Cold Opens vs Warm Opens: When to Drop Readers into Action vs Ease Them In
There are two ways to enter a pool: dive into the deep end or wade in from the shallow. Stories work the same way. A cold open throws readers into the deep end—action, conflict, mystery—with no preamble. A warm open lets readers acclimate—introducing character, setting, voice—before complications arise. Neither is inherently better. The choice depends on what your story needs and what your reader expects. The Cold Open: Immediate Immersion Definition A cold open begins mid-crisis: ...