You may have a brilliantly written, exciting novel, but if the beginning is a bit dull, you risk losing your readers before they get to the good bit. This is particularly true for children, who rarely persevere with a book they find boring.
So, particularly if you are writing for children, you need to grip your readers right from the very first sentence of your novel. Make sure your story not only has a gripping first chapter and gripping first paragraph, but a gripping first line, too.
Take a look at some novels on your bookshelf . What do you think of their opening paragraphs? Can you learn anything from them?
Why not practice writing some first sentences, first paragraphs and even first chapters for your target readers? After all, practice makes perfect!
Let me know how you get on 🙂