So, how do you start a book report?
That is a great question because I remember it feeling like if I could only write a good
opening paragraph, then the rest of the paper would pretty much write itself.
So I’ll go over some of the ways to open a book report.
First thing first.
Make sure to include things that the teacher wants if they list them out, such as book
title, author, main character, etc.
Every teacher is different and in fact, most probably won’t tell you what to include
in the opening paragraph, but there might be a few that are considerate enough to help
you out.
A pretty common way to open a book report or essay is to use a quote.
It’s an okay way to open, but you have to ask yourself, “Do I really want to give
away the power of the first words to another speaker?”
In other words, you’re basically admitting that you can’t start writing, talking, or
communicating, unless you literally use the words coming out of someone else’s mouth.
While some people might be okay with this, I was never a big fan of giving away any power,
especially in the beginning of an essay, to someone else.
It’s my paper.
My name is at the top.
I’m the one talking and writing.
I should be the first one to speak.
Another popular way to open a book report is to direct your reader or give them instructions,
usually related to imagining something.
For example, “Imagine that you are an orphan who finds out that you’re a powerful wizard.”
As the writer of this sentence, it seems pretty good.
It’s outlining the story and plot and gets the reader’s attention.
However, for me, as a reader and grader of papers, I don’t like being told what to
do.
In fact, I don’t want to have to do anything except read the paper and understand it.
And I know, it’s not that big of a deal to imagine being a wizard, but honestly, I
don’t have time to imagine your plot, and your plot, and your plot.
I have potentially hundreds of papers to read and I don’t want to have to imagine hundreds
of times at the beginning of each book report.
So because it’s more work for me to imagine something, I would probably just skip it and
move one, which negates the effect of this statement, making the opening paragraph weak
and unmemorable.
I know, I’ve probably shot down the ways that you would start a book report and are
now wondering what I would do, right?
It’s really hard to give a formula for an opening paragraph, but my advice is this:
you need to start with confidence and direction.
As the reader, I want to know that you know where this paper is going and that you feel
comfortable navigating me, the reader, through it.
I don’t want to get lost or confused.
I don’t want to have to turn back a few pages to understand something.
It’s like giving someone a tour of your house.
You know where everything is and can feel confident in showing a visitor around.
But wouldn’t it be weird if someone gave you a tour of their house and they seemed
confused and lost, as if they didn’t know what door opened to what room?
You’ll notice that for each Minute Book Report I pretty much start the same way.
“This is a story about…” and so forth.
I introduce the main character, secondary characters, setting, and some general characteristics,
both physical and emotional.
That’s enough.
I don’t need you to imagine that you were in the story or I don’t start with a quote
from the book.
What would those things mean to you anyway?
You don’t know the story.
Writing an opening to an essay is like asking someone out on a date.
Yes, you can use a pick-up line, but the most efficient way to ask someone out is just to
start talking to them like a normal person and at the end of the conversation, just ask
them for their number.
It’s about confidence, not gimmicks and cliches.
And don’t expect to be an expert at writing openings within your first few tries.
It takes time, but once you figure out your style and how you best lead with confidence
and direction, you’ll start to write more engaging openings that will grab your reader’s,
and grader’s, attention.
So, I hope this helps in your future book report writing.
Don’t forget to subscribe for more Minute Book Reports and thanks for watching.