I'm posting again before the last post has had time to settle in! This is what happens when on vacation. Fall semester finished and a nice long break until the Spring semester starts January 10. Yay!
I had to post again because of finding two very interesting blogs of note dealing with my Achilles heel -- first pages. First, Writer Unboxed has a great blog about this in a Q & A: First-page problems. Greatest problems cited: back story, info dump, exposition, throat clearing and setup. No big surprises in the culprits, but some good advice that may click when heard a different way.
Second, by the same author, Ray Rhamey, there is a link from this article to the author's information packed blog Flogging the Quill, where he has a Flogometer Challenge: Can you craft a first page that compels me to turn to the next page? You can vote yourself on whether you'd read on, see the results to the poll, and read Ray's insightful input. I think it's kind of fun to see how my opinion rates against others.
I'm not so sure I'll take the challenge by submitting, but the examples are interesting to read and learn from. As usual, I can see from the work of others what works and doesn't much more clearly than I can in my own.
Currently, I'm still having a nagging voice in my head say I should revise and rearrange my first chapter(s) -- again. Has anyone ever tried the trick of moving up a later portion of your book (such as the third chapter) for the first and find it works?
Small Good Things
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In my August post I talked about writing in turbulent times, and suggested
it might be easier to keep going with our creative work if we remained
mind...
3 hours ago
I'm glad you get to have a nice long break from school--you certainly deserve it! Hope you get a chance to do what you want to do. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for first pages, I've found that it can change a LOT as I write the story. Sometimes it takes me a while to fine-tune things so that I start at the right spot. So I don't worry at the outset about making the first pages perfect--I save that for when the story is complete. :) I've actually had to ADD to the beginning for a couple of my stories. LOL
Donna, I think that makes perfect sense to wait until the story is complete. But I still feel compelled to mess with it! LOL
ReplyDeleteYep, I have been getting a chance to do what I want to do on my break...which isn't a lot, but it's what I want to do. :)
Hope you are enjoying your new job! Is it temporary? I hope you continue to find the time to post your blog, which I enjoy so much! :)