*This originally appeared in my February 2018 newsletter. If you're not a subscriber yet, the link is in the sidebar. -->
Do you remember Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon/Saturday Night Live)? Her theory was
that there were two ways to get into a pool.
The first?
Enter slowly, taking it step-by-step, adjusting to the water’s
temperature. (I’ll be honest: this is me. Otherwise, I’m more of a lie by the
pool with a good book kind of gal.)
The second?
Dive right into the deep end.
When it comes to writing and storytelling, it can be
tempting to want to ease the reader in—start with the character waking up and
getting ready for school or work or introducing the setting so we get a “feel”
for the place—but jumping right into the action is the best way to make a
splash (pun intended).
According to Nancy Kress (Beginnings,
Middles & Ends), we have about
three pages to get an editor’s (or reader’s) attention.
Every word, every sentence, every paragraph matters, and each
one should advance the plot and develop the characters in a surprising way. The
truth is, many stories would be stronger if they started later in the chapter
or if the first chapter were deleted entirely.
So grab that WIP (work in progress). Open that file. Print
the first few pages. Do a bit of honest soul-searching.
Does the first page:
Grab the
reader’s attention through an interesting and relevant action?
Introduce
the character in a real and unique way?
Pose some
kind of question that the reader will want answered?
If the excitement on that first page is lacking, there are a
few options:
Delete it
and open later in the story
Relocate
the information to a different page (open later in the story)
Revise the
current content to make it more exciting
Write an entirely
new beginning
This isn’t to say we have to start with explosions or bomb
threats or car accidents (unless that’s the kind of story you want to write),
but it does mean we have limited space to make the reader care, and this isn’t
something to squander.
So . . . there are two ways to start a story: ease the
reader into the narrative with a gradual build-up and hope they stick around, or
dive right into the excitement, grabbing their attention from the very first
page.
Be Brilliant!
~Katie~
