I'm slowly - very slowly - paring down my long drawn out intro's and bringing the reader right into the action. It's hard for me as I tend to reveal the backstory from the get go. In one big chunk.
A big no no.
I've actually known this for some time. The tendency to give every single detail from the get go is a classic newbie mistake, and one I've often tripped on. No matter how much I try, I'm always a few steps away from the ideal.
Such as the MS I'm working on for the Noc Bite pitch. I'm really close to the perfect start but still inserting an unnecessary second character for the benefit of revealing backstory. I need to cut him. Really, he needs to...go.
You thought I was going to say die, didn't you? Haha, have to admit, I tried leading you that way.
In any case, I'm really excited for this first chapter which has taken me four iterations to get just the way I want it. Let's hope the rest of the novella flows.
~Hetal
Yeah, when you thiknk about it that first chapter ultimately has to really hook an editor and ensure they keep reading. A tip I heard at the RWA national conference last year was try starting at your chapter 2. The published authors said much of what a newbie author has in chapter 1 can be fed in or shown other ways. The other thing that was said was that it has to start 'in action' with someone doing something. I try to start with dialogue. Someone saying something (Hero or Heroine) that puts the reader immediately in the middle of things. I tried it with the ms I wrote last year and I think it made the start that much more interesting. It's hard though. You want interest but don't want the reader to be confused. Just one more thing we have to think about and balance!!
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit the nail on the head, Hetal.
ReplyDeleteI try to start with action - I write futuristic so it's not difficult for me to put my characters in a dangerous situation to try to 'hook' the reader. It works if your character's about to make a life-changing decision or have a change of mind too. Readers don't have time for long intros, they just want to get 'right in there' where things are happening.
Good luck, I hope that publishing contract comes for you soon.
Your absolutely right, the reader needs to be reeled in from the opening paragraph, like you I sometime dump the backstory too soon! its so hard to decide how to trickle in the information the reader needs to know - to perhaps understand the characters - without giving everything away. I tend to write a outline of the story and think about where to start it. So far I've managed to start the stories with some sort of action, just enough to keep the reader reading (I hope!).
ReplyDeleteAll the best and hope the word count rises. Take care, Ferdous
Hi Hetal,
ReplyDeleteKnowing what traps to avoid is definitely half the work. And I know what you mean about first chapters. For every MS I've written, I have on average 3 different first chapters. :-)
Good luck with your novella!
Very cute blog, BTW.
Very excellent points Kaily and Hywela. My mental outline gets this, my fingers, however, trash and burn the thing as soon as they touch the keyboard. I try, oh how I, but it's taking me so long to automatically get there.
ReplyDeleteI'm a natural pantser, Ferdous, and the couple of times I've created outlines, the characters decided to do their own thing instead. LOL, temperamental? Check.
Thanks Sri! With this full I'm working on, I'm totally with you. I have two first chapters, neither good enough to take the top spot, which my heart wants to incorporate later. Maybe my heart will win this one - I really love my imagery. :)