages. Don't answer all their questions at once. That's what the book-the story-is for.

There is no beginning without an end. In her book The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit (Revised Edition, Perigee Trade, 2002) Elizabeth Lyon suggested that the beginning of a novel should "reflect the entire book. There should be a tie-in [between] the beginning and the end". This is sometimes called "framing" a story, where the principal thematic problem is given in the beginning and then resolved in the end. In his book, A Story is a Promise (Blue Heron Publishing, 2000) Bill Johnson describes it as a promise to the reader. The beginning of a book sets up a covenant between writer and reader, a covenant for a journey they will take together toward resolution.

"Dramatic story-issues revolve around issues of human need," says Johnson. "The need to be loved. To have control of one's fate. To feel a sense of purpose. To be able to overcome obstacles. To be able to grow and heal from life's wounds. To understand and make sense of the events of life." He warns that "if you can't name the issue at the heart of your story, it risks being unclear to your audience." And this needs to be identified, at least intuitively for the reader, at the beginning of the story.

A great opening is a seductive tease, deliciously delivered; it promises an exotic ride that only the writer can fulfill.

• Nina Munteanu is a Canadian scientist and author of several novels, novellas and short stories, which have been translated and published worldwide. Her ecological thriller, Darwin's Paradox (Dragon Moon Press), was nominated for the Aurora Prix. Its prequel is scheduled for release in winter 2009 and a collection of her short stories is scheduled for release by Redjack Books in 2010.  She regularly speaks at writer's conferences and give workshops on topics of writing. To book her workshops or as a speaker, go to The Passionate Writer.