Because taking the first step (of a journey) is often a difficult thing to do,

• the writer should take extra care in designing and building that first step—the opening—of a particular instance of writing.

A good opening will (metaphorically) accomplish two things:

• Capture the interest of the target audience
• Motivate the target audience to continue reading

Capture the Interest

Title

Given that the target audience (of a particular instance of writing) has encountered the writer's text in an audience forum,

• the first thing the target audience is likely to read is the title (if the text is a book, article, or essay).

The title (of a book, article, or essay) has one critical function:

• to quickly present the general topic , issue, and/or argument of the text (written to a specific target audience).

The content of a title should (whenever possible) reflect some thing(s) valued by the target audience; else,

• Readers (who are skimming titles looking for something intended for them) will not have sufficient information to determine whether or not to investigate further, and
• Members of the target audience (who are skimming titles looking for something intended for them) will not have sufficient information to determine whether or not to investigate further.

Opening Paragraph(s)

Since the title has only generally identified the topic, issue, and/or argument of the text (written to a specific target audience),

• the writer needs to finish the job of capturing the interest (of the target audience).

A reader-oriented opening will (artfully and metaphorically):

• help members of the target audience confirm they are part of the target audience (of this particular instance of writing), and
• present a specific introduction to the central topic, issue, or argument of the text.

In essays/articles being written for academic purposes,

• this specific introduction usually includes a
  thesis statement.

Motivate to Continue Reading

In the traditional situation of a SPEECH, both the speaker and the target audience are located in the same place and time.

• The momentum of hearing (receiving the speaker's words) is controlled by the speaker, and
• To stop hearing (the speaker's words), members of the audience typically must leave (or turn up the volume on their I-pod or MP3 player).

In the traditional situation of WRITING-TO-OTHERS, the writer and the target audience are not located in the same place and time.

• The momentum of reading (apprehending the writer's words) is controlled by the reader, and
• To stop reading (the writer's words), readers must (merely):
  • turn to the next title (which captures their interest),
  • put aside the text (possibly forever), or
  • close their eyes.

Therefore, the writer has the challenge of motivating the target audience to finish reading what it has begun,

• and that challenge does not end with the opening paragraph(s) of a particular instance of writing.