About this Talk
A successful opening draws readers in, gives them an inside peek at some crucial element of your novel, and raises questions interesting enough to make them want to keep reading. How do you accomplish all of this in the space of just a few pages? Where should you start your story? Once you’ve decided where to start, how do you know what you should include and what you should leave out? We’ll analyze the openings of a range of recent novels in different genres and styles to find the answers.
I’ll cover:
- How to hook your reader from the very first sentences
- The surprising things you don’t need to include in your first paragraphs
- How to craft a vivid, exciting first sentence
- Whether or not to include a prologue
- When and how to weave in backstory
