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beginnings

5 Things To Do In Your First 3 Paragraphs

Picture of a tree frog on a hosta leaf
A frog on a hosta leaf - which is more green? Your first three paragraphs need to arrest and intrigue your reader.
1. Engage the senses. You don’t have to hit every sensory stop – but it sure helps. Vivid visuals are great, but they are even better when backed up with visceral, precise taste or touch or sound.

2. Hint at the conflict. The majority of great stories provide the reader with some clue to the conflict driving the story within the first three paragraphs. Here, for example, is the first paragraph of Kelly Link’s marvelous “Travels with the Snow Queen”:

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