This week: Oh, The Rhythm at the Beginning! Edited by: Joy  
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"Here is a small fact: You are going to die."
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board.”
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
"It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York."
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect."
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
"The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we understood the gravity of our situation."
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about openings and their relation to pacing.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
How would you like to suggest right at the beginning of your story, its action, speed, tone, and if you wish, the theme, as well? Sounds difficult? Maybe, but we can do it if we set our minds to it. This is because setting the right tone and pacing at the beginning is important for capturing and holding a reader's attention.
Possibly, in the much older versions of literary fiction, the average approach was a long descriptive opening and the fast, action-filled start was kept for thrillers and adventure stories. Today's readers, however, expect different, more advanced approaches to storytelling. Yet, not all classic stories started slow.
Let's look at a few examples of openings from three all-time favorites:
 "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." George Orwell – 1984
This beginning works well because "bright cold" sets an unsettling tone, while "the clocks were striking thirteen" immediately signals that something is off, entering the reader into the dystopian world. This first sentence is also fast-paced and suspenseful.
"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." Gabriel García Márquez – One Hundred Years of Solitude
This first sentence combines past and future, while raising questions: Why is he facing a firing squad? Why does ice matter? And although it is slow, it gets attention and arouses curiosity.
"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun."
Douglas Adams – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
This opening has a playful tone and exaggerated phrasing, and it also hints at our insignificant earth, even without saying it.
Now, let's look at three winner openings from the works of three WdC authors.
"At the first buzz of the notification, she all but snatched the device from the countertop to walk briskly to the patio for some form of privacy."
iKïyå§ama  "The Lost Hour"
Such an aura of mystery, don't you think? Who is she and why does she want privacy? What is that device? I'm totally at attention now, and I go on to read the entire story.
"Olivia Anderson stared at the opened envelope and focused in on the square cobalt-blue logo in the corner. She slid it into her purse beside a photo, an airplane ticket, and a small lavender letter. She squeezed her eyes closed and counted to ten. One single tear rolled down the side of her crow’s feet. She brushed it away."
Lornda  "Olivia's Journey"
This opening sets an introspective, sentimental tone and raises several questions as to what the envelope contained and why the objects she slid in her purse could be significant. Plus the single tear suggests an emotional, dramatic theme. I certainly loved the entire story, after reading this introduction.
“Your turn.” Sally licked her lips in anticipation.
“I know,” he barked. Sweat gathered above his top lip. “Just give me a minute.”
She watched Marcus’s face turn red, could almost see the cogs turning inside his head. “A minute? Okay. But don’t take long. You know the five-minute rule.”
Under his breath, he muttered, “The one you made up.”
Choconut  "Scrabble Rage"
Family drama and an altercation! With the powerful use of the language in a very believable conversation. Now who wouldn't want to read the rest of this story!
Unlike all the above brilliant examples, pacing and tone can go wrong if not planned thoughtfully or not aligned with the purpose and other elements of the story. Most of the time, this is determined by the length of the scenes and the speed at which the writer of the story offers information.
Surely, it doesn't mean that every single paragraph or section of the story should have the same speed. In fact, it is most advisable to vary the speed, by using descriptive passages to slow the action down and using the dialogue and action scenes to speed things up.
Without any control of speed and poorly handled introduction, dialogue, and scenes, the story may die on the page. This is because readers want to be immersed in the thoughts and actions of the characters and the effective flow of events. To bring a viable rhythm and tone to a story, therefore, let me note a few points:
 Concentrate on the opening and especially the pace of it and how much of the plot you want to suggest in it.
Pay attention to the language of the opening, by playing with sentence structure. That is, by using varying sentence lengths, passive or active voice, rapid or relaxed dialogue.
Give attention to breathers from scene to scene, and with dramatic, exciting scenes, tone them down with following quitter scenes.
In the opening and inside the story, keep your characters physically moving while they are talking.
If you want to create suspense, reveal the information selectively. In other words, don't tell all the story in the first paragraph or the first page.
The bottom line is, we need to hook the readers from the start. A good beginning sets the tone for a 100-word story or an epic tale equally. May our stories begin with a good punch and shine throughout, all the way to their ending!
Until next time... 
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 Enjoy!
These short stories are in no certain order.
| | | SMOKEY'S LESSON (E)
One dark night the skills of trained BSA Scoutmasters were challenged by a curious bear.
#2312675 by foxtale  |
| |  | Jimmy Red Corn (18+)
A scene from the life of a crow, told in his own words, sort of. A story with a moral.
#2318296 by jackson |
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 This Issue's Tip: Any beginning works when it raises expectations and arouses curiosity, sets the stage, hints at a motive, or better yet, comes up with an action or prediction relevant to the plot. How we may accomplish this mostly depends on the subject matter. In rare occasions opening with the backstory may also work, but it needs finesse and much authorly care.
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Feedback for "Voice and Point of View"
 Thank You for the Feedback. Your ideas help us editors, greatly.
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Ichabod Crane-writing-reading.
Great Newsletter. Like a tool that pops up just when you need it. Right now I am working on changing the POV for a story. Bit of work but definitely worth it to learn it.
Thank you! And I applaud you because that is a lot of work. You'll probably need a whole new set up, new paragraphs, and if your story is novel-length, new chapter beginnings and/or new chapters. Best wishes, with it. Send us a link when it is finished, please.
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Elycia Lee ☮ Reviewing 
Awesome newsletter. Tone is indeed an important literary device that will, like its name, set the tone for the entire story. It is good to explore different voices as we write and it is a good reminder for us to write in our character's voice.
Thank you! And yes, I do like pieces that set the tone at the beginning; so I know what I'm getting myself into.
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W.D.Wilcox 
Thank you for featuring "The Voice Inside"
I loved your story, Bill, and you're welcome. All that action and emotion, rage, and a psychotherapist, plus excited imaginative writing...Superb!
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Drama: March 26, 2025 Issue [#13034]
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