Thread: Blog entires question

I always try to captivate my audience or reel them in with the first few sentences. An example would be..

"Do you ever feel heartbroken for no real reason? I woke up this morning just feeling a little off about the day. It wasn’t really a depressing feeling, but still was kind of sad. I think this was my connection to today’s installment of Spider-Girl."

This is from my spider-girl article. I find that opening with a question makes readers want to know more or want to find out why there is a question.

Any tips on this?

While I agree that a question sometimes brings a reader into the fold, I think it's because either they can or can't identify with or answer the question. They read on because they want to know if they have anything in common with the answer, or if they're answer is right - how does it affect or qualify them.

So that being said, I think that opening with a question should be used sparingly - there are times to use this and times to find a different intro. If you're struggling with an opening and you already have a question in mind, try starting with what your answer would be, without stating the question first. I also think it depends on the type of writing you're trying to do. I can't think of too many good times to use a question at the beginning of a non-fiction article...I might be wrong, but i rarely see it used successfully.

I also wanted to point out to you that you've opened with a discrepancy - at least it is for me.

I woke up this morning just feeling a little off about the day... I think this was my connection to today’s installment of Spider-Girl.

How can you wake up thinking about something that will happen after you've gotten up, an installment that comes out today...maybe you should try an opening that something more like... "Do you ever feel heartbroken for no reason? Not that really depressed feeling, but the lost kind of sad that comes when you finish a really good book or eat the last bit of ice cream. Perhaps it was my connection to today's installment of Spider-Girl."

In my personal opinion, a more captivating way to start any piece of writing is with action. I don't want to start with what people are thinking, I'd rather know who they are and what they're doing. When a book starts with a chapter of internal ramblings and wanderings through a character's mind, I find myself thinking...do something already!
Just some thoughts....