One of the biggest mistakes that new writers make in their opening pages concerns the use of exposition, or backstory. Known in the industry as the dreaded Info Dump, this phenomenon occurs when a writer places a large chunk of background information — such as the heroine's romantic history or the events that led the hero to his fateful meeting with the heroine — into the middle of an opening action sequence. While interesting and perhaps even integral to the overall understanding of the characters' motivation, the information isn't necessary for the success of the current scene.

Of course, the compulsion to explain the story's setup to the reader is a reasonable one — after all, how can the reader understand what is going on if she doesn't have all the facts? But exposition stops the action cold, which you can't afford to do in an opening scene, especially when the reader hasn't yet decided whether she should buy your book … or return it to the bookshelf and try something else.

Give the reader only what is necessary to set the stage in the opening pages. After all, you will have plenty of time to explain things once the story is underway. Try to keep your reader firmly planted in the here and now, especially in the opening chapter. The best way to accomplish this is by avoiding the use of exposition altogether. However, if you must include backstory, try to weave it in slowly as the story progresses. Consider the use of a skillfully placed phrase or line of dialogue, instead of a lengthy paragraph that explains things.