First lines and first chapters | Newswire

C.S. Lakin: More reasons to examine your first page with great care

Posted on 01/25/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

One more time, as if you haven’t heard it: The first page of your novel is absolutely essential for capturing...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, First lines and first chapters

Posted on 01/13/2020 at 04:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

C.S. Lakin is previewing her new book, First Pages of Best Sellers: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why, on her...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, First lines and first chapters

Posted on 01/10/2020 at 01:28 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Jane Friedman isn’t trying to ban the use of five specific story openers. She does want to point out, though,...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: First lines and first chapters, Jane Friedman, Writing advice

Posted on 09/23/2019 at 04:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Your setup scene isn’t always the first scene in your book, but — as its name suggests — it definitely...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, First lines and first chapters, Plot / narrative, Writing advice

Posted on 09/07/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Award-winning author Peter Selgin recently critiqued the first pages of two memoirs, to gauge how well they captured the reader....

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: First lines and first chapters, Jane Friedman, Plot / narrative

Posted on 08/31/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Developmental editor Katie McCoach served as a judge for a writing contest earlier this year. In total, she read a...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, First lines and first chapters, Plot / narrative, Writing advice

Posted on 08/06/2019 at 04:24 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

It’s a toss-up whether the beginning or ending of a story is the toughest part to write. But there’s no...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: First lines and first chapters, Mystery, Writing advice

Posted on 05/01/2019 at 04:30 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

We’re hardly breaking new ground by reminding you to catch readers’ attention quickly and definitively. We are, however, offering more...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: First lines and first chapters, Writing advice

Posted on 10/11/2018 at 02:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

On this day in 1925, Elmore Leonard — “the Dickens of Detroit” — was born. The author of Get Shorty,...

Categories: Today in Books

Tagged As: First lines and first chapters, Just for fun, Mystery