As a reader, I do look very hard at the first 1-3 pages of a book. I'm looking for two things: writing and direction. I want to read a book with writing that I will be able to handle for the next several hundred pages or so. It doesn't have to be pulitzer prize winning stuff, but I need it to be coherent and the more engaging the better. I recently started reading the Pendragon series which I believe must be for YA, but I was still intrigued because of the energy of the first few pages. The book has an excellent voice. I honesly was very pleasantly surrprised. Direction is also very important for me. Pointless, meandering descriptions of places, houses, or states of being will quickly lose my attention. I like to see characters who are already moving towards something or, if there is exposition, it proceeds toward a logical conclusion or explains something that is interesting and informative. In a good example of a book that lost me, the author spent the first several pages describing a house. There was no obvious point and I couldn't see any direction so I dropped it. Can't remember the title. Another mistake I've seen is to have pointless action. I recently read a sci-fi/adventure wherein the MC rescues a little girl from an anaconda in the very first scene. I've never met the MC or the little girl before (or the anaconda, for that matter) so I don't really have much emotional investment. The MC saves the girl, but the scene fell flat. I know the author was trying to establish the MC as heroic and benevolent in order to garner my sympathy but it didn't work. The scene felt overdone.
Another writing forum I frequent has a long-running "hook me in 200 words" thread - very popular as it bypasses the usual prelimiary post-count for critique; maybe the mods would allow something like that here?
I think there is usually some sort of clear beginning for a story. The easy option. A clear cut starting point. I like to throw that out the window and try to think about where the story I'm writing really starts. A good piece of writing advice is to leave early and arrive late. That sort of changes my approach and structure somewhat. I think the first page has to demonstrate that you can write and be interesting and/or fresh enough that readers aren't going to feel like they already know this story. The first page should keep readers guessing. The following pages should throw things off track (in a good way).
Maybe it was Writerprick? I posted in that thread, sat back and chortled a little. Result - two months of e-mails - 'No, not interesting,' 'This is garbage.' 'What so-called asshole dribbled on our web?' 'Certainly I would not read you if not moderating your Mom.' 'Your writing stink ins Croatia, all good lucks.'
It Absolutely wasn't... It is a very professional and informative site although one sometimes feels underdressed if one visits in one's jim-jams. First rule is "respect your fellow writer" which means not calling sombody's work garbage even when it is. As has been discussed here somewhere, if you can't provide constructive feedback, don't provide feedback... simple.
Observation from a mostly-lurker... that place can be absolutely terrifying if a mod takes a dislike to you. I don't think a 200-word thread would fly on here. King Wrey isn't ecstatic about the first three sentences thread.
@Wrey says we can't talk about places actually and you're both going to be in a lot of trouble for talking about another website, probably you should be banned for a little while, everybody will agree with me, and Moose will.
There's also one with a "hook me in 60 words" thread. I am satisfied with the share your first 3 sentences thread here. I am a big proponent that the first 3 sentences can "make or break it".
I dread the first page, the first sentence even the first word. I won't lie, when I'm selecting a book the first paragraph either grabs me and I'll read or it doesn't. Unlike my mum who gives things a chance to pick up, or open out. If I don't have that instant grip, I'll leave it. This reflects in my writing, my first few paragraphs must take the brunt of my esteemed editing, every time I read it I wonder is this working or not? Would I continue reading or wouldn't I? Then you get advise like, whatever you do don't start with weather and it doesn't need to be dramatic to work. Then conflictingly, It can't be boring it must have edge. Navigating all of that feels like a minefield. What helped me was read the first pages of hundreds of books, just learning. Now I have a pretty idea of what should go into the first few lines. Leave them with a question, something that desperately needs answering. That seems to be working for me.
A beginning can work if you don't start with the weather and anything dramatic and still have an edge and not be boring. I kind of agree with that advice. I'm not sure what you think it's conflicting. Also, it's great that you have read the opening of so many books, but actually reading the entirety of all these books would have been better. A beginning isn't everything. It's just how the story starts. And I don't think it's nearly as complicated as many aspiring writers seem to think.
They were just pieces of advice I had heard, not that I agree fully with all of them and lots of advice can be conflicting. I.e don't make it dramatic, do make it dramtic, don't be boring but don't give to much. Reading each book might have proven better but not every opening paragraph catered to me as a reader. Not all the books I looked at were what I wanted or would have benefited from reading. As they say the first sentence is only as good as the last, but since its the first thing readers see why wouldn't you place importance? I think its only natural to spend a fair amount of time writing something, than to let it down in just the first mere words? but I suppose my view on this are just that of an 'aspiring' author.
I have two things that I insist upon in the opening of any novel I choose to write. * Compelling * Question. The content needs to be compelling, and if it is cliché or slice of life, or mundane in any way, it isn't going to be that. As well, if it is purple or wordy or info-dumpy, it's not going to be compelling. It will need to be on story, interesting, extremely well written and thus inviting to read. The reader has to be saying, "This is new. I've not experienced this before. It is very well done, so I'm not going to be working to read it." The question part relates to the reader being filled with an element of wonder. "I wonder what happens next?" And thus they turn the page. Now, that means the question left unanswered has to be worth that turn. It can't be like, "And his name was Bob!" That's not worth wondering about. That said, stuff gets in the way of the work being compelling and having a legitimate sense of wonder. Not to say you can't do these things, but if you do these things, space is consumed, and that makes the job harder: Info dumps. Long, disconnected to the other elements of story dialogue. Backstory. Long descriptive passages. Anything cliché, like focus on the weather or a kid waking up in bed to breakfast. Thickness to the read, or purple prose. A sense that the author is trying too hard. Generally, seeing too much of the author. Sidebars. etc. When in doubt about how to open, my suggestion is to find the first place that something meaningful happens in the story. If you really can't find the right spot, then pick the inciting incident. That's a winner, every time. Not my personal choice, but it does work to start where the main character is fully turned to a new course from his or her daily routine.
I gravitate towards a really compelling writing style, not a really compelling opening first few pages. My beginning follows in this way in that I don't throw the reader into action until very late on in the prologue, getting there by way of a father and son day chopping down trees. Not compelling, not really... but in a way, completely compelling because I've worked hard at my writing style. The idea of 'dazzle me in 60 words' is total nonsense and shouldn't be given even a second thought. As long as your style is totally original and gripping from the start, you'll get people interested. The best way to be when you're writing is selfish, because as soon as you concern yourself with the reader, you jeopardize your story, much in the same way any artist would when they compromise. Read any of the books by Stephen Hunt, listen to Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, go and watch the Matrix and you'll see what I'm getting at. As an artist you should be selfish. As a writer you should consider yourself an artist. Hope this helps, happy writing friend!
I get what you mean, and largely agree. The reader ought to just plain enjoy your work, on its own. I strive for that every day, so I get ya. But, just some food for thought on this: Great writing style and capabilities + meaningless story content. or Great writing style and capabilities + meaningful story content. Pick one.
A story is only meaningful if it resonates with the reader, it's not up to you how it's received. Naturally every story you write is meaningful to you, otherwise why bother writing it in the first place, right? But something meaningful to one person is drivel to the next and just okay to someone else. I will never say whether my stories are meaningful or objectively good, because that isn't my job. My job is to write stories that I can be proud of, that will hopefully entertain lots and lots of people. So you can't pick one or the other... because it changes depending on the person and on the story in equal measure, like all good art should.
"If you don't have similar opinions and values as moderaptors, you will be banned?" "You can disrespect, even lie if you do it with modeconsensus, but any other opinions will be punished?"
The first page is important but so is the entire book. Some writers sit and stress for hours over their first page/chapter, so why not do that for the entire book? I understand why. It's logical that most people (especially now we buy books online and often the first chapter/page can be read on amazon) that when looking through a book a potential buyer will look at the first page. Unless you're an awkward bugger who has read books with amazing first chapter and the rest of the books sucks and you skip to the first page of chapter three or four. The first chapter is most most awkward because we are introducing a new character, possibly with other characters around them, a new world, a plot, a tone, themes, goal, conflicts and so on. But the writing, direction, tone, character presence, voice - it all needs to be present throughout the whole novel. I treat my first chapter like a treat all my chapters. It gets no extra special attention. I just ensure it's well constructed and I like to keep it short with a cliff hanger at the end.
