When Blondie recommends something, I listen, by golly!

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today Blondie snagged from the New Release shelf:

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

I can see why Blondie enjoyed this Middle-Grade tale.

We have a by-the-rules cat determined to keep mice out of the old house’s basement but refuses to eat them. Mortimer the cat is also a bit envious, for cats do not have many words while mice do. The multiple references to this in the first chapter leave us readers wondering if those abilities with words have something to do with this Middle-Grade mystery. Overall, this first chapter does a fine job establishing the story: we have a sense of our protagonist, we have a sense of how he interacts with others, and we also have a little bit of mystery established with Mortimer describing a guilty feeling about a library book cart in the house’s basement. Why is there a book cart down there? How could old library books make a cat feel so guilty, guilty enough to shoo mice along instead of eating them? I’m intrigued! And hey, if you’ve got a young reader in your household, The Lost Library could be a fun little mystery to share with them for a little extra after-school read.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!