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Writing the opening paragraphs of your story or novel is a daunting task. If you fail to grab the attention of your readers within those few sentences, you might lose them forever...
This week's Drama Newsletter, then, is all about the opening, and what to avoid.
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Have you ever had an idea for a story, or a novel, but when you sat down to write it you didn’t have a clue how to begin? Yeah, me too.
It is essential to get those opening paragraphs right. That makes it extremely daunting to write them. If you fail to hook your readers, they may never turn the page. In fact, they may check out the opening when in a bookstore and decide to put your work right back onto the shelf.
I can’t tell you what to write, as I don’t know your story. I can give you a few tips on what to avoid.
The Character and the Mirror
You want to introduce your main character. As a part of that, you might want your readers to know what he or she looks like. Having them look in a mirror and describing what they see might seem like a clever way to navigate this tricky task. Except it isn’t.
This method has been used many a time which, first of all, makes it a rather clichéd method – something you will want to avoid. Second of all, it feels like a forced introduction. Anything that feels forced is best off edited out or left out from the start.
A better way of describing a character’s looks is by offering details a bit at the time. If there’s a relevant sentence about someone’s hair, you could add the colour. Same with eyes, frame, clothes, and so on.
Setting the Scene
You might want to let the reader know where they are. Okay. That’s fine. If, say, we find ourselves in a sleepy village, it’s good to know that.
What we don’t need, though, is paragraph after paragraph of detail about said village. As with someone’s looks, we can learn as we go along. Especially at the start of a novel, a great load of detail about a setting is a lot to take in. It’s also rather boring. Give us some clues about what your story is going to be about!
If you think that this warning is somewhat unnecessary, because surely no author will do this, I regret to say that yes, yes, they do. I once opened a book and the first few pages were dedicated solely to describing the town we were in. If I hadn’t usually enjoyed the work of the author, that would have been that for me. So, it’s a big risk to begin a novel in that manner.
Which leads me to:
The Bird and the Scene
Or any other animal. But it’s usually a bird. It’s flying, and you’re looking through its eyes as it approaches wherever the first part of your story is going to take place. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s been done too many times. Another cliché to avoid.
Run-on sentences
These are best off avoided in general, but especially so in your opening paragraph(s). It’s understandable that you are eager to get the story out, and you have a lot to say. Problem is, they can be hard work to read. And if you start off that way, it’s not unreasonable for your reader to expect the rest of your story/novel to be written in the same manner and to therefore decide to stop reading.
Repetition
I think most of us have words we use too often. I know that I do. Certain words are handy to use, and we may not even notice that we use them too close together. Some of your readers will, though, and they can become an irritant.
The one I’ve seen used the most is the word “as”. For example:
The character walked into the room as she pulled a comb through her hair. As she was looking for her shoes, the telephone rang. She ran through the hallway as the phone kept on ringing, but just as she answered it the line went dead.
That’s just a quick example, but I’m sure you get the point. When it goes on like that, it stands out, and you don’t want for your reader to notice repetition rather than enjoy what’s going on.
The key to your opening paragraphs, then, is to grab and keep your reader’s attention, and to give them some clues about what you have to offer. Make them want to find out more. Make them want to invest their time and energy into your story. If you manage to do that, you’ll have made a start at building a satisfied audience. And that will have made the extra effort worthwhile.
NaNoKit
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Many of you are likely to be all about "Game of Thrones" [13+] at the moment. There are, however, quite a few contests and activities going on that you might enjoy!
For example, it's not too late to hop aboard the annual backpacking trip over at the
Just sign up, and travel to South America with the rest of the group. If you complete at least 15 out of the 30 days, you will earn an exclusive Merit Badge!
Do you like writing poems and stories? You might like the following contest:
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As a Drama writer, you no doubt write from the heart. Therefore, you might enjoy these:
Can you write from a ring's perspective? Why not give it a go?
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If you like things short:
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And there's a new poetry contest in town:
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For our newer members:
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Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
the Drama Newsletter Team.
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Drama: August 02, 2017 Issue [#8424]
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