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7 Keys To Write the Perfect First Line of a Novel

7 Keys To Write the Perfect First Line of a Novel
Earlier this week, I read “Poppies,” a short story by Ulrica Hume, one of our authors on Story Cartel. Initially, I had only planned on skimming a few pages, but the first line hooked me. Before long, I was finishing the last page.1 Great first lines have that power, the power to entice your reader enough that it would be unthinkable to set the book down. How, then, do you write the perfect first line? Free Guide: Want to become a writer? This post is about what makes great first lines great. Note that some of these lines are a bit longer than one sentence. By the way, if you haven’t already read Monica Clark’s excellent post about writing the perfect first page from Monday, you should read it immediately. Let’s get started, shall we? Perfect First Lines Are Vivid Here’s the line from Ulrica Hume’s “Poppies” that caught my attention. I was born upside down, the umbilical cord looped twice around my neck. It’s a simple sentence, but I love it. Isn’t that a cool image? Mr. and Mrs.

Internet Resources - Writers Resources - Writing Links & Writers Links for Writers - Word Stuff Unsorted [/writers] James Patrick Kelly - Murder Your Darlings - "When time comes to make that final revision, however, you must harden your heart, sharpen the ax and murder your darlings." Greda Vaso - Determining the Readability of a Book - includes formulas for Gunning's Fog Index, Flesch Formula, Powers Sumner Kearl L. Kip Wheeler - Literary Terms and Definitions L. Kip Wheeler - Comp - Lit - Poetry - Links - more Style - Grammar - Errors in English [/writers]American Heritage - Book of English Usage - free download Band-Aid AP StylebookPaul Brians - Common Errors in EnglishCJ Cherryh - Writerisms and other Sins The Chicago Manual of Style FAQ Gary N.

The Biggest Mistake New Writers Make and 5 Ways to Avoid It by Anne R. Allen It's been an exciting week for the blog. Marketing expert Penny Sansevieri named us to the Top 30 Websites for Indies and blog guru Molly Greene named us to her list of must-read "leaders" in self-publishing. (I'm only recently self-published—and most of my work is still with a small press—but I'll wear the "indie" label proudly.) We also got some lovely kudos from superstar author Anne Rice, who linked to the blog from her FB page and said her readers were "deeply grateful" for our tips and insights. I also heard from the producer of a new film about The David Whiting Story which is the subject of my novel The Gatsby Game. All that, along with getting interviewed by the women's magazine More about my novel No Place Like Home have made me feel pretty good about the way my career is heading. But no way have I forgotten how it felt to be down at the bottom of the publishing ladder, trapped on the query-go-round, desperately hoping for the smallest bit of encouragement.

102 Resources for Fiction Writing « Here to Create UPDATE 1/10: Dead links removed, new links added, as well as Revision and Tools and Software sections. Are you still stuck for ideas for National Novel Writing Month? Or are you working on a novel at a more leisurely pace? Here are 102 resources on Character, Point of View, Dialogue, Plot, Conflict, Structure, Outlining, Setting, and World Building, plus some links to generate Ideas and Inspiration. Also, I recommend some resources for Revision and some online Tools and Software. Too many links? 10 Days of Character Building Name Generators Name Playground The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test Priming the idea pump (A character checklist shamlessly lifted from acting) How to Create a Character Seven Common Character Types Handling a Cast of Thousands – Part I: Getting to Know Your Characters It’s Not What They Say . . . Establishing the Right Point of View: How to Avoid “Stepping Out of Character” How to Start Writing in the Third Person Web Resources for Developing Characters Speaking of Dialogue

Fiction Writing --Add Color and Impact--The Writer’s Craft Questionnaires for Writing Character Profiles - Creative Writing Help Enter your e-mail to get the e-book for FREE. We'll also keep you informed about interesting website news. "I have searched the web and used different worksheets, but none have come close to your worksheets and descriptions of (what to do and what not to do). Both courses I have taken have with Creative Writing Now have been amazing. Each time I have learned something new. "As usual - I already love the course on Irresistible Fiction, rewriting a lot and improving greatly even after the first lesson. “Essentials of Fiction proved that I could indeed write and I wrote every day, much to my boyfriend's dismay (waa sniff).” - Jill Gardner "I am loving the course and the peer interaction on the blog is fantastic!!!" "I'm enjoying the weekly email course, Essentials of Poetry Writing. "Thank you for all the material in this course. "I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the lessons and feel they were very helpful in introducing new ideas and perspectives to my writing.

Creative Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult – what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process. Ask yourself whether you need to take out: Unnecessary information and explanation. You may need to add or expand: Something you know but have forgotten to tell the reader; perhaps the age of the main character. You may need to move: Dramatic sections to make a stronger opening. In your final edit: Check for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. How Long Should Your Novel Be? The Definitive Post! — Kevin T. Johns One of the very first questions aspiring novelists asks themselves is, “How long should my novel be?” This question is not nearly as simple as it sounds, and there are multiples ways to tackle it. I’m going to cover ALL of them in this post. My Journey I’ve often written and spoken of how it took my eight years to craft my debut novel, The Page Turners. One of the many reasons it took me so long to write my first novel was that, like many rookie authors, I wanted my debut to be an epic story. At one point, the manuscript for The Page Turners was up to 130,000 words, but the published version is a little over 55,000; hardly an epic. But you know what? Before long, finally publishing the book was no longer a distant pipe dream; it had actually become an attainable goal. The Benefits of Short It’s easier to redraft and review a shorter novel. Across the board, virtually everything becomes easier and more do-able once you commit to shortening your novel. Short story – under 7,500 words Kevin T.

Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language Translate emotions into written body language We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it's easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character's state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. The Top Five Tips For Using Body Language Use body language to add depth to dialogue. If you want to learn how to write a book, join our Writers Write course in Johannesburg. Even if you're not busy with a book, prompts are an excellent way to exercise the writing muscle. If you enjoyed this post, read:

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