5. How do you write an interesting opening to a chapter of a book?

So, this is a broad question. In the end, I think there are a lot of ways to introduce a story in an interesting, compelling way. The beginning sentences just have to give the reader something they are drawn into to know more. So, if I were to rifle off an example, an introduction could look like this:

-The card game was over, and Rick had taken his winnings and drifted into the shadows before things could become hostile. He looked at the map, the small treasure for which he had bluffed his precious family crest. If the rumors were true, this was a map to Haven’s Gate. He squinted his eyes. If somehow he could decipher these cryptic runes, maybe he could get out of this in one piece.

So, give the reader something they can wonder about, details that point toward more layers and larger complexity. What does this mean? What could happen here? How will that play out? That sounds dangerous/wondrous/challenging/mystical etc., what’s going on?

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