A sense of urgency

Creating compelling openings

 I went to see the film of Downton Abbey the other day (no spoilers I promise).  There was the usual opulence and grandeur, the family tensions and rifts, but I was particularly impressed by how the director created a sense of urgency at the beginning that propelled the audience directly into the story. An invisible hand was shown writing an invitation which was then pushed into an envelope and the letter despatched with haste. We followed its journey on trains and vans until it was delivered to the butler at Downton. This was set against fast-paced music. Everything felt urgent – the hurrying guards at the station, the rushing train accompanied by plumes of smoke, the van scurrying along country roads. As each recipient caught sight of the postmark of the letter and reacted with shock, so our curiosity increased. What could this letter be that created such panic? If you don’t know, you’ll have to watch the film to find out!

But it struck me how effective creating a sense of busyness at the beginning of a novel can be. In my new book, ‘The Child on Platform One,’ I start with a girl who is eager to get home. So she seethes with frustration as her ponderous music teacher delays her, is forced to run through the darkening streets when her lesson ends late, and takes a dangerous risk hurrying through a dimly lit cemetery in order to take a short cut. I’m very much hoping this sense of urgency provides a strong hook to my readers. There are plenty of wonderful novels which start slowly, are contemplative or meditative in approach but in our fast-pace modern world, an urgent start can be very effective. Perhaps we can all take a tip from Downton Abbey!