Opening Paragraphs - the Toynbee School

Opening Paragraphs

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Opening paragraphs Are you confident opening and developing paragraphs in fiction? Can you think of any techniques authors use to link paragraphs?

Find a fiction book and have a look at how the first few paragraphs start. Compare your findings with a partner.

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Opening paragraphs When writing non-fiction we often use topic sentences to begin paragraphs. Fiction gives you a bit more flexibility as to how to begin your paragraph.

There are many ways to begin paragraphs in fictional writing. For example: initial conjunction speech adverbial clause adverb statement question.

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Beginning with a conjunction There are a variety of ways you can open a paragraph when you are writing fiction. Here are some examples: And we crept out of the silent house and he took me to St. Thomas’ graveyard. from Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond, 1999

Begins with a conjunction, connecting this paragraph to a previous one.

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Beginning with speech

“Get the station lanterns,” shouted the guard, scrambling back on to the platform. from I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, 1949

Speech

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Beginning with an adverbial clause

As we were leaving, I told Sophia, “Thanks,” and secretly squeezed her fingers. from A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler

Adverbial clause

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Beginning with an adverb

Suddenly, through the storm’s rage, within the chaos of roaring sound, it was possible to hear a human voice raised in shrieking terror. from Witch Child by Celia Rees, 2000

Adverb

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Beginning with a statement

November, December, and half of January passed away. Christmas and the New Year had been celebrated at Gateshead with the usual festive cheer; presents had been interchanged, dinners and evening parties given. from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Statement

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Beginning with a question

Does he think I’m going to die from depression because he isn’t at school any more? I pull away from him. Suddenly I feel tired. from You Lose Some, You Win Some by Julia Clarke, 2003

Question

Did you find any other ways of opening paragraphs?

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Activity

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Developing paragraphs When you decide to write a descriptive paragraph there are three main ways to develop it. Describing the setting One straightforward way is to look at things in terms of geography. In other words, the character or the narrator describes what they see as they see it. Describing the character’s psychology Another way to develop a descriptive paragraph is to think about what would seem important to the character in your story; the character’s psychology determines the content of the descriptive paragraph. Leading up to a significant point Often the writer will begin with minor details and lead up to the most significant point. 11 of 15

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Describing the setting A lumpy bed, shrouded by a thin white spread, pencilstriped with blue, took up most of the space. Next to it stood a bed table with a pitcher and a water glass and the silver twig of a thermometer poking up from a jar of pink disinfectant. A second table, covered with books and papers and off-kilter clay pots – baked and painted but not glazed – squeezed itself between the bed foot and the closet door. from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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Describing the character’s psychology In this extract from A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, a young man called Maan is told it is time to think about marriage.

Marriage was the Last thing on Maan’s mind; he had caught a friend’s eye in the crowd and was waving to him. Hundreds of small coloured lights strung through the hedge came on all at once, and the silk saris and the jewellery of the women glimmered and glinted even more brightly. The high, reedy, shehnai music burst into a pattern of speed and brilliance. Maan was entranced. He noticed Lata making her way through the guests. Quite an attractive girl, Savita’s sister, he thought. Not very tall and not very fair, but attractive with an oval face, a shy light in her dark eyes and an affectionate manner towards the child she was leading by the hand. 13 of 15

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Leading up to a significant point Maan was left in the courtyard flagged with grey stone; the porter climbed the flight of stairs and disappeared once again. It was late afternoon, and the heat was intense in this paved and walled oven. Maan looked around him. There was no sign of the porter or Firoz or Imtiaz or anyone. Then he detected a slight movement in one of the windows above. A rustic, middle-aged, well-fleshed man with a grey-and-white walrus moustache was examining him from the upper window. from A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.

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Activity Write a descriptive paragraph which opens with one of the starting techniques we looked at earlier. Then develop it by describing the setting, the character’s psychology or by leading up to a significant point. Use this photo as a starting point.

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