May madness is going wonderfully so far! I'm so glad I decided to do it, I'm writing normally again, it's great :D I've written 10,000 words in only five days, that's just so awesome! And then coupled with ROW80 I'll be unstoppable. Unstoppable!! >:D Um. Yeah.
The only problems I'm having right now is that the beginning is boring. I'm trying to get to the part where things start happening as quickly as possible without just skipping to it. I'm not going to worry about rewriting or anything just yet but I know it needs some work.
I've been thinking about that general rule of 'make it harder' for your character but should you really do that in the beginning? Like within the first 50 pages should you really start making things harder? I'm under the impression that that sort of thing should wait until a bit later. Am I wrong?
What do you guys think? Does that rule apply to anywhere in the book or not?
6 comments:
The inciting incident -- the point where your story really begins -- should be a point of conflict (conflict creates interest) for your main character. Something should happen within the first few pages that changes their world somehow. A discovery, a tragedy, a revelation, whatever it is that sets your story in motion. And definitely within the first fifty pages. Maybe even within the first ten, in my opinion.
Came over here through the NaNo Bloggers :)
My opinion is this: the earlier and harder you make it on your character, the more time they have to figure it out and get into Even More Trouble trying to fix it. I tend to start as far into the story as I can, and then up the ante in the first chapter to hook the reader. If it's all backstory and world-building in the first 50 pages no one's going to keep reading past the first 50 pages (unless you have amazing backstory and world-building, which you might!).
Good luck with your writing goals! Happy Noveling!
L.G. Smith, see, I did have an inciting incident but it came out as being really. . . mellow and unexciting. I'm gonna have to fix that, it seems. Thanks for your thoughts :)
Stickynotestories, Hi! Glad people are still using the NaNo bloggers thing.
Yeah, my backstory and world-building isn't that impressive. I wish it was, but no ;) That sounds like a good method, I'll have to try it out. Thanks!
Heya, LG and stickeynotestories have given some great advice. I think you should start your book just before the moment everything changes for your MC. In other words, start them at equilibrium, then yank the rug out from under them. Definitely within the first 50 pages, and I'd agree with the "under 10" suggestion above. Another piece of advice I value is to minimize (if not remove completely) all flashbacks and backstory in the first chapter.
Hope this helps :)
Hugs,
Rach
Rachael, thank you! This advice is really helpful for me. I mean, I thought that I was starting before that point where everything changes but, I didn't. Or it just wasn't enough, you know?
Thank you for visiting my blog and for the advice :)
little concerned you find your beginning boring - if you do won't your readers even more so - they don't after all have any connection yet with characters - I think the first pages should be some indication at the very least of trouble ahead if not already stuck in middle of.
Post a Comment