Cut the first paragraph

Here is the fastest edit I know. Write your opening, then delete it.

Almost every first paragraph is warm-up. It clears the throat, sets a scene nobody asked for, and reaches the point about forty words late. The writer needed it to get going. The reader does not need to watch.

Try it on your own drafts. Cover the first paragraph with your hand and read what is left. Nine times out of ten the second paragraph is a cleaner start, because by then you had stopped announcing that you were about to say something and simply said it.

This is not a rule about length. Some pieces earn a slow open. It is a rule about attention. You are asking for someone’s time before you have given them a reason, so the reason should come first.

The test works on emails, captions and cover letters too. Read the thing aloud. The moment you hear yourself get interesting is usually the moment the piece should have begun.