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mary rosenblum
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Good morning all.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the novel start. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to the red
question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon in
order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You can also
type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to reach me.
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mary rosenblum
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The start of any piece is
important...fiction or non, long or short.
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mary rosenblum
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But they vary a lot, depending
on what you are writing.
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mary rosenblum
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But the key use of a
particular start is to hook readers into your story.
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mary rosenblum
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It's especially important if
you don't yet have any name recognition.
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mary rosenblum
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Readers who know your work and
know that you'll deliver a good read will forgive you a slow start.
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mary rosenblum
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But a reader who has never
read you before is forming a 'first impression' and that start will
either...
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mary rosenblum
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lure them deeper into the
story or send them on their way to another story or book on the shelf.
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mary rosenblum
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Generally, in short fiction,
it is a good idea to have that reader's full attention after your first
paragraph or two.
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mary rosenblum
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But in a novel length work,
you have the first chapter to work with, and readers expect you to set up
the universe and introduce the characters as well...
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mary rosenblum
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as introduce the first plot
element.
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dim writer
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Does a good title help?
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mary rosenblum
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Absolutely. So does a
compelling cover, although if you publish with a big NY publisher you won't
have any say over that, alas.
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mary rosenblum
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But certainly a catchy title
helps.
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mary rosenblum
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But your book won't fail if
you DON"T have a catchy title, don't worry. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I'm one of those writers who
either comes up with the perfect title...occsionally...or can't come up
with a catchy title to save my life. And I've survived in spite of that.
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tkm
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Why
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onepozy
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All characters in first chapter?
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mary rosenblum
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Not at all, one.
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mary rosenblum
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This is probably the most
common problem with first chapters in novels...
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mary rosenblum
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the author tries to cram the
entire backstory in and give every character an in depth introduction and
the chapter is ponderous...
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mary rosenblum
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to say the least.
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mary rosenblum
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You DO need to create enough
of your universe that your readers have their feet on the ground, so to
speak.
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mary rosenblum
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But if you're setting your
story in the real world, that's not going to take a lot.
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mary rosenblum
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You only need to include
enough backstory that the readers understand what is going on.
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mary rosenblum
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You have most of the novel to
weave the rest of it in...
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mary rosenblum
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and often, you really reduce
your suspense by telling the readers too much right away.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember that curiosity
compells readers to continue reading.
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mary rosenblum
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If they're not sure what is
troubling your MC, what skeleton lies in her past, they'll keep reading.
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mary rosenblum
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If you lay out all those
skeletons in chapter one and make it obvious what issues she's going to be
facing for the next 250 pages, readers...
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mary rosenblum
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may think 'This isn't worth
the work' and move on.
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mary rosenblum
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We know too much. We can SEE
what is going to happen and we're just not curious.
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mary rosenblum
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A good tickle to the curiosity
bone can keep your readers reading long enough to become competely engaged
with your characters and then you have them. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the novel start. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to the red
question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon in
order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You can also
type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to reach me.
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mary rosenblum
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That first chapter does need
to do three things: introduce the main characters, set up the universe, and
introduce the first plot element.
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mary rosenblum
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You can do that in an infinite
variety of ways, but generally you'll find two types of first chapters...
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mary rosenblum
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those that start with scenes
that set up the universe and characters, where the first plot element comes
late in the chapter...
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mary rosenblum
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and those that 'hit the ground
running' with plot-related action and fill in the backstory and character
introductions as the action continues.
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dim writer
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What about the story goal?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, it's a very good idea if
YOU know the story goal, dim, but if you make sure your reader knows it,
too, in chapter one, there goes the curiosity factor.
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mary rosenblum
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If I know on page five that
this is going to be a story about a boy standing up to his oppressive
father, ho hum. Do I really want to wade through this?
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mary rosenblum
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But if we start with that kid
and his father and their interaction and the story builds to the climax
where he finally stands up to the old man...
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mary rosenblum
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I may not see where this is
leading until close to the climax and by then I'm committed.
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janecj333
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Can you give us some advice
about using multiple pov in the first couple of chapters? I get the
distinct feeling that the mc must be either present or considered/discussed
by another pov character if she is not present in the scene.
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mary rosenblum
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Yes...first chapters can be
misleading and that is a serious problem.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember that readers come to
page one with assumptions. We are opening our heads to the story...we
expect the author to set us the world, and tell us whom we should care
about.
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mary rosenblum
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So if your first chapter is
populated with characters who are NOT your MC or you MC plays such an
insignificant role that ...
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mary rosenblum
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readers don't realize he/she
is the MC, they will decide someone else is the MC and by the time they
realize...
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mary rosenblum
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their mistake, they have
committed themselves to the wrong character. That is a MAJOR disruption ...
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mary rosenblum
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will cost you readers and
because of that will most likely cost you a sale with a high-end publisher.
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mary rosenblum
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You can have your MC play a
small role in that first chapter, don't get me wrong.
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mary rosenblum
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But it's up to you to make
sure the reader knows that this is the MC even if he/she barely shows up
here.
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mary rosenblum
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But it's hard to pull off if
you begin in another character's POV...readers will begin to become
intimate with that POV right away and 99% will assume this is a main
character.
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mary rosenblum
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I would need a really
compelling reason to do a first chapter like that.
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mary rosenblum
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To be honest, I can't really
think of a good reason to do it. You can start a novel many many ways.
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dim writer
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Do we introduce the villian in
the first chapter?
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mary rosenblum
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Not necessarily. Again, beware
the temptation to 'reveal all' in that first chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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It's not a 'cast list'. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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That first plot element might simply
point the MC down the path that leads to the villain...
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mary rosenblum
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but we might not realize who
/what the villain is until a later chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember that in a novel, you
have a lot of room for subplots and multiple conflict threads...
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mary rosenblum
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and a subplot may move the
story along in the first chapter as the MC starts down that main plot
path...
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mary rosenblum
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and the nature of the main
plot may only become obvious later in the story.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're going to begin that
first chapter with introductions, do find some compelling action to engage
readers and move the story along...
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mary rosenblum
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and try very very hard NOT to
begin with a long narrative about who is whom and where we are.
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mary rosenblum
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That 'Once upon a time in a
land far far away' start really doesn't work well, 99 times out of 100.
Unless your name is Grimm.
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mary rosenblum
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Spend some creative time
thinking up something your MC can be doing that will interest readers, keep
the story moving foreward, introduce the universe, and lead pretty directly
to plot element number one.
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dim writer
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Show don't tell?
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mary rosenblum
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Always, unless you're writing
in first person or are intentionally writing a narrative piece, dim.
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mary rosenblum
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One of the few 'always' I'll
admit to. :-)
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lore alley
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I have a story where I don't
want to reveal the MC in chapter one because he's insane, and I want
readers to start forming an impression of him through others' before they
hop into his head... good reason or no?
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mary rosenblum
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Problematical, lore. Whom will
we care about here?
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mary rosenblum
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If you want us to care about
the MC, why not let us start with him and let us slowly begin to realize
he's insane. There, I might consider first person.
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mary rosenblum
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You distance readers a bit
more with first, which might not be a bad idea if your MC is insane.
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mary rosenblum
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Here, you're going to have to
create a character that many diverse readers will agree is insane...
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mary rosenblum
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and people have very different
ideas about how insane people think.
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mary rosenblum
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In first person, he can lie to
us, and keep us out of his mental space.
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senicynt
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Lore's intro is similar to
Ammadeus - where the insane composer (I forget his name) was jealous of
Mozart and told the story of how he killed him
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mary rosenblum
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And that was in the MC's
voice, too, yes?
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mary rosenblum
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First person can be easier to
use if your MC is insane or is a villain masquerading as a 'good guy'.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the novel start. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to the red
question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon in
order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You can also
type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to reach me.
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janecj333
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My real aha moment in writing
fiction was when I realized that I didn't have to write a story with the
whole thing already under my belt. All I needed to get started was a scene
with usu. one or more characters behaving badly... just one stinking
scene...
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah, that's a valid way to
get into a novel, jane. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Not everybody knows where
they're going when they start...although it saves you a LOT of rewriting
most of the time, if you do.
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mary rosenblum
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The other thing to keep in
mind is that you are not stuck with this first chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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If, by the time you get to the
final page, you realize that this was not the perfect place to start, there
is nothing stopping you from doing a new chapter one.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember, you are not
chiseling this thing onto stone tables. Or I hope you're not.
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mary rosenblum
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Sometimes, the best thing you
can do is just START.
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mary rosenblum
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Once you figure out what your
complete dramatic arc is...and if that's the last page of the first draft
that's fine...then you can adjust your start.
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gskearney
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Damn, now she tells me! --gk
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mary rosenblum
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LOL gary.
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gskearney
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Where can I sell my chisels and
my stone typewriter?
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mary rosenblum
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Ebay. :-)
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dim writer
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Is it a plot problem if my
characters try to go down a path I don't want them too?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, maybe and maybe not,
dim.
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mary rosenblum
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IS the path a good one? Is it
going to add to your story? Is it a stronger dramatic arc than the one you
planned originally?
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mary rosenblum
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Then I'd go down that path and
see what happens.
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mary rosenblum
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If it's just a side path and
isn't going to benefit your story any, well, you really are in charge. It's
YOUR fingers on that keyboard. Unless your characters are ghost writing
while you sleep.
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mary rosenblum
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Sometimes that 'my characters
want to do this' feeling is your hindbrain gently telling you that you need
a stronger plot element and this is it.
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mary rosenblum
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And sometimes it's just a
matter of discipline. You're putting your characters ahead of the story and
playing with them instead of paying attention to what the story needs.
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grayalien
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In the first page of my story,
the reader won't know what the main plot point is. All they know is that
the MC works for a mysterious, shady government organization, has just
arrived from overseas, and was carrying a gun in his luggage. Good start?
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mary rosenblum
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Sure gray. We now have a nice
prod to our curiosity. What is this organization? That lures us on. Why is
he here...why the gun.. . (and how the heck did he get it through
security?)
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mary rosenblum
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Remember...too much is not
good. Not enough is not good. One of those many fine lines to walk...
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mary rosenblum
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but you are generally better
off if you err a bit on the 'too little' side rather than if you err on the
'too much' side.
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mary rosenblum
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It's okay for the reader to
have questions if you don't wait too long to answer them, and as long as
they're not confused about what is happening.
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mary rosenblum
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This can be quite a challenge
if you want to open your novel with action. Especially if you're writing in
the SF or fantasy universe...
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mary rosenblum
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or you have an unusual real
world setting.
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mary rosenblum
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There you have to juggle the
demands of a fast paced action scene with snippets of information that can
occur plausibly and will create just enough of a universe...
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mary rosenblum
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that your readers can keep
their heads above water.
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mary rosenblum
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BUT...the payoff is that you
will snag more new readers faster with that kind of a start.
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, we ARE tolerant of a slow
chapter one. But once you've hooked that reader, they'll keep reading...
(all the way to the cash register)...so the...
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mary rosenblum
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sooner you hook them the
better.
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mary rosenblum
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I've noticed that the short
story writers in SF tend to start novels with action. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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We get used to doing that in
the short form.
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mary rosenblum
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The reason a lot of writers
have trouble with short stories is, if they are predominantly novel
readers, they tend to try and open a short story...
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mary rosenblum
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the same way you open a novel.
With an introduction of backstory and MC.
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mary rosenblum
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Doesn't work well in short
fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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But again...even though you
have that first chapter to establish your universe and introduce your
characters..
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mary rosenblum
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make it interesting! Keep it
moving. Make something happen and avoid narrative.
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dim writer
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What about flash fiction?Do we
do it in the first paragraph?
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mary rosenblum
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I'd try for the first
sentence, dim. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Okay, two.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the novel start. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to the red
question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon in
order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You can also
type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to reach me.
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tarsus
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How about prologues; a good way
to start a novel?
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mary rosenblum
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Problematical, tarsus. It's
probably better to call your prologue chapter one and then leap clearly
ahead in time.
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mary rosenblum
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I have polled readers at
various conferences and have been SHOCKED at how many said they skipped
prologues.
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mary rosenblum
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My suggestion there is don't
put anything really critical in a prologue.
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mary rosenblum
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You can use whatever you
planned to use for the prologue as chapter one. It can be cryptic and sort
if you immediately ground us with the main character and universe in Two...
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mary rosenblum
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or you can flesh it out and
make it a strong first chapter, then leap ahead in time for chapter two.
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dim writer
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Can we start with a flashback?
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mary rosenblum
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You can, but it will take a
lot of craft on your part to make the nature of the times clear to your
readers.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember...they don't know
when the 'now' is in this story.
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mary rosenblum
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They're going to assume that
flashback is the 'now' unless you make it crystal crystal clear that this
is a flashback...
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mary rosenblum
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and even then, you're still
going to confuse some when you shift that MC into the real 'now' of your
story.
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mary rosenblum
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You might be better to write
the action then show the time change, rather than having your MC relive it
in chapter one as a flashback.
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tkm
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What is a good way to leap ahead
in time?
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mary rosenblum
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Clearly.
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mary rosenblum
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You need to give the readers
some very clear roadmaps so that they can't miss the time change.
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mary rosenblum
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Believe me, it is VERY easy to
confuse readers about when we are.
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mary rosenblum
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You might do it by showing a
character who was a teenager in the first scene with her ten year old
daughter in the second scene...
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mary rosenblum
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and the oak sapling she
planted is a hardy young tree now...and she might even remember planting
that shoot ten years ago.
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mary rosenblum
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Obvious is good.
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mary rosenblum
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Another challenge is the
series first chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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If you are writing, say, a
fantasy or mystery series with the same main characters and same
universe...
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mary rosenblum
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you have a big challenge.
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mary rosenblum
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If you 'start from scratch' to
introduce everyone and everything your loyal readers are bored to tears.
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mary rosenblum
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If you don't ground your new
readers, they're lost, and they won't read any more in the series.
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mary rosenblum
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And you can't always count on
them having read books one and two since books go out of print...
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mary rosenblum
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or the library has lost the
copy, or the bookstore was out of them that day.
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mary rosenblum
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So it becomes a real juggling
act to ground those new readers while entertaining the faithful at the same
time.
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mary rosenblum
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That's when it's a good idea
to start with some kind of strong and entertaining action and work enough
backstory in as you go...
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mary rosenblum
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You can set up situations that
will plausibly expand the backstory later on.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember...part of the craft
of writing is intentionally using plot elements to allow for things like
backstory.
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mary rosenblum
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You're not a slave to the
first plot line you come up with, you know.
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mary rosenblum
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If you realize you need to let
readers find out more about how this MC lives and gets his income...
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mary rosenblum
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then figure out some kind of
plot twist that will allow you to plausibly reveal it to readers.
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mary rosenblum
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Say you have a fantasy quest
and you realize that readers need to know that this particular MC has some
native magic...an ability to control insects...and we need to know about it
before he uses it...
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mary rosenblum
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and we need to know that he's
shy about admitting it.
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mary rosenblum
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So instead of sending him off
on that quest in chapter one...
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mary rosenblum
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you might rethink that start
and begin with him pruning his uncle's orchard and he cuts down a wasp nest
and his little cousin is out there...
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mary rosenblum
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and he saves her from stings
by controlling the wasps, but that gets him in trouble with his uncle...
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mary rosenblum
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because their society doesn't
allow the use of magic. Then, when he hears news of this quest, he joins
up.
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mary rosenblum
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Here, you've simply backed up
a bit on the plot line so that you could let us find out the backstory that
we needed to know..
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mary rosenblum
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first hand. And it's an
engaging scene with a lot of action.
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dim writer
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Can I change my POV in the first
chapter?
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mary rosenblum
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You can, dim. I'm assuming
you'll change to the POV of another main character. Realize you're
generally better off to change POV at the chapter break.
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mary rosenblum
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Those mid chapter POV switches
are awkward and they do jolt the reader some.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the novel start. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to the red
question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon in
order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You can also
type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to reach me.
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mary rosenblum
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By the way...just as a matter
of comparison...if I were to write that magic story as a short story, I
would begin with the quest...
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mary rosenblum
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and let us find out about that
wasp incident later on.
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mary rosenblum
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THat's the difference between
a novel start and a short story start.
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info
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Can there be two mc's at the
same time or is that more difficult
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mary rosenblum
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Personally, I think novels are
stronger if you have two or three different MCs.
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mary rosenblum
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That allows you to cover more
ground...your POVs can be in different places. And you can allow one POV to
find out something that the others don't know. The reader realizes that
something is going wrong...
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mary rosenblum
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but your individual POVs don't
have all the pieces of the puzzle. So you bring your readers to the edge of
their seats...
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mary rosenblum
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as your POVs make mistakes
because they dont have all the information.
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mary rosenblum
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Of course if you're using
first person, you're sort of stuck with one POV.
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mary rosenblum
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It's very hard to switch
between two first person POVs well.
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janecj333
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Well, a chapter break is
arbitrary...a chapter can be a single scene or a group of scenes, and you
can have either 80 chapters or 25.
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mary rosenblum
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Exactly, Jane.
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mary rosenblum
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I often have two page
chapters...even one page chapters...if that's what works.
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mary rosenblum
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I'd rather do a three page
chapter than switch POV in the middle.
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lorib
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Mary, when you first start a
novel do you "know" its going to be part of a series, and
therefore structure it accordingly...
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mary rosenblum
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It sure helps if you do. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I have written a series in the
mystery universe, and yes, I knew it was a series from the get go.
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mary rosenblum
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But even when I do stand
alones, I always think about where I would go next with this story line.
Should I want to do so.
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tarsus
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If you have 2 MC, do they both
have to show up in Chapter 1?
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mary rosenblum
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Not necessarily.
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mary rosenblum
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I've done it both ways...had
both in chapter one (but only through one POV, not the POV of both), and
I've introduced the other MC in a later chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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Depends on the shape of your
plot and where the various POVs first show up.
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mary rosenblum
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I suggest that you will have
an easier time engaging your readers with your MCs if you stick to one POV
in the first chapter, and give your other MCs their own chapters in which
to be POV,,,
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mary rosenblum
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rather than hopping from POV
to POV in chapter one.
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mary rosenblum
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Mainly, make that chapter on
interesting.
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mary rosenblum
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Your reader is not reading it
to find out about the world and the people...your reader is reading it to
see if the story is worth reading.
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mary rosenblum
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Make it a hook, not an
encyclopedia!
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dim writer
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Should I start with my hero?
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mary rosenblum
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Not a bad idea if your plot
can work that way.
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mary rosenblum
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Reader expectation can work
for you or against you, and you can use it to your advantage at times,
especially in mystery, where you want to mislead readers.
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mary rosenblum
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But reader expectation,
generally, is that the POV in the first chapter is mostly likely the
protagonist or the antagonist.
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mary rosenblum
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And they're probably going to
assume protagonist unless you make it clear that it's the other.
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mary rosenblum
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That's why starting with the
POV of a secondary character can be trickly.
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mary rosenblum
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tricky. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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You can DO it, but you're
working against reader expectation so you have to be very clear about what
is going on.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're working with reader
expectations, they'll do a lot of the work for you.
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janecj333
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What about an antagonist who
thinks he's the protagonist? :)
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mary rosenblum
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That's very tricky. Your
reader expectation is that he IS the protagonist. If he also thinks he's
the protagonist, you may end up with readers who have 'bonded' to this
MC...
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mary rosenblum
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and will feel VERY betrayed
when you turn the tables on them.
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mary rosenblum
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BUT...you can let him think
he's the good guy but make it clear to readers he is not.
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mary rosenblum
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HOwever, if they don't like
this character they may not read on to chapter two. As I said..it's tricky.
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gskearney
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Trickly? Do you need a bathroom
break, Mary?
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mary rosenblum
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LOL my secondary character
does.
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dim writer
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Can I kill off my antagonist?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, an awful lot of books
do. Killing the villain is sort of de rigeur. Sometimes it's more fun to
let him or her get away with things, though.
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janecj333
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Exactly...show him morally unfit
for the role he believes he's playing.
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mary rosenblum
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Just do realize, jane, that if
you don't have someone there quickly for the readers to care about, you may
lose them.
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mary rosenblum
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They have no guarantee you'll
give them someone to care about until you do. I wouldn't wait too long.
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mary rosenblum
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I love negative characters but
that is a very fine balancing act between what readers will and won't
engage with.
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mary rosenblum
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If they don't have someone to
care about, the 'come uppance' aspect of the story tends to be too thin...
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mary rosenblum
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to carry a story of any length
and certainly a novel.
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mary rosenblum
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So, overall, try to introduce
your universe, your MC, and the first plot element in chapter one...
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mary rosenblum
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but remember it should be
based on entertaining actions and events, rather than an encyclopedia of
the universe.
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mary rosenblum
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Avoid telling the readers
everything they need to know! Curiosity is your friend.
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mary rosenblum
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It's perfectly fine if your
readers don't know everything in chapter one, as long as they know enough
to be engaged by what is going on.
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dim writer
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To star a historical story do
you put alot of history in the
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dim writer
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the first chapter?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, yes, you need to set the
story in that period clearly, dim. But you can't teach the reader history
before starting the story.
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mary rosenblum
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You need to work in the
historical backstory the same way you work in any backstory.
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mary rosenblum
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That is one of the real
challengs of historical fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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And if your readers have NO
clue about that historical period, yes, they will miss some things...
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mary rosenblum
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but you need to get basic
clues in. Is the Civil War happening? Is this early days of the French
Revolution? Is Columbus about to set sail?
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mary rosenblum
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When are we?
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mary rosenblum
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where are we?
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mary rosenblum
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No matter what you're writing,
try to get a few key elements into chapter one:
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mary rosenblum
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When ...where...who...
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mary rosenblum
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When is this happening.
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mary rosenblum
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Who is it happening to.
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mary rosenblum
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Where is this happening.
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mary rosenblum
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The Why comes in with your
first plot element...
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mary rosenblum
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although you won't fully
explain that, of course, until the end.
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mary rosenblum
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I'll post the transcripts of
this Forum in the usual place: Forum Transcripts.
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mary rosenblum
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Have a good week all.
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mary rosenblum
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And do join us tomorrow in
this same place for our casual chat.
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mary rosenblum
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Where we just get together to
talk about writing.
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