We all know that the first lines of a story needs to leave an impact. They need to pull the reader in and make them want to stay, make them want to stick around and see what happens. There is a number of ways that an story can start. A hook can be a fight, sex, arguments, story telling, peril, and anything that peeks interest in the reader.
Example From My Writing
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Heart rate increasing, breathing intensified, her foot steps becoming heavier with each step of her burning muscles. Should she dare to look back? What if it was closer than she thought? Would she want to see the face of her murderer before it took her life?
She continued pounding down the cobblestone alley, hopping over wooden crates waiting to be loaded onto carts.
She ripped one down behind her, hearing the crash, hoping it would buy her some distance. Looking back long enough to see that it had worked, she rounded the corner to the main road.
Puddles splashed beneath her bare feet that began to bleed from the chase.
She ran across the oddly empty street toward the bakery, hoping the baker’s son was busy working on a large order, keeping him there late like usual.
She skid to a stop in front of the store front to find it lifeless. Looking in the dark shop to see her finished wedding cake sitting on the counter.
“It looks perfect.” She murmured out.
A tear slid down her chilled face as the approaching footsteps stampeded toward her. Closing her eyes, she knew this was it.
There was no out running this sort of monster. A monster who never tiered. Never stopped the hunt.
The footsteps neared.
She braced herself for the impact. For the claws and teeth to rip through her flesh. Louder the footsteps came. The foul smell of it’s breath filled her nostrils. This was it. Then nothing.
This was the draft introduction of the dark, portal fantasy novel I have been writing. In this sample, there is an impending doom upon the main character; she is running for her life. There is an example of foreshadowing with the wedding cake and the beast chasing her.
Some writers will have similar styles for starting off their stories, but it is important to try out different writing styles in both introductions and the body of the story.
What is your go to introduction style of writing?
Write. Read. Repeat. 
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