Tag: first lines

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

The Stage for Your First Page

There’s a video floating around somewhere online (numerous, probably!) of J.K. Rowling reading her first pages to eager readers. I remember listening and thinking how naturally the words flowed, how it seemed like if she’d written the page any other way it would be wrong.

That’s how our every page needs to be, but especially our first page. So, other than impersonating J.K. Rowing, how do we do so?

Start in the middle of a scene.

For instance, in Harry Potter, readers don’t need to wait more than a few sentences to realize they’ve been thrust into something “strange or mysterious.” Rowling doesn’t start with Harry waking up (a cliché we should all avoid), but tosses us straight into learning about the boy who lived. Another term for this would be starting in media res. Dare to start in the middle of a scene, trust the reader to pick up the details you layer in, and you’ll be surprised how fast you captivate your audience.

Mesh the Unknown with the Known 

A reader is always a little disoriented when starting a new book. That’s the nature of plunging into a new setting with no warning about what’s going on. (Tip: A location tag can help lessen readers’ disorientation.) To combat this and draw a reader in, combine your unique story idea with concrete details readers can connect with.

For instance, if you’re plunging your protagonist into terrible trouble, maybe include their friend offering help in a way that’s relatable to your target audience. This will give readers an anchor point as they dive deeper into your story idea.

Even in the Harry Potter movies, the director included a scene where Harry draws himself a birthday cake and candles in the dust and blows out the candles. Birthday cake is something most readers can connect with, even in a wizarding world.

Give Your Protagonist a Distinct Voice

Readers want to connect with a character in a personal way. The faster you can make readers connect with your protagonist, the more likely they’ll hold on for the whole ride. A good way to do this this by giving your character a distinct voice.

Creating a distinct voice demands knowing your audience and what type of voice they’re most likely to connect with. This takes effort, but it’s effort well spent. One reason Harry Potter did so well is because Harry had a distinct voice. He was just a school kid put in a very unique situation. But school kids around the world connected with his voice because it was their voice.

If you want to write a gripping first page, start in the middle of the action (in media res), mesh the unknown with the known, and give your protagonist a distinct voice.

Do this, and you’re well on your way to success!

Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Writer, working with brands to grow their audience reach. She studied Strategic Communications at Cornerstone University and focused on writing during her time there, completing two full-length manuscripts while a full-time student. Currently she trains under best-selling author Jerry Jenkins in his Your Novel Blueprint course and is actively seeking publication for two books.

Instagram: @sarahjrexford
Twitter: @sarahjrexford
Web: itssarahrexford.com

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Setting Versus Dialogue

“It was a dark and stormy night.” One of the most famous opening lines of literature comes from Edward Bulwer-Lytton and has been parodied or used many times since its first printing.

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.” Here is another well-known first line taken from the modern-day YA novel “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan.

Which of these two hooks grabs you? Your answer might give a clue to what kind of writer you are.

The first line establishes a basic setting in just a few words. The second hook comes across more as dialogue since the character is speaking directly to the reader. Which spoke to you—the setting or the dialogue?

Many writers are either naturally talented at establishing setting or have an innate sense of the flow of dialogue, however, some struggle with gaining a balance between the two. It is particularly important for fantasy and sci-fi writers to know which of these is their strength. Since many fantasy and sci-fi worlds take a good amount of description, oftentimes dialogue can take a back seat.

How can you master this balanced tension of setting and dialogue? First, you’ll need to pinpoint which category you reside in. The next time you sit down to write, ask yourself: Do I see the setting in minute detail? Can I see every speck of world that surrounds my characters? Or, do I hear the dialogue first? Do my characters often come into focus while the background goes blurry? Whichever side feels natural is probably the area in which you are strongest. You now have a starting point to hone your craft.

Once you’ve established where your strength lies, you can begin the process of improving your weaker side. Sit down and create a chapter in the same way you usually do. Let it rest for a day. Then come back and read the whole thing out loud. Ask yourself: Can I see the setting? Is the background described with enough detail that I can feel the mood of the scene? Also, is the dialogue natural? Do I rely on only a line or two of dialogue to convey my message, or can I add to it to show the reader the interaction, instead of just telling them? Rewrite your chapter, read it aloud again, then repeat the process.

It may sound tedious, but after a few rounds, you’ll naturally add that needed setting or dialogue during your first draft, which will make less work later on. You may not get it right the first time, but being aware of your weakness will help you become better at your craft.

Setting and dialogue are equally important within any story. Fantasy and sci-fi writers can learn to establish not only a fantastical setting but to round out the story with exceptional dialogue, as well. After all, an eloquently written backdrop needs effective characters—and words between them—to keep the reader invested.

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mom to three daughters, and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter and at her website, www.lauralzimmerman.com

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi Storyworld

World-building From the Eyes of a Character

Character Eyes

The carbine was still jammed and Jim couldn’t do anything to fix it. He finally tossed it aside and cursed the shoddy Adronni weapon manufacturers – maybe their world would be next on the alien invasion tour. A shrill whine filled the air, and Jim pressed himself tighter against the debris-covered groundcar. A scant thirty feet away the earth erupted in blue smoke. As the remains of a prefab shelter rained harmlessly over his powersuit, Jim took inventory. A Gilgamesh repeater pistol, a single frag, and a suit of armor with a busted rebreather. As long as the reptilians didn’t gas him first, he’d probably live long enough for one of their walker units to plasma-blast him in the chest. He sighed. No, there was one last thing he possessed – the souls of his charred comrades pushing him on to avenge them. Jim unholstered the pistol and peered around the corner. Time to move – vengeance would be his!

On the surface, the above paragraph looks like an action scene. It’s dripping with tension, and Jim’s fate looks pretty bleak. But even an action-packed paragraph can be used to build your world. In fact, study it a minute and try to identify some of the foreign storyworld elements.

We’re not sure what kind of weaponry Jim has (laser? projectile?), but his attackers clearly have plasma weapons that explode in puffs of blue gas. And we can guess based on the grisly state of his allies that either the plasma weapons burned them alive or that the aliens have some other kind of burning weapon.

Let’s look at some of the subtler elements though. Take the use of the word “groundcar.” What is the implication there? Obviously a “groundcar” is a type of vehicle distinguished from some other type. An aircar? A hover car? We don’t know specifics, but use of that word reveals that methods other than ground-based vehicles are used for transportation in this world.

We also get a glimpse into the intergalactic relations. First of all, these reptilians are not only invading Jim’s planet but have apparently been on “tour,” invading many planets. We don’t know if “Adronni” is a company or a race of aliens, but we do know that either Jim or his military outfit purchased firearms from otherworldly suppliers. This establishes that the storyworld has interplanetary trade.

All of this could be done from a detached, third-person omniscient perspective, but the story is told from a deep, although third-person, POV. This not only conveys the gobs of storyworld information above, but it also does two other things: 1) it gives the action emotional impact. Sure, the battle scene is only a paragraph long, but you’re emotionally involved in the character. It inspires you to read onward and learn Jim’s fate, even as your imagination processes the alien elements. And 2) the world is shown with Jim’s particular biases. A comment like “shoddy Adronni weapon manufacturers” shows us Jim has preferences in firearms and the Adronni-supplied weapons are apparently not among them. This doesn’t mean his preferences are necessarily right, and a different character’s POV may reveal a different perspective on the carbine and its manufacturer. Your storyworld’s inhabitants, like those in the real world, won’t always agree on things.

This isn’t to say that every paragraph in your 90,000-word manuscript must be packed with exotic storyworld elements, but the first few chapters should do so as much as possible. And if you’re trying to get your audience attached to your characters in that same timeframe, doing so from a close, ground-level perspective can really help.

mhi1-posterLast year, my favorite novel was Monster Hunter International written by Larry Correia. A contemporary fantasy novel like this doesn’t need as much storyworld explanation as a distant-future sci-fi novel, but the author does equally amazing jobs at world-building and deep character exploration. I’ve also just started Marc Turner’s When the Heavens Fall, an epic novel with some well-developed fantasy elements and several great POVs. A final verdict will have to wait since I haven’t finished it yet, but thus far it’s a great read and exemplifies some of what we’ve discussed here.

That’s all for now. Next month we’ll kick off a series on alien and fantastic biology. Until then, let me know if there are any other storyworld elements you’d like me to explore in this space. Thanks for reading!