Opening lines biography
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He was in the Army Air Corps, studying the mechanics of flight at the Spartan School of Aeronautics, and she had been first-prize winner in a jitterbug contest the year before. It invites them to ponder over something deep, preparing them for a thoughtful engagement with the life story you're about to unfold. The goal is to draw your readers in with your first sentence—to make them want to read more by telling them something about you that makes you and your life story irresistible.
If you can do that, you’ve figured out how to start an autobiography.
Before deciding how you’d like to open your autobiography, go back and review the purpose of the autobiography and consider what it must contain.
Once you know where you’re headed, you’ll be able to zero in on the “right” opening more effectively.
See also “How to Write Your Autobiography” and “How to Write a Memoir.”
If You’d Like Help Writing Your Autobiography or Memoir…
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See the different items you should gather as you prepare to write your book.
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- Example (for a benevolent dictator): “He built empires with one hand and shattered the lives of dissidents with the other, leaving a legacy so intertwined with both progress and brutality that posterity grapples still with his true measure.” (This sets up a challenging moral landscape for the reader.)
Starting with an intriguing fact or anecdote about the subject can pique interest. The “Dramatic Irony” Opener
Present a situation or belief from the subject’s past that the reader (with the benefit of hindsight) knows will be dramatically overturned or proven tragically wrong. This creates a powerful sense of foreshadowing and emotional investment.
- Example (for a biography of someone destined for infamy): “They called him ‘the little brother,’ innocent, naive, too soft for the rough-and-tumble world of his elder siblings.
If you fail to capture their imagination in these opening paragraphs, your meticulously researched life story might just sit there, unread. Does your authorial voice come through clearly and appropriately?
- Ensure a Smooth Transition: The introduction should seamlessly transition into the first chapter.
We can already sense the blend of music, movement, and Americana that will shape his story. Confrontational? That reflective tone draws readers in by showing that the twists of fate—rather than ambition alone—shaped his life. The “Unanswered Prophecy” or “Whisper”
Begin with a mysterious utterance, a cryptic prediction, or a persistent rumor that surrounds your subject, immediately positioning your biography as the decoder or explainer.
- Example (for a biography of a cult figure): “For years after his disappearance, those who followed him spoke only in hushed tones of ‘the Prophecy of the Emerald Shard,’ a phrase that meant nothing to outsiders but everything to the desolate faithful, hinting at a truth far stranger than fiction, and a legacy that refused to die.” (This establishes mystery, alludes to a secret, and suggests uncovering a narrative.)
- Example (for a forgotten inventor): “The engineers at Langley only ever referred to it as ‘The Phantom Equation,’ a theoretical breakthrough so astounding, yet so unprovable, that it became the stuff of legend – a legend forged in the mind of a woman whose identity, until now, remained shrouded in decades of government secrecy.” (This intrigues with classified information and introduces a hidden genius.)
Here’s what you can do: If your subject’s life involves an element of mystery, legend, or unexplained phenomena, consider leading with it.
Speaking to people who knew the subject can offer irreplaceable insights and anecdotes. It’s pretty much black-and-white. I’m telling you, they’re not just an introduction; they’re an invitation, a promise, a gauntlet thrown down to the reader. The passage instantly establishes his heritage and foreshadows the struggles to come.
Imagining it may be equally agreeable to you to know the circumstances of my life, many of which you are yet unacquainted with, and expecting the enjoyment of a week’s uninterrupted leisure, I sit down to write them for you.
Why it works:
Franklin begins with an intimate letter, speaking directly to his son: and by extension, to the reader.
Your introduction isn’t just one part of your book; it’s often the only part they’ll read before deciding to invest their time.
- The “Sample” Factor: Most online retailers, and even physical bookstores, offer a preview. It’s the result of meticulous crafting, revision, and often, brutal self-critique.
- Brainstorm Core Hooks: List 5-10 compelling facts, questions, paradoxes, or pivotal moments about your subject.