The Importance of a Good Opening line

If someone opens my book I want my first sentence to whisper, "you want to know more." I want the reader to know just what kind of book this is. How my story is told, not necessarily a setup for the entire novel.

I'm not going for something beautiful or awe inspiring, that wouldn't match the rest of my book either. Witty would be nice, but for me funny scenes write themselves, if I try to be funny it just doesn't work.

I struggled forever with my opening line. Then I chose to move the first two paragraphs of my book. I found this part a bit dry, more suited to where they are now than the opening.

Now I need a new hook. "I sat on the dusty ground with my back against the cool rock wall." Doesn't capture a reader quite like "Right next to the earth there is another world which we cannot see or interact with, for this magical world isn't in the same space we are."

So why don't I just rewrite the beginning a bit and use that line? Because it is completely different voice from the rest of the book. That was what was wrong with my opening paragraphs. They weren't told by my main character, but by a stodgy old history professor or a scientist trying to factual things out. I actually put them in a book my main character reads and have her comment on how dull and dry they are. You have to laugh at your mistakes, right?

After spending the past month agonizing over my opening chapter I now have new opener. "Ten years ago a portion of the human population wound up on a world of magic." It's a bit like my first one, but in the voice of my character. I'm not sure I'm happy with it yet.

What do you think?

A memerable Opening line

If someone opens my book I want my first sentence to whisper, "you want to know more." I want the reader to know just what kind of book this is. How my story is told, not necessarily a setup for the entire novel.

I'm not going for something beautiful or awe inspiring, that wouldn't match the rest of my book either. Witty would be nice, but for me funny scenes write themselves, if I try to be funny it just doesn't work.

I struggled forever with my opening line. Then I chose to move the first two paragraphs of my book. I found this part a bit dry, more suited to where they are now than the opening.

Now I need a new hook. "I sat on the dusty ground with my back against the cool rock wall." Doesn't capture a reader quite like "Right next to the earth there is another world which we cannot see or interact with, for this magical world isn't in the same space we are."

So why don't I just rewrite the beginning a bit and use that line? Because it is completely different voice from the rest of the book. That was what was wrong with my opening paragraphs. They weren't told by my main character, but by a stodgy old history professor or a scientist trying to factual things out. I actually put them in a book my main character reads and have her comment on how dull and dry they are. You have to laugh at your mistakes, right?

After spending the past month agonizing over my opening chapter I now have new opener. "Ten years ago a portion of the human population wound up on a world of magic." It's a bit like my first one, but in the voice of my character. I'm not sure I'm happy with it yet.

What do you think?

Traveling Scenes

My Achilles heel is either naming things (my pet rabbit is named Bunny) or traveling scenes. Today I'm focusing on the sometimes dreaded traveling scene.

In a medieval type world it takes a lot of time to travel anywhere. Most fantasy novels are chocked full of such scenes. When I'm reading I tend to stare into space during these segments so, I try to make mine as short as they can be.

A traveling scene doesn’t have to be boring or an endless description of everything the characters pass. It is also a good opportunity to advance the plot. The characters would naturally bond spending so much time alone with one another. They’d probably learn some new facts about each other in the process. For instance in Woven Magic I have Alyt spend some of the traveling time learning more about her magic. Some authors like to cause problems for their characters along the way. The trick is to spice it up and not have endless battles which are all the same. As I know from my own travels, plenty of things can go wrong of the ordinary sort as well. It doesn’t have to be a grand battle for a little conflict.

It's a difficult balancing act. I want to get a character from point A to point B, while immersing the reader in my world, but without losing them in the details. My characters spend most of their time traveling, but I generally summarize these parts as much as I can. My problem is getting enough details in so the reader can feel like they are there, but keeping it short.

My character is young. It is her first time going any of these places, so naturally she'll be excited at seeing so many new things. I try to keep my descriptions to the important things, while still capturing her wonder of the world around her.

Which is worse too many details or too few?

How to write

Mr. King got it exactly right. When I begin a story there are no charts or maps, I haven't plotted out a summary, I just sit down and start writing. I like to write my story from beginning to end, but sometimes I get a good idea for a chapter, so stop everything else and write it down.

This is why it is hard to tell someone how to write. There are as many ways to write as there are people. Everyone has their own method. The trick is to figure out what works for you.

So, here's my advice. Step One: Read a lot of books. Step Two: Write.

Anything you read about how to write starts with writing. If you are self conscious don't save it, though this may be good for a laugh later. Just write.

The reason why when I find a good author I can't find any others like them is because, there aren't any. They are one of a kind with their own unique voice. This is what I hope to one day achieve.

How do you write best? Isolated and quiet or in a noisy room, the music blaring away or in a park outside? To me it doesn't matter, I go into myself, tuning out the rest of the world (Sometimes to the annoyance of those around me) and write.

What makes a character a person?

It isn't knowing their entire history or being able to picture exactly what they look like. It is feeling as though you know the character. Something happens and you know how that character would react, how they would feel, what they would think. As a writer I have to know my characters this well, but it would be boring if I wrote out all the ins and outs of my characters. 

So how does a writer get across enough of a character's personality? By showing them in different settings, showing the kind of person they are, and hearing the thoughts inside their heads. Their personality needs to be consistent, though they can grow as a person as all people do.

A character cannot be unfailable, they cannot be perfect. They cannot be pure evil or pure good, for people don't come that way. They have goals and dreams, fears and weaknesses. Sometimes it is a characters quirks that make them the most likable.

A pet peeve of mine is cookie-cutter characters that are a walking stereotype. In fantasy this is the solider, the thief, and the wizard. One can write these characters, but there has to be more to them than what they are. I think what makes a good writer a great writer is having realistic side characters as well as main characters.

What do you think makes for the best characters?

An Original Idea

One of the biggest problems nowadays is having an original plot. I wonder if the ancient Greeks thought that all the stories had been told. People often say that today, though I don't believe it is true. There may be fewer ideas left out there, but they can't ever be all used up.

I used to think I could only write a story if it was completely original. This became a problem. I'd get a good idea, but then I'd read or watch something and find them too similar, so I'd scrap my story. I realized that if I continued to do this I would never write anything. As much as I want to write a totally original story I had to understand that no matter how original I think my story is, there is going to be something out there that is somewhat similar.

Everyone is influenced by what they have seen and what they have read. No two stories can be the same, being told by two different individuals.

Writing a good Plot

A plot is probably the most important part of a story. It is the actual story. Good characters can only redeem a poor plot so much.

A plot all begins with an idea. Where these ideas come from I'm not sure. Maybe we all have our personal muse looking out for us. Mine sure has a strange sense of humor.

I find it hard to explain how an idea turns into a plot. I organize my story in my head so I know what is coming or just start writing and see where it goes. Some people write everything out before they start the actual story.

This site shows how to create a plot outline.http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html

When I write a story I make sure that the character and therefore the reader sees hints of what is coming. As the tension develops in the story, so does the plot. When I write I don't really concentrate on all of the parts that make up a plot. I go back through before I'm finished making sure my plot makes sense.

A conclusion has to wrap things up satisfactorily. It doesn't matter as much how many pages it takes as long as the story seems over. There is a delicate balance between leaving the reader wanting more and leaving them feeling cheated.

How do you develop a plot? Do you write out a whole summary or do you only know the basics before you start a story?