Readers are like fish. Smart fish. Fish who know authors are out to get them, reel them in, and capture them for the rest of their seagoing lives. But, like any self-respecting fish, readers aren’t caught easily. They aren’t about to surrender themselves to the lure of your story unless you’ve presented them with an irresistible hook. Our discussion […]
September 18, 2011 by 42 Comments Beginning Your Book5 Elements of a Riveting Opening Line
The opening line of your book is your first (and possibly last) opportunity to grab your reader’s attention and give them a reason to read your story. That’s a gargantuan job for a single sentence. But if we break down excellent opening lines, we discover a number of interesting things. One of the most surprising […]
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 […]
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 […]
