By:
Jody Hedlund
I
admit. I always have a hard time figuring out my openings.
Even
with the manuscript I’m currently working on, I labored long and hard to figure
out the best spot to start my story. In fact, I’ve struggled to pick the
perfect opener with each book I’ve written. And even after all my agonizing, I
still don’t always nail my openings.
Finding
the right opening isn’t anything writers should leave to chance. Sometimes the
first page, even the first paragraph, is all the time readers will give us.
If we don’t grip readers with our story from
the start, they’re likely to move on to something that will grab them. This is
especially true in the online age with the ease of previewing the first chapter
before making a commitment to buy a book.
I
almost always read the first couple of paragraphs online before deciding to buy
a book. I figure if the first page doesn’t capture my attention, then the rest
of the book probably won’t either. Maybe that’s not true. But that’s the way
most of us operate.
Yes,
the struggle to find the perfect opening is normal for writers. Dare I go so
far as to say if we’re not struggling with our openings, then we’re likely not
giving it enough effort?
So
what can we do to help us in our quest to craft a gripping first scene? Here
are three things to consider:
1.
Find a life-changing DISTURBANCE.
. .
.
To
read the rest of the post, click here:
~*~
If
you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they
are again:
- Author, Jody Hedlund: The Critical Importance of Crafting a Strong Opening http://ow.ly/WdTkG
- Fiction
University: Actions
vs - A Must-Read for Storytellers: Save the Cat | Writing Forward http://ow.ly/WdU6B
- Fiction University: Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Pricing Plan? Part One http://ow.ly/WdXpC
- #5OnFri:
Five Ways to Answer the Worst Question Ever - DIY MFA
: - 30 Books And Counting. Lindsay Buroker On Being A Full-Time Author | The Creative Penn http://ow.ly/WdXJr
- What to do When You Need to Rewrite Your Rewrite http://ow.ly/WdXQt
- Writing
Intriguing Short Stories |
BookBaby - From first draft to book launch – how to publish a novel http://ow.ly/WdXZX
- The 2016 Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet | Red Website Design Blog http://ow.ly/WdYkU
- Guest Blogging Checklist: How to Use Others to Expand Your Blog Reach | Red Website Design Blog http://ow.ly/WdYtj
- Creative Work is Performance. Assess Your Creative Health Now. http://ow.ly/WdYQy
- How to Record Interviews: The Renegade Writer’s Ultimate Guide http://ow.ly/WdZ56
Writability
No comments:
Post a Comment