An author considers opening pages from a reader's perspective

Speaking of following trends ... author Barbara Linn Probst has heard it said, umpteen times, that a writer must open with a high-stakes hook.

Yet when she thought back on several recent novels that captured her from the start, she realized it was worth questioning the advice.

Probst discusses how four bestselling authors opened their recent novels and tried to identify the quality or qualities that worked so well.

See how these authors drew in readers (or at least Probst) and check out other authors' thoughts on the matter at Writer Unboxed.

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