First Five Pages — Tips And Techniques

by Joanne Wadsworth | Jun 3, 2013 | Author Blog

Random picture alert! Well, kinda.

Do you feel the cat’s conflict? The little mouse on his ear, I’m sure, went flying one second after this photo was taken. Anyway, keep reading, and check out exactly how we as writers, can create tension and conflict in our first five pages, thereby drawing the reader in. (Sorry about the “thereby.” I’m writing historical romance at the moment, and you might find the odd “aged” word appearing within the passages below.) *chuckles* 

Greetings my fellow writersHey everyone,

As writers we sometimes struggle with how our story should begin. We want to craft our first few pages in a way that draws the reader in. The last thing we want is for them to set our book down, to forget it, or to never pick it up again. So here, I’ve compiled a list of techniques to aid the writer in crafting a strong first five pages.

Open with a strong hook.

• The first line of your book is crucial.

• The first paragraph even more so.

• And the first scene has to truly pack a punch.

• So, how do we do this? Consider the main point of tension within your first chapter, and ideally try to work your first paragraph around that issue. The key is to captivate your reader into needing to know more. That means don’t go laying out all the facts, but aim to entice.

• To aid you with this, a great way to open your first page is with dialogue. It’s a method which allows you to introduce your main character and highlight the point of tension all in one go. If the dialogue isn’t in the first line, then try to incorporate it in the first paragraph.

Don’t give me thirty characters in the first few pages.

• If there’s one way to turn off a reader, it’s by confusion. Keep it simple. Spotlight your main characters right away so your reader becomes grounded from the start. Allow your reader to focus on them, to form a bond with them, to be invested in them.

• Never forget that when a writer gives a character a name, the reader will automatically store that name, and expect that character to be someone of importance. That means, don’t go naming your non-important characters, and that goes for the entire book. As an example, the waitress who serves you coffee in the café, can just be the waitress.

You have a clever reader.

• This is something I tell myself all the time, but continuously as I write the first few pages. “I have a clever reader.” It means as writers, we need to allow our reader to piece together the story without our continual input. Sure, give small hints, but don’t tell them everything. That way they’ll have a more fulfilling experience as they read right from the very first page.

Reflections.

• Reflections in the first few pages should rarely be written in. This is where the main characters reflect on their life or past situations. They’re getting deep and meaningful, when really you need to highlight the actual tension and conflict of your story.

• Save the reflections for where they’re needed.

Remember most readers will judge a book by its first few pages.

• Generally readers will peek at the first few pages of a book, and based on what they read, decide whether or not to buy it. That means no grammar mistakes are allowed from the very first line. Proofread thoroughly.

I hope you’ve found these tips and techniques helpful. You may even have your own special tip or technique you’d like to add. Drop me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you guys.

Take care, and I’ll catch ya next week.

PROTECTOR > BUY THE BOOK: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Lyrical Press / iTunes / Kobo

How Important Is Editing To You?

by Joanne Wadsworth | May 20, 2013 | Author Blog

🙂

I love to read, but when I begin a new book, the last thing I want is to be jerked out of the story by continuous grammar, spelling or punctuation mistakes. It’s the first sign that perhaps the book may suffer from other issues, like weak plot or character development.

In the past few years, the need for writers to edit our own work has become more crucial than ever before. Online review sites are taking off, and readers love to share what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy. Many reviews I’ve read get down to the tiniest detail, and if there’s poor editing, then  that becomes a major turnoff. We can certainly edit ourselves until we believe we’ve nailed our book, but there’s nothing quite like a second set of eyes.

Many writers join writers’ groups, have critique partners or request a beta reader to give them solid feedback. There’re also some wonderful freelance editors available. Proofreaders and line editors are another great option.

Which brings me to the reason for this post. Last week, a writer friend said to me she’d like to self-publish her first book. She’s tried getting an agent, but rejection letter after rejection letter keeps coming in. She’s in a writers’ group, but they’re all unpublished authors learning and growing together. She asked me what I thought she should do? Wow, as writers, our journey to publication can be quite different. Self-publishing might be the road she takes, although one thing remains the same for all of us. Our books should be soundly edited before publication, no matter which avenue we choose to take. Her future reputation as a writer is at stake if she doesn’t put her very best forward. I certainly understand her frustration of trying to get that first “yes.” It certainly feels like we’re climbing a mountain, dragging our way uphill, and through hail and snow to get there. But it’s so important not to forget that every published author out there, was unpublished at some point. That makes it feel real. Anything is possible.

So, how important is editing to you? Do you have a critique partner, beta readers or someone else? Who helps you ready your manuscript for submission or publication? For me, my second set of eyes before submission is my sister. She isn’t a writer, but an avid reader. She’s great at providing feedback, although if not for her, I’d certainly team up with a CP. Drop me a comment and let me know what works for you.

Lastly, yay, I finally wrapped up book three in my YA fantasy series and began the submission process on it. Now, I’m crossing my fingers and toes and hoping I did everything I could to make it a fabulous read. I can certainly say it’s well-edited. 🙂

Take care, and I’ll catch ya next week.

PROTECTOR > BUY THE BOOK: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Lyrical Press / iTunes / Kobo