How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene in a Book or Screenplay

How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene in a Book or Screenplayhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplayen-USTelligent Community 10How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene in a Book or Screenplayhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplayTue, 21 May 2019 15:59:25 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:148c9be7-5e51-48da-84f7-d9afddaac931Sara Anne Foxhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay#commentsCurrent Revision posted to Plot Planning by Sara Anne Fox on 5/21/2019 3:59:25 PM<br /> <div class="asl-wikipage-summary"> <p>The opening pages of a book or screenplay are a critical part of the story. Whether or not your audience (studio executive, literary agent, or reader) will continue turning the pages depends on your opening scene. So how do you write a beginning that will keep your audience wanting more? "You have to hook your reader immediately," says author and editor Sara Anne Fox. Because it's such a competitive market, readers need to be interested or emotionally invested by the bottom of that first page. Fox offers several tips on how to accomplish this such as avoiding overwriting, keeping any action moving quickly, and getting to the point. There are eight words she encourages writers to keep in mind when they think of who they are writing for: "Tell me a story" and "And then what happens?" For Fox, the essence of good storytelling is pulling people in right away, whether on the page or on the screen. Give them an intriguing story from the start and keep it moving forward. Watch the clip below to learn more about compelling opening scenes. </p> </div> <div class="asl-wikipage-media"> <p><a href="https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-wikis-components-files/00-00-00-00-66/HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4">www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4</a></p> </div><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video</div> How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene in a Book or Screenplayhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay/revision/3Mon, 20 May 2019 20:01:12 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:148c9be7-5e51-48da-84f7-d9afddaac931Sara Anne Foxhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay#commentsRevision 3 posted to Plot Planning by Sara Anne Fox on 5/20/2019 8:01:12 PM<br /> <div class="asl-wikipage-summary"> <p>The opening pages of a book or screenplay are a critical part of the story. Whether or not your audience (studio executive, literary agent, or reader)  will continue turning the pages depends on your opening scene. So how do you write a beginning that will keep your audience wanting more? "You have to hook your reader immediately," says author and editor Sara Anne Fox. Because it's such a competitive market, readers need to be interested or emotionally invested by the bottom of that first page. Fox offers several tips on how to accomplish this such as avoiding overwriting, keeping any action moving quickly, and getting to the point. There are eight words she encourages writers to keep in mind when they think of who they are writing for: "Tell me a story" and "And then what happens?" For Fox, the essence of good storytelling is pulling people in right away, whether on the page or on the screen. Give them an intriguing story from the start and keep it moving forward. Watch the clip below to learn more about compelling opening scenes. </p> </div> <div class="asl-wikipage-media"> <p><a href="https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-wikis-components-files/00-00-00-00-66/HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4">www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4</a></p> </div><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video</div> How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene in a Book or Screenplayhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay/revision/2Mon, 20 May 2019 15:22:33 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:148c9be7-5e51-48da-84f7-d9afddaac931Author Learning Centerhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay#commentsRevision 2 posted to Plot Planning by Author Learning Center on 5/20/2019 3:22:33 PM<br /> <div class="asl-wikipage-summary"> <p>The opening pages of a book or screenplay are a critical part of the story. Whether or not your audience (studio executive, literary agent, or reader)  will continue turning the pages depends on your opening scene. So how do you write a beginning that will keep your audience wanting more? "You have to hook your reader immediately," says author and editor Sara Anne Fox. Because it's such a competitive market, readers need to be interested or emotionally invested by the bottom of that first page. Fox offers several tips on how to accomplish this such as avoiding overwriting, keeping any action moving quickly, and getting to the point. There are eight words she encourages writers to keep in mind when they think of who they are writing for: "Tell me a story" and "And then what happens?" For Fox, the essence of good storytelling is pulling people in right away, whether on the page or on the screen. Give them an intriguing story from the start and keep it moving forward. Watch the clip below to learn more about compelling opening scenes.</p> </div> <div class="asl-wikipage-media"> <p><a href="https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-wikis-components-files/00-00-00-00-66/HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4">www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4</a></p> </div><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video</div> How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene in a Book or Screenplayhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay/revision/1Mon, 20 May 2019 15:13:45 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:148c9be7-5e51-48da-84f7-d9afddaac931Author Learning Centerhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/plot-planning/7354/how-to-write-a-compelling-opening-scene-in-a-book-or-screenplay#commentsRevision 1 posted to Plot Planning by Author Learning Center on 5/20/2019 3:13:45 PM<br /> <div class="asl-wikipage-summary"> <p>The opening pages of a book or screenplay are a critical part of the story. Whether or not your audience (studio executive, literary agent, or reader)  will continue turning the pages depends on your opening scene. So how do you write a beginning that will keep your audience wanting more? "You have to hook your reader immediately," says author and editor Sara Anne Fox. Because it's such a competitive market, readers need to be interested or emotionally invested by the bottom of that first page. Fox offers several tips on how to accomplish this such as avoiding overwriting, keeping any action moving quickly, and getting to the point. There are eight words she encourages writers to keep in mind when they think of who they are writing for: "Tell me a story" and "And then what happens?" For Fox, the essence of good storytelling is pulling people in right away, whether on the page or on the screen. Give them an intriguing story from the start and keep it moving forward. Watch the clip below to learn more about compelling opening scenes.</p> </div> <div class="asl-wikipage-media"> <p><a href="https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-wikis-components-files/00-00-00-00-66/HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4">www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowtoWriteaCompellingOpeningSceneinaBookorScreenplay.mp4</a></p> </div><div style="clear:both;"></div>