Hello, everyone, and welcome! Today, we’re going to be talking about beginnings and specifically about how to introduce your characters in the beginning of your story, how to hook readers with your character, and how to set up all the important parts of your character’s development and arc that will happen in the rest of […]
July 18, 2022 by 34 Comments Beginning Your Book7 Tips for Opening Your Story In Medias Res
In medias res is the useful but sometimes tricky writing technique of beginning your story “in the middle” of things. At its most basic, this is simply a solid reminder to begin your story with something happening. This might be action in the traditional sense, but it might also just be the character moving toward […]
May 11, 2020 by 88 Comments Beginning Your BookCritique: 7 Possible Hooks for Your Opening Chapter
What are some good hooks for your opening chapter? This is a question every writer must ask at the beginning of a story. How can we introduce the story and the characters in a plot-pertinent way that also deeply interests readers? A good hook sets your book apart. It promises readers you’re going to deliver […]
April 9, 2018 by 61 Comments Beginning Your BookYour Ultimate First Chapter Checklist, Pt. 1: Hooking Readers
Your story’s first chapter is one of the most important pieces of your story. Not only does it provide the foundation for a solid storyform to come, it is also your first and only chance to pique readers’ curiosity and suck them in. For better or worse, the first chapter is also one of the […]
January 2, 2017 by 89 Comments Most Common Writing MistakesMost Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 55: Beginning Your Story Too Late
Story beginnings are fraught with important decisions. But perhaps none of those decisions is more important than the question of when to begin your story. Too early or too late—either one can prevent readers from engaging with the story and obsessively reading on to find out what happens. Perhaps the more common mistake is beginning your story […]
June 17, 2015 by 32 Comments Beginning Your BookDeadly Story Openers: How to Fix a Boring Characteristic Moment
This week’s video points out the important duties of a good characteristic moment in your book’s first chapter—and how you can write one that both hooks readers and launches a great plot. Video Transcript: There’s a ton of stuff the beginning of your story has to do and do well, but I think it’s pretty […]
January 27, 2015 by 32 Comments Beginning Your BookAre You Leaving This Crucial Ingredient Out of Your Book’s First Chapter?
This week’s video shows how you can take a page from Captain America: The Winter Soldier to hook readers with even a small amount of character development in your book’s first chapter. Video Transcript: Your book’s first chapter is hard. There’s so much you have to cram in there in order to get it to […]
January 21, 2015 by 58 Comments Beginning Your BookI Just Figured Out What All My Favorite Stories Have in Common—and It Blew My Mind
This week’s video talks about the secret ingredient that can take even mediocre ideas and turn them into your readers’ favorite stories, worthy of five stars. Video Transcript: For those of you who follow my book reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, you may have noticed I hardly ever give five-star reviews. I read over […]
July 13, 2014 by 100 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act
Who in heaven’s name would want to write a negative character arc? Well, how about Shakespeare, Dostoevksy, Faulkner, and Flaubert? Just to name a few small-time wordsmiths you may have heard tell of. Everybody likes a happy ending, but, let’s face it, not all stories have happy endings. Negative change arcs won’t give readers the warm […]
March 16, 2014 by 65 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 6: The Normal World
Who wants to read about a boring old Normal World? The Lost World? Sure! The Exciting, Unusual, Exotic, and Absolutely Thrilling World? You betcha. But the Normal World? Isn’t that a pretty lame way to begin a story? Nope. Not if you want your character’s change arc to make sense, it isn’t. Last week, we learned […]
