Avoid hackneyed openings.
This is one of the most popular advice you'll hear in the writing world. But what does hackneyed mean? When we say "hackneyed" it means 'made commonplace by frequent use'. Simply put, these are opening sentences or phrases that used to be impressive when they were first used by whoever came up with them but. . . through intense borrowing and copying by other writers, became so commonplace that they lost their distinct flavor and appeal to readers. When writing stories, hackneyed openings must be avoided like the proverbial bubonic plague.