Many readers, whether in a shop or on Amazon, will make a decision about whether to buy a book by reading the first few pages. If you’re lucky, they read pages. They may only read the first few lines. And if you are seeking traditional publication, whether through an agent …
Tag: Openings
Find the right starting point for your novel
Figuring out how to open your story is difficult, because there might be any number of “right times” to begin your story. But in the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist I have avoided phrasing things in the negative, so rather than saying “don’t start at the wrong time,” I put it …