Creating a Reader Experience in the Opening to Your Story

M. Todd Gallowglas — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 18:56:31 GMT

Current Revision posted to Plot Planning by M. Todd Gallowglas on 7/19/2019 6:56:31 PM

Beginning a story is, for some writers, the hardest part of a manuscript. The difficulty is often a matter of not knowing how to write an exciting enough first line or first page. M. Todd Gallowglas, writer, critic, and educator, explains how to write an opening scene that grabs the attention of a reader. When he’s teaching a writing class or workshop, he quotes American poet Richard Hugo: “Begin in an experience, real or imagined.” If an author can draw a reader into a story by placing him or her in a character’s experience from the first scene, the reader will want to keep reading. Gallowglas says there’s been too much emphasis on "hooking" a reader and it’s more helpful to think about an opening as immersing a reader into the concrete details of the immediate experiences of a main character. Watch the clip below to learn more about writing a compelling first line and scene from this bestselling fantasy author.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CreatingaReaderExperienceintheOpeningtoYourStory.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Creating a Reader Experience in the Opening to Your Story

M. Todd Gallowglas — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:02:16 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Plot Planning by M. Todd Gallowglas on 7/19/2019 1:02:16 PM

Beginning a story is, for some writers, the hardest part of a manuscript. For some, the difficulty is a matter of not knowing how to write an exciting enough first line. Others can stare at the blank page for hours, not able to put any words down. M. Todd Gallowglas, Writer, Critic, and Educator, explains how to write an opening scene that grabs the attention of a reader. When he’s teaching a class or a workshop, he quotes Richard Hugo: “Begin in an experience, real or imagined.” If an author can draw a reader into a story by placing him or her in a character’s experience from the first line, the reader will be hooked. Gallowglas says there’s been too much emphasis on hooking a reader and it’s more helpful to think about an opening as immersing a reader into the concrete details of the immediate experiences of a character. Watch the clip below to learn more about writing a compelling first line and scene.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CreatingaReaderExperienceintheOpeningtoYourStory.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Creating a Reader Experience in the Opening to Your Story

Author Learning Center — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 18:01:54 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Plot Planning by Author Learning Center on 7/18/2019 6:01:54 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CreatingaReaderExperienceintheOpeningtoYourStory.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video