Writing Excuses 10.17: Q&A on Beginnings

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Writing Excuses 10.17: Q&A on Beginnings

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2015/04/26/writing-excuses-10-17-qa-on-beginnings/

Questions and Answers:
Q: Are there differences in beginnings between forms, novels versus short stories, genres?
A: YA: get into the character and plot faster. Engage the reader within the first page. List the events, identify the inciting incident, and decide what back story is needed. Start with an exciting sequence that makes promises that are fulfilled later.
Q: How do you do in media res in something that is not an action story?
A: Show us the main character actively engaged in doing something, showing competence. What are they good at, what are they not so good at?
Q: What's the biggest mistake that can be made in plotting the beginning?
A: Boring me. Too much back story. Forgetting the page 1 hook because it gets really good on page 200.
Q: Big name authors have published beginnings that are just meh, why are we expected to have fantastic beginnings?
A: Because you're a Writing Excuses listener, and Howard expects more of us! Challenge yourself to do better! Because different audiences like different things. A big name author has established their audience's trust, you haven't.
Q: How do you balance the need to have something going on right away with the need to have your readers know enough about the people involved to care about them?
A: Make sure the reader relates to some aspect of the action scene. Make the character likable. Make sure your scene does more than one thing, so we learn about the person and enjoy the action. Sometimes something really intriguing works, too.
Q: In creating a character, where do you start to develop that character, and how do you start showing them? What are the most important traits to show off when introducing them?
A: Why we like the character. Why is this character in the story? What do they want, what are they trying to fix in their life?
( Wisecracks, intrigue, and a dash of splendor? )

[Brandon] All right. Howard has some homework for you guys. We are moving out of beginnings. We're going to start talking about painting a scene. Howard has a piece of advice for you.
[Howard] Well, advice? You're going to need some help with this one. Take the world building that you've done, take the geewhiz that is part of your story, your setting, and write your beginning. Identify secretly on a piece of paper what your geewhiz is. Now hand this, without telling or saying anything about it, hand this to some alpha readers. Have them read it and have them tell you what they think the geewhiz is. This will help you identify whether you are communicating to your reader what you... The story that you have been telling yourself.
[Brandon] Excellent. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.