When I first started writing, I was
told that writers had three pages to hook a reader. Now, with attention spans
shortening and patience dwindling, readers make their decisions more quickly.
That’s why it’s not simply important, it’s essential that your first
page be so compelling that a reader simply cannot stop.
There are three classic techniques
for beginning a story. Dialogue spoken either to or by the protagonist, is a
proven way to intrigue a reader, since it provides immediate immersion in the
protagonist’s point of view. So too is a single sentence that establishes a
situation. That’s why I began my current release by saying, “Someone was
watching.” If I’ve done my job properly, my readers want to know who was
watching and why.
The third classic is the one I’ve
seen misused most often, which is why I want to discuss it in more detail. Perhaps
it’s because we’re used to watching movies with their “establishing shots” as
the beginning that many of us begin our books with a description. We want
readers to know where the scene takes place, what the weather is like, what the
overall mood is. That’s why we write openings like:
The rain was coming
down in torrents, seemingly endless sheets of water. The streets had turned to
muddy paths, and the spring thaws had left potholes which rapidly filled with
water. The birds had not returned, nor had the flowers begun to appear. It was
early spring, the ugliest time of the year in Clark’s Ford.
What’s wrong with that? As a reader,
I have no reason to care about the weather in Alaska. When I pick up a novel, I
want to read about characters. More than that, I want to see the world through
their eyes. I want to care about them, and pure description does nothing to
make me care.
Now, let’s take a look at a
different version of that paragraph.
Not even the rain
could dampen her spirits. It had been coming down in torrents ever since she
arrived, seemingly endless sheets of water that quickly soaked through her
cloak and left her feet squishing inside her boots. The birds had not returned,
nor had the flowers begun to appear. It was early spring, the ugliest time of
the year in Clark’s Ford, and Greta Gunderson was enjoying every moment.
Notice how the first sentence
establishes the situation, tells you a bit about the heroine, and makes you
wonder why she doesn’t mind the rain. Instead of simply describing the rain, the
second sentence now shows you how those torrents affect the heroine. I left the
third sentence alone, but the addition of a phrase to the final sentence once
again puts us firmly in the heroine’s point of view.
Which version would make you want to continue reading this story?
"...it’s essential that your first page be so compelling that a reader simply cannot stop." via @AmandaJoyCabot #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting
~~~~~~
A young woman with a tragic past has arrived in town . . . and trouble is following close behind
Ten years
after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The
orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground,
and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be
related to her parents’ murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs
in the Texas Hill Country and finds shelter in the home of Wyatt Clark, a
talented horse rancher whose plans don’t include a family of his own.
At first,
Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed
her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep
her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become
collateral damage?
Suspenseful
and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series
that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was
wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.
Bio
Amanda Cabot’s dream of selling a
book before her thirtieth birthday came true, and she’s now the author of more
than thirty-five novels as well as eight novellas, four non-fiction books, and
what she describes as enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a
medium-sized city. Her inspirational romances have appeared on the CBA and ECPA
bestseller lists, have garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and have been nominated for the ACFW Carol, the
HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers Best awards. A popular workshop presenter,
Amanda takes pleasure in helping other writers achieve their dreams of
publication.
Social
Media Links
Buying
Links
Christian Book Distributors