How to Start a Novel

Never, ever, ever start off with "It was a dark and stormy night."

No matter that Madeline L'Engle used it in A Wrinkle in Time and it became a bestseller, that is asking for a prospective publishing agent to take one look and say, "Next!"

Some good ways to start a story off on the right foot:

• A flashback: darkness was something the girl was accustomed to. It had haunted her her entire life, and the only thing capable of saving her was the very thing she'd killed in an attempt to save her own life. To make it even more intriguing, assuming the flashback is about a main character, don't use the name. That way, it will create suspense.
• Dialogue: "Felix! If you wish not to be murdered by your own mother, I strongly suggest you get your lazy ass out of bed and downstairs now!" Effective as it quickly establishes a character or two, a setting, and the current situation. Good for beginners.
• Introduce a character: The boy's eyes were as dark as the sky at midnight, his hair so blonde it was nearly white in the sunlight, skin crisscrossed with scars like a map of torture, and clothes that were perpetually ripped, torn, or completely in shreds. This boy's name was Jak. If you introduce the character in such a way as to make it interesting, it will inevitably hook your reader, as they'll want to learn more about this mysterious protagonist. 
• Taunt readers with a fast-forwarded event: The sound of glass, shattering, and the screams stemming from the bloodied foreheads of the victims unfortunate enough to have the shards embedded in their skin were the only sounds to be heard on that deserted back road. That, and the maniacal cackling of the source of their suffering. Make sure you don't use names, and leave it off on a cliffhanger, and you will have dedicated readers. (Side note: just make sure you come back to it later, or else it will just be a free-floating story element that makes no sense!)

Also, make sure that when you use a flashback or a fast-forward or even an introduction to a character readers won't meet until later, that you somehow incorporate it into the story, even a couple chapters in. Otherwise your story will simply come across as disjointed.

~Your Personal Writing Jedi