Homer did it by beginning The Odyssey with Odysseus in captivity, his journey already well underway. Dante's Divine Comedy begins with the main character in the middle of his life when he must make a crucial choice. Shakespeare opens "Hamlet" with the king's ghost and then fills in the important back story of the murder.
It's the beginning of another semester of writing class and once again, I'm finding novel openings that drag because the writer feels the need of filling in all the back story before the action starts. It seems to be the most common mistake that new writers make.
And once again, as I always do, I'll use the analogy of meeting a stranger at a party. You don't need to hear all about their background to find them interesting -- on the contrary, unless they were raised by wolves or something equally odd, you don't need their background at all. You are far more likely to be interested in what they're doing now--whether it be raising miniature horses or running a Pastafarian music ministry for hospice. The background details can get filled in later.
And again, I'l remind them, that the opening sentence, paragraph, page may be as far as a potential agent, overloaded contest judge, or busy editor will read. It doesn't matter if page three contains the most spectacular and beautifully written scene in the history of literature --if the reader has already decided this isn't for him.
5 comments:
As a reader I give myself the 100 first pages to decide if I stop or continue reading, depending on the book's length too of course it can be less.
I agree. I've put aside many a book because the beginning bored me. As I age, I am much more likely to give up on a book. Guess you might say, "life is too short..."
Such a challenge that often times is difficult to overcome! I admire you for your ability to teach others! Have a grand weekend!
I've put aside many a book after the first few pages. If others have recommended it, I'll try again later. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for a particular book that I'll love at a later date.
I never knew this term, so thanks for that. It is done a lot on tv, and I sometimes tire of the device. But it works well at other times.
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