Spend 15 minutes generating as many beginnings as you can. In 1 to 5 sentences -- the fewer the better! -- suggest that something is off and the character's life is about to have a monkey wrench thrown into it. In other words, grab the reader right from the beginning.The best way to get better at beginnings is to read a lot of beginnings. Go to the library or bookstore and read the first few lines of many books in your favorite genre. If you're reluctant to move onto the next book, that's a good clue there's something there ;-)
I haven't read it but there's a book on just beginnings, Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go
by Les Edgerton that gets 4.5 stars out of 33 reviews. The reviews indicate some solid information but flaws in the presentation. (The reviews can give you a good idea whether you'd be bothered too.)
No comments:
Post a Comment