In this episode, Amy and Dana discuss all things opening pages! We focus on risky versus less risky ways to open your novel including examples.

Risky

• Prologues – as long as it’s not info-dumpy and adds curiosity, go for it! But we encourage you to read well done prologues of published novels.
• Backstory – In opening pages, use as little backstory as possible for reader context.
• Introduce MC early, but don’t introduce too many characters too soon.
• Be cautious not to spend valuable opening pages real estate on insignificant characters.
• Character names matter. Be sure they aren’t too similar.
• Be cautious not to start opening pages with large chunks of narration or description. Readers need white space.
• Starting an opening scene with dialogue can be risky. Readers aren’t invested in setting or with a character.
• Cliche openings – the weather, a dream sequence, waking up – all are risky. Proceed with caution.
• Rhetorical Questions – Can feel like breaking the fourth wall. Instead, consider a rewrite as showing statements.
• Reader doesn’t need to know everything in chapter 1. Plant curiosity seeds.

Less Risky

• Drop the main character in a scene right before the inciting incident.
• Establish where we are in time and setting.
• Establish character’s goal(s) and obstacle(s).
• Leave more questions than answers. Curiosity not confusion.
• Power imbalance and tension.
• Cliffhanger ending.
• Throw rocks at your protagonist. (Thanks to Sally Lotz for this nugget!)

Novels Mentioned in this Episode

• Lisa Wingate – Before We Were Yours
• Sally Lotz – The Truth is a Lie
• Jennifer Vido – Serendipity by the Seas
• Katherine Center – Happiness for Beginners
• S.E. Reed – My Heart is Hurting
• Dana Hawkins – Love and Rainbow Lattes
• Amy Nielsen – Worth It