Your opening line may be bristling with energy, danger, and barbed fishhooks designed to reel in readers, but if the paragraph that follows pulls the old switcheroo, readers are more likely to be irritated than impressed. Let’s take a look at an example of a lying opening line: Jeanette rounded the bend in the mountain […]
June 15, 2011 by 24 Comments BackstoryDiscover the Perfect Place to Insert Backstory
How is an author to know the perfect place to insert backstory? Sooner or later, most authors feel constrained by the technique of opening a story in medias res, when we know readers won’t fully comprehend events unless we’ve first given them an understanding of the important backstory that preceded the opening. But by the […]
June 8, 2011 by 31 Comments Point of ViewIntroduce Important POVs as Soon as Possible
By the time readers get through your first couple chapters, they will have made an emotional and intellectual investment in your main characters—your important POVs. If they’ve read this far and plan to continue reading, they’ve found the characters introduced in these chapters to be worth their time and attention. Now… imagine their annoyance when, […]
May 4, 2011 by 26 Comments Beginning Your BookWhy Opening With a Characteristic Moment Is So Important
One of your first scene’s most important jobs is introducing the main character as someone readers will find worth their time. This is best accomplished by opening with the protagonist in a “characteristic moment.” The characteristic moment will either put leading characters in a situation that shows them performing an action that will figure prominently […]
April 27, 2011 by 44 Comments Beginning Your BookUse a Question to Create an Unforgettable Opening Chapter
Creating an opening chapter that hooks readers into your story is the trick you have to master in every one of your stories. But once you know the secret of a good opening chapter, it’s not so tricky. The single most important element in convincing a reader to continue reading past your first page is […]
February 15, 2011 by 8 Comments Beginning Your BookThe 3 Integral Components of a Story’s Beginning
Today, I’m honored to be hosted by Larry Brooks on his fabulous site Storyfix. Be sure to stop by his site to read my guest post “The 3 Integral Components of a Story’s Beginning.” Below is a sneak peek: Beginnings are tough for a number of reasons, not least among them the fact that we’re wading blind into […]
October 27, 2010 by 16 Comments Beginning Your BookThe Best Way to Make Use of Your Story’s Normal World
Writers can’t afford to waste readers’ time or test their patience by meandering about in their opening scenes. At first glance, this would seem to mean you have to get right to the point of the story. You might feel compelled to open your story right at the moment when your character’s world is changed […]
August 18, 2010 by 12 Comments Beginning Your BookHow to Strengthen Your Story With Proper Framing
Framing is a useful, but too often overlooked, technique that gives your story a sense of cohesion and directs readers’ loyalties and attention. What Is Framing? Frames bookend a story with a definitive opening scene (that introduces readers to pertinent characters, settings, and themes) and a closing scene (that brings the story to a resonant […]
June 13, 2010 by 33 Comments CharactersCreate Powerful Character Arcs in 6 Steps
The secret to a memorable character isn’t so much creating a strong personality as it is creating a strong character arc. You can come up with the most entertaining, marvelous characters imaginable, but unless you also give them powerful character arcs, their stories will lack depth and power. Character arcs are fundamentally about change. You can […]
June 6, 2010 by 63 Comments Beginning Your Book5 Ways to Maximize Your Story’s Inciting Event
The Inciting Event is the moment your character’s world is forever changed. It knocks over the first domino in the line of dominoes that forms your plot. It sets off an irrevocable chain reaction that will eventually lead your character to the maelstrom of your Climax. So how do you go about creating an Inciting […]
