tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post7813777113092699078..comments2024-03-10T00:54:57.264-08:00Comments on Chantele Sedgwick: BeginningsChantele Sedgwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07920913211842919013noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-92011310559441138522011-09-21T09:08:02.530-07:002011-09-21T09:08:02.530-07:00I think of the opening scene as a door that's ...I think of the opening scene as a door that's only open enough to make me curious about what's on the other side. My favorites convey a feeling, but not the reason for the feeling.Carolyn Abiadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10567399129586443513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-36212674429070481872011-09-21T03:33:05.909-07:002011-09-21T03:33:05.909-07:00Judging by the comments, this is obviously a topic...Judging by the comments, this is obviously a topic close to the heart of many a writer!<br /><br />My current WiP starts the day BEFORE everything changes, but my main characters are in full anticipation of the change ahead, so hopefully that doesn't mean I've started too early. I don't think it does, but I'll be interested to see what my beta readers say. :-)Cally Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313803959936813426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-65668057900558093632011-09-20T22:14:36.034-07:002011-09-20T22:14:36.034-07:00OH NO!!! You've just ruined my next 8 books!!!...OH NO!!! You've just ruined my next 8 books!!!!!!!<br /><br />KIDDING!!<br /><br />I have THREE books that start just before people go to bed - how's THAT for weird??<br /><br />And I HATE, HATE, HATE being cheated by the character waking up on page two or three. Annoys the CRAP out of me.<br /><br />I think I'm okay. The only one I SORT of started that way was Joy - the emotion thing - Someone once told me that happiness is fleeting, but joy sticks with you, holds onto you, and fills you up. The fact that my name is Joy is sort of a lesson in irony.<br /><br />But that's IT, I swear, and THEN I jump into the action, lol.<br /><br />Beginnings are SO hard. I end up taking off a chapter or two off the beginning every once in a while. I'm MORE guilty of that than the "huh??" beginning.<br /><br />But yeah . . . beginnings are HARD for me. It's admittedly the place I struggle most.Jolene Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14809468564016928636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-52031844195125724702011-09-20T20:42:31.931-07:002011-09-20T20:42:31.931-07:00I agree that writing the beginning of the book is ...I agree that writing the beginning of the book is the hardest part. Everything hinges on the hook. It has to work. I find that I rewrite those first crucial pages over and over and over, at least 20 times or more. <br /><br />I think the main thing is to get something on paper. Half the time I end up throwing away the first three to five pages because the story doesn't really start until after that, but it seems to be part of the process I go through in discovering what my real hook is. I have trouble with endings, too. But getting to the ending is a great feeling, even if I have to rewrite it over and over and over!LynNerdKelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04167392990015741278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-89589759267325408722011-09-20T19:28:13.752-07:002011-09-20T19:28:13.752-07:00I agree with Ruth, about starting the day somethin...I agree with Ruth, about starting the day something changes. The thing that changes is usually the first piece of the story I come up with and I plan the rest of the story around that event.Ava Z.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14396315936946338742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-40625148323120245752011-09-20T17:34:32.330-07:002011-09-20T17:34:32.330-07:00I like to use a little action and a lot of intrigu...I like to use a little action and a lot of intrigue to draw the reader in. I try to give enough background that it's not action-without-context, which can be hard to follow.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680066584646789184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-81425445673551793022011-09-20T16:27:13.662-07:002011-09-20T16:27:13.662-07:00I love that picture, because it's been my defa...I love that picture, because it's been my default expression for the past month or so! On the topic of beginnings, I'm having a butt of a time rewriting my own. Last week my writers' group told me I could get into the action even sooner, although the conflict starts by the second page.<br /><br />I've been trying to get rid of my cliched beginning: My MC is standing at the edge of a forest, debating whether she's going to walk home that way or not. And yeah, she ends up running through the forest by the second page. Ugh, I'm so confused...Kristin Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16112300139571487439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-76075019137827612742011-09-20T14:30:51.291-07:002011-09-20T14:30:51.291-07:00Beginnings are so hard, but it's also fun (unl...Beginnings are so hard, but it's also fun (unless it's really really frustrating) to write out lots of different options. So I've heard. In my first book, I was learning how to engage without overwhelming and it took a LOT of feedback from readers to know I'd done a passable job. Thanks Chantele!Kelly Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08324622421797199560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-3561637836114578362011-09-20T13:23:27.396-07:002011-09-20T13:23:27.396-07:00Beginnings are the worst! I try to start between m...Beginnings are the worst! I try to start between major events. Something big has just happened to the character, and they're reacting to that, but by the end of the first chapter, something even bigger is coming. It's worked well so far...Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02768840794020850470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-15047478431864771352011-09-20T12:52:43.447-07:002011-09-20T12:52:43.447-07:00I don't mind action at all, but I hate being c...I don't mind action at all, but I hate being confused about who is who and what they're doing/where they are/why they're together! I love character building in any book. I love characters you can fall deeply in love with, more than plot lines or settings! So I like the character to smack me upside the head...in a good way!Liz Reinhardthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15431422051251925133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-9002024362263039532011-09-20T12:14:41.120-07:002011-09-20T12:14:41.120-07:00From what I gathered at the writers conference, th...From what I gathered at the writers conference, they want to know about the character. Of course you want it to be catchy too. Beginning scenes are so tricky. Luckily I have great crit friends to help me through it! ;)Abby Fowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567978659174723198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-69298621336767089632011-09-20T11:33:42.729-07:002011-09-20T11:33:42.729-07:00I love that picture! And you know, I have the hard...I love that picture! And you know, I have the hardest time with beginnings. Endings are so much easier.<br /><br />*off to fix the beginning of my book for the bazillionth time!Michelle Merrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00040685503147648297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-21049871865590339032011-09-20T10:54:38.369-07:002011-09-20T10:54:38.369-07:00I like to look at the beginning of a story like a ...I like to look at the beginning of a story like a piece of flash fiction... how much of the story can you tell in 200-250 words, but with a twist/hook right at the end.<br /><br />...and by that, I don't mean an info-dump... what I mean is, stripping away the story and the main character(s) until what you have left is the inciting incident and the character(s) emotional state.<br /><br />For example, in a new story I'm working on (where I haven't edited the beginning yet), the main character is being bullied, he can't speak (has lost his voice due to emotional trauma) and he has 2 *invisible friends* who no one else can see/hear. The story is about him gaining back his voice and figuring out who the invisible friends are.<br /><br />Essentially, when I have it edited correctly, in the first 200-250 words, I want it to be clear he's being bullied, that he can't speak (the main reason for the bullying) and the *hook* in the last line will reveal that the girl speaking/standing at his side can't be seen by any of the other kids in the room.<br /><br />That's what I mean by boiling it down...<br /><br />does that make sense?1000th.monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16835988128285459745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-77102957929026133512011-09-20T10:41:23.690-07:002011-09-20T10:41:23.690-07:00I agree that I have to know a character somewhat b...I agree that I have to know a character somewhat before the conflict begins. Otherwise I don't care what happens to him.Emily R. Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03892444969625637064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-38361559529225999892011-09-20T10:30:01.301-07:002011-09-20T10:30:01.301-07:00It's a hard balancing act because you don'...It's a hard balancing act because you don't want to throw the reader into so much action that they wind up confused. I struggle with beginnings as well. That's why I've written mine over and over again.Pattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00685341739870191402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-67766501189492420832011-09-20T10:28:58.457-07:002011-09-20T10:28:58.457-07:00Erggg...yes beginnings are hard. And we hear about...Erggg...yes beginnings are hard. And we hear about these cliche beginnings all the time. So I know how NOT to start...but where is the instruction manual on HOW to start. I loved the first page panel at Storymakers this year for this reason.Jessie Humphrieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11096043821002254348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-28091134853871776112011-09-20T10:28:00.068-07:002011-09-20T10:28:00.068-07:00I never start in the write place. It takes a good ...I never start in the write place. It takes a good few chapters to work out what that is :-)Sarah Tokeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-47807389094509549992011-09-20T09:44:57.028-07:002011-09-20T09:44:57.028-07:00You should begin with the problem that is solved a...You should begin with the problem that is solved at the end. Sometimes I need to write the whole book and know what it's about before I know where to begin. <br /><br />The last book of my trilogy will start with a funeral. I've seen that done before once or twice and hope it doesn't end up on "the list"S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-29399398000843749732011-09-20T09:26:57.379-07:002011-09-20T09:26:57.379-07:00Ugh, beginnings are definitely hard! I like to get...Ugh, beginnings are definitely hard! I like to get into my character's voice a little before jumping right into the action. Just to ground the reader.Meredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00462382909938737612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-62065115427723236332011-09-20T09:07:22.652-07:002011-09-20T09:07:22.652-07:00With one of my books, I changed the beginning becu...With one of my books, I changed the beginning becuase one of my readers started asking a lot of questions after they read the first chapter. So, I realized I need a few pages to answer those questions. It really helped set the tone for the book.Jenny S. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482342313938669366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-76554241175415120792011-09-20T09:02:43.157-07:002011-09-20T09:02:43.157-07:00@Stephanie McGeeI agree! :) Can't wait to see ...@<a href="#c4975752878425864530" rel="nofollow">Stephanie McGee</a>I agree! :) Can't wait to see your post!<br />@<a href="#c3662814753470639836" rel="nofollow">Angie Cothran</a> I don't think it's a bad thing to open a book like that! :) I swear I'll still love you! LOL :D And I'm sure your story works. I haven't read a book with a chase scene through a forest for a long time. I wouldn't worry about it. ;)Chantele Sedgwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920913211842919013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-36628147534706398362011-09-20T08:56:08.509-07:002011-09-20T08:56:08.509-07:00LOL! I open my story with a chase scene in a fores...LOL! I open my story with a chase scene in a forest...ha ha ha! I had no idea that was a cliche. After 15+ alpha and beta readings no one told me that. Maybe I pull it off :) I can only hope...right? You gave me lots to think about.Angela Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09243582290698922119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-49757528784258645302011-09-20T08:51:46.860-07:002011-09-20T08:51:46.860-07:00You have to have enough set up to justify the acti...You have to have enough set up to justify the action, in my opinion. I'll actually be blogging about this later this week.Stephanie McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16507025637411479409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-56305579698139553362011-09-20T08:42:21.484-07:002011-09-20T08:42:21.484-07:00@Ruth Josse I know, right!? LOL The picture is pre...@<a href="#c6728896956379028651" rel="nofollow">Ruth Josse</a> I know, right!? LOL The picture is pretty creepy! And I agree. I do like the action happening pretty early on. Just not right when the book starts. Like the first sentence. ;)Chantele Sedgwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920913211842919013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306182475647359241.post-73744592215751772022011-09-20T08:34:42.678-07:002011-09-20T08:34:42.678-07:00@J. A. Bennett I agree. I guess it depends on the ...@<a href="#c7608746676357244060" rel="nofollow">J. A. Bennett</a> I agree. I guess it depends on the book for me. And the character! :)Chantele Sedgwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920913211842919013noreply@blogger.com