| In a bookstore, how do you decide which novel | | | | Examples: |
| to buy? Most of us look first at the title and | | | | Example #1: Your story is about a young, |
| jacket copy, then open to the first page and read | | | | widowed mother who discovers an intruder in her |
| a paragraph or two. If they don't capture our | | | | California hillside house when she brings her sick |
| interest, we put the book back on the shelf. | | | | child home from nursery school during a terrible |
| When you finish a novel and query agents or | | | | rain storm. |
| editors, they are your potential buyers. They use | | | | Since you want to start with a scene that hooks |
| the same method to decide whether or not to | | | | the reader, beginning with the intruder before he |
| ask you to send the rest of your manuscript. | | | | gets into the house offers strong possibilities. |
| Most request one to three chapters with the | | | | Through his viewpoint, you can create the |
| query as a sample rather than a paragraph, but if | | | | impression he has a mental problem of some kind, |
| the opening doesn't hook them, they may not | | | | has trouble remembering things and is menacing. |
| read the rest. | | | | You can also show the ferocity of the storm as |
| The opening of your novel must entice the editor | | | | he drives up the canyon road and runs out of gas. |
| or agent to read the entire story. It should plant a | | | | When the story switches to the woman in the |
| seed of suspense, set the mood, begin building | | | | next chapter, she leaves home to pick up her |
| dramatic tension, and pose a question the reader | | | | sick child and passes the dark car pulled off the |
| wants answered. | | | | side of the road. |
| To do this, you need to choose the right time and | | | | The reader already knows the man in the car is a |
| place to open your story. | | | | threat of some kind, and the heroine has just |
| All stories don't start at the beginning. | | | | crossed his path. The suspense is set up and the |
| One of the basic rules for writing a novel is to | | | | reader is eager to know what will happen next. |
| begin as close to the end as possible. The main | | | | Example #2: Your story is about a young mother |
| reason for this is that's where the real suspense | | | | who learns the man convicted of murdering her |
| begins. It's usually the point in a suspense novel | | | | husband five years ago has just been released |
| where story goals of the protagonist and villain | | | | from prison on a technicality. She is terrified he will |
| cross and put them in conflict. Characters' | | | | come after her because her testimony was the |
| backgrounds and how they reached that point | | | | crucial evidence against him at the trial. |
| then emerge as the story unfolds. | | | | Since the murder took place five years before |
| Where do I begin? | | | | the jeopardy story begins, the murder would |
| You have two choices. Begin with chapter one or | | | | create a more dramatic opening than introducing |
| with a prologue. The two are not interchangeable, | | | | the woman in chapter one. |
| however. | | | | The scene about the murder would be a valid |
| Opening with an interesting character doing | | | | prologue. It sets up a vital part of the background |
| something dramatic is an excellent way to hook | | | | the current story needs. It helps the reader |
| the reader. The scene must fit in smoothly as | | | | understand why the protagonist is so worried |
| part of the story or an introduction to it in some | | | | about the man finding her. It also creates |
| way. | | | | dramatic suspense that will build throughout the |
| Deciding if it's chapter one or a prologue. | | | | story. |
| If your opening scene leads directly into the story | | | | Plan ahead |
| without a break in time, it should be chapter one. | | | | Choose where to begin your novel carefully. It |
| If the opening scene helps set up the story but | | | | can make the difference between getting your |
| happens before the actual story takes place, and | | | | manuscript read or rejected. Getting it read is the |
| the interval of time between them isn't shown, it | | | | first step toward getting it published. |
| should be a prologue . | | | | |