Hi everyone, I'm a first time poster to this forum. I've been lurking around the Bryce forum for a few months.

Like most of you, I've been writing for years. And have never really paid much attention to the first opening sentences to my stories. I generally start where my gut tells me "this is the beginning". I don't try to, at least not deliberately, to snag the reader with snappy lines, cryptic descriptions or fast paced action.

But I've noticed many TV shows lately (not that I'm an aspiring teleplay writer) do exactly that. No where is this more evident than the popular crime shows like CSI or Law & Order. Many writing workshops I've taken over the years have emphasized the need for a grabby beginning.

How much importance do some of you here place on the beginning?

Message edited on: 10/13/2004 13:55

<strong>bandolin</strong><br />
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Welcome to the Writer's Forum! I hope this is not your last visit. Personally I don't think that the techniques used on television are necessarily the best techniques used for other writing. The snappy end line to a scene is in vogue now, but it will eventually go out of style. Each story should have the best beginning for that story...not for some other tale. I do think it is important to make your opening as interesting to the reader as possible. This is your first impression and you want to make it a good one. I wouldn't obsess about it in a first draft, but I would get it as compelling as possible before I finished my last. You only have a few moments to grab your reader...that is the job of the opening. I do think that stories should start with suspeense of some sort (and it doesn't have to be criminal...all stories need suspense), and scenes and/or chapters should end with a bit of suspense...a little cliff hanger to keep the reader wondering what is going to happen next. Otherwise, why should the reader continue? Often times I see people spend a lot of time giving historical detail about characters before they get to the action. Action always tells what is important about a character. When it doubt, have the character do something. Not talk. Not think back on a lifetime of experience. But do something that reveals character. I don't want to know what color the character's underwear is...I want to know how the character reacts to the situation. But that's my personal bias. I hope you join in our writer's contest on The RIM and the writer's challenge in this forum. These things are good practice for writers...and, I hope, fun too.

Thank you for your insight dialyn. It was very illuminating. I'm sure it won't be my last visit here. I have dozens of questions. Its nice to know that the writing process doesn't have to be done in a vacuum, which is what it has been up till now, for me. As for the writing challenges I don't know how to join them or where to go.

<strong>bandolin</strong><br />
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Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/contest.ez?contest_id=409

Writing challenge is at the link.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/contest.ez?contest_id=416

Writing contest is at the link.

Writing can be a lonely business...it's nice to have a place where you can come and talk about it. We are all at varying levels of expertise here, but sometimes just talking helps. :)

I can't remember the name of the book, or what exactly the words were, but I can remember the image that the first few lines left me with still. It was about the V that the trees made along the sides of a very long and straight river. I believe it was a Jack London book, not sure though. But the words were so powerful that I remembered the image for a long time. (I was probably 10 when reading it). So in my opinion, the first few lines are exceptionally important. Dialyn is right though, the words need to fit the story.

I agree with dialyn that you only have those first few opening words to grab the attention of your intended audience. What I would like to ask though is that once you are established as a writer do your openers need to be as important? (Take cases such as Stephen King who doesn't have particularly attention grabbing openers anymore or Dean Koontz either and they sell squillions)These guys don't need catchy openers to grab their audiences. I'd be interested to see what other people think.