McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Beginnings
novium:
I sort of disagree. Not all books lacking a hook in the beginning are poorly written. They can't all start with a flash and a bang. I've read several good books in which a careful, quiet, slow beginning was necessary to the book.... books in which it was artfully slow.
harryismyhero:
This is why I shouldn't make grand generalizations. :) In my personal experience, I've found that most novels that lack that special something to grab your attention at the start tend to be lacking in other areas as well. It might be the writing, the characterization, the plot, all of the above, etc. Good writers, however, tend to know that the beginning is important to a story, and thus start a novel off right, simply because they are good writers. The beginning doesn't have to be bombs-exploding, ninjas-dueling epic or anything, but it needs to capture your imagination. That's what I mean when I say a book needs to "start off with a bang": it doesn't necessarily have to be an action-packed start; it just needs to have a hook of one kind or another--it has to be interesting.
--- Quote from: Mickey Finn on July 10, 2006, 09:41:13 PM ---
--- Quote ---The book sits on my nightstand, innocent in its trappings: a simple diary, encased in a simple cloth, the muted floral print stained and dirty. The small brass lock is jammed in the open position. The whole ensemble gives the impression of a child's diary, lost in the sandbox in school.
It scares the hell out of me.
The mist comes and we dare not separate. That was how we lost Charles.
--- End quote ---
--- End quote ---
^This, right here, is exactly what I'm talking about. :) It's not a fight to the death or "a flash and a bang" kind of start, but this opening grabs your attention and makes you want to read more to find out what's going on. That's what I meant by an interesting opening. An opening can be both artful and still hook you like a fish. :)
Darrington:
In a day and age of short attention spans and eyes set for sparkly, flashy things, I can imagine books without strong openings one way or another would be hard pressed to do very well. Of course, they'd have to have flashy cover art before any of that matters. But there has to be some sort of intriguing element to open a book, whether it's all bombs-exploding or just "that's so weird I have to keep going." I have a real problem with openings myself, wanting to make the perfect first impression and just trying too hard. Some chapters I've written start out better than the book or story itself. I suppose I should practice that, as those with short attention spans or who are a bit more discerning than the average person may not give me a second glance. :D
Anyway. Now that I've accomplished adding absolutely no new points to the discussion, I shall take my leave for the moment.
terroja:
I typically decide whether or not to buy a book based on its opening paragraph, but I've read good books with bad (or mediocre) openings. Sometimes the story needs to start slow.
If anyone cares, the current opening lines to my NIPP (Novel In Perpetual Progress) are:
Hammer-shaped warships tore across the throbbing crimson sky, louder than thunder.
Almost loud enough to drown out the screams.
I like it because it establishes two things right off the bat.
1.) I'm a fan of overwrought adjective use and have no qualms whatsoever about being corny as hell.
2.) I'm willing to use incomplete sentences in a third-person narrative, goddammit! And I'm willing to use them right off the bat.
Danielle/Evie:
--- Quote from: terroja on August 31, 2006, 09:54:02 PM ---
If anyone cares, the current opening lines to my NIPP (Novel In Perpetual Progress) are:
Hammer-shaped warships tore across the throbbing crimson sky, louder than thunder.
Almost loud enough to drown out the screams.
--- End quote ---
I usually read a few pages in order to judge whether or not I'll give it a chance, but if the first few lines/paragraphs absolutely captivate me, it's likely the rest of the story will too.
Terroja- I am captivably curious! What's your NIPP (mines the same way) about?
(Okay, so captivably is probably invented by moi, but is it not an amazing word?)
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