Never underestimate the power of a good opening line. First paragraphs \u2014 even just first sentences \u2014 will dictate your reader engagement. While the headline hooks your reader\u2019s attention, it\u2019s the introduction that reels them in.<\/p>\n

Travel writing relies heavily on storytelling (we spoke about this already in a previous blog post<\/a>), but it\u2019s important to remember that good stories don\u2019t always begin at the beginning.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A little too linear<\/strong>
\nGood travel writing means not being afraid to play with narrative structure. Consider this:<\/p>\n

\u201cI touched down in the airport and waited patiently for my bag to roll onto the carousel. I waited for 20 minutes and I was beginning to give up hope, when my rucksack finally tumbled out. Relieved, I grabbed it, exited the airport, hopped in the first taxi and headed into town. I checked in to the hotel and went up to my room to offload my bag. Then I went for\u00a0dinner in this Italian family-owned joint next door, where the food was just incredible…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing intrinsically wrong with this excerpt, but it\u2019s doesn’t reach out and grab you by the scruff of the collar. I did this, then I did this, then I did this, then I did this… it’s\u00a0all a little predictable. The problem is that this introduction simply relays information, rather than attempting to draw the reader in to a\u00a0narrative.<\/p>\n

So how do you start your travel writing with a bang? Here are three techniques that can revitalise your openers.<\/p>\n

1. Find the hook<\/strong>
\nRather than starting with background, get right into the thick of it and find the hook of your story. Grab the reader\u2019s attention with something they can\u2019t ignore \u2013 something dramatic, something titillating, something strange, something terrifying. Don\u2019t worry about the lack of context. You\u2019ll have the rest of your piece to backtrack and explain how you got there.<\/p>\n

For example, take this New York Times article<\/a>. It begins with this humour-tinged opening that pulls\u00a0you right in:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a noisy day at the gong factory.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. Use a quote.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using a quote is another popular trick among travel writers and it’s a great way to keep the eyeballs glued to the page or screen. Only it can\u2019t be any old quote \u2014 it\u2019s got to be a knockout. Something that surprises readers, entices them, compels them to keep reading.<\/p>\n

In this article about skiing in Afghanistan<\/a>, writer Simon Urwin starts with a particularly attention-grabbing quote:<\/p>\n

\u201c’I am like a mountain goat’ 24-year old Ali Shah Farhang tells me, smiling broadly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

How could you not read on?<\/p>\n

3. Use an anecdote<\/strong>
\nAnother good way of jumping directly into the action is to kick things off with a personal anecdote. Share memories of a past experience or an interesting tidbit from your travels. An exceptionally powerful writing tool, the anecdote gives readers a way in to your story. They are relatable, accessible and engaging.<\/p>\n

For example, take this article<\/a> by Laura Begley Bloom for Travel + Leisure.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father used to say that you were guaranteed good weather if you spotted a boat as you drove across the Cape Cod Canal \u2014 the thin strip of water that separates the 70-mile-long peninsula from mainland Massachusetts. As our Ford Pinto station wagon rattled over the Sagamore Bridge, my brother and I would press our foreheads to the window and hope for a sighting. To this day, I religiously scan the water every time I hit the bridge.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

So next time you\u2019re crafting your opening paragraph, spruce it up by incorporating these travel writing techniques.<\/p>\n

Of course, these aren\u2019t the only ways to write a good opener. There are many other writing techniques, such as evocative descriptions, that can work a charm. Do you have any other tips or methods for writing enticing openers? Let us know on Twitter<\/a>. Or to see some our travel writers\u2019 techniques, here are our latest projects<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The Start\u00a0<\/a>CC\u00a0image\u00a0courtesy of Oscar Rethwill<\/a>\u00a0via Flickr; The Hook<\/a> CC\u00a0image courtesy of lee<\/a>\u00a0via Flickr<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Never underestimate the power of a good opening line. First paragraphs \u2014 even just first sentences \u2014 will dictate your reader engagement. While the headline hooks your reader\u2019s attention, it\u2019s the introduction that reels them in. Travel writing relies heavily … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[889],"tags":[924,960,981,997,1045,1104,149,1160,153,692,896,898,901,903,904,913,918],"yoast_head":"\n