Question

What will readers most wonder about as they begin a story?

What is the conflict?

Who are the characters?

What is the sequence of events?

What is the setting?

Answer 1

When readers open a story the single largest question buzzing in their minds is: What’s going to happen, and why should I care? In other words: what’s the conflict or the central question/stakes?

Ranked by what a reader actually wants to know at the start
1. The conflict / stakes — What problem, danger, choice, mystery, or tension is driving the story? Readers need a reason to keep turning pages.
2. Who the main characters are — Who will face that problem? Give them a distinct presence, voice, or goal so readers can invest emotionally.
3. What’s happening now (the immediate sequence / inciting situation) — Readers want a clear sense of cause-and-effect: what event or choice sets the story in motion.
4. The setting — Where and when matters because it shapes the action and mood, but it’s usually less urgent than conflict and character. It’s best revealed through action and detail rather than long exposition.
5. The sequence of events beyond the opening — Readers don’t need the whole plot up front, just the next compelling beats and the promise of escalation.

Quick practical tips for openings
- Lead with a problem, dilemma, or unexpected moment that implies stakes.
- Introduce the protagonist (or a striking person) quickly through action or distinct voice.
- Use vivid, specific details of setting woven into the scene rather than a block of description.
- Give enough immediate cause-and-effect so readers know “what’s happening now” and why it matters.

Checklist to test an opening: Can a reader answer — What might happen next? Who cares about it? What’s at stake? If yes, the opening is doing its job.