tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post6400788158167848805..comments2023-07-18T04:32:44.951-04:00Comments on The Thrill Begins: Those Critical First Five PagesCathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-62530879195235571132012-03-12T11:19:51.791-04:002012-03-12T11:19:51.791-04:00Thanks, Kathryn. Yes, it's so important for de...Thanks, Kathryn. Yes, it's so important for debut writers to realize how critical the first page is! But don't stress at the beginning - write all or most of your story first, then go back to the beginning at odd times, and keep playing around with it. And save all your versions! Then you can ask trusted friends which version grabbed them the most.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-25661134476907791102012-03-10T17:41:13.257-05:002012-03-10T17:41:13.257-05:00I followed this link from a friend's tweet...a...I followed this link from a friend's tweet...and ended up finding you, Jody! Great advice here. <br /><br />We feature a session like Nelson's at my "home conference," The Write Stuff in Allentown, PA, but although we do call it Page Cuts, it's not quite as brutal. It's only one page read aloud anonymously, against a one-paragraph synopsis, to see if it opens the stated story well. It's super popular because attendees learn so much about how to make the best use of that prime story real estate.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-24864989715151794102012-03-08T18:30:20.390-05:002012-03-08T18:30:20.390-05:00Thanks, Jenny! Good luck with your class! If any o...Thanks, Jenny! Good luck with your class! If any of the students ask if you know of an excellent freelance editor, feel free to send them my way... :-)Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-1331790769649369052012-03-08T15:30:13.005-05:002012-03-08T15:30:13.005-05:00Jodie, I'm teaching a class on "Beginning...Jodie, I'm teaching a class on "Beginnings" now with Les Edgerton author of HOOKED--and this advice is right on! Thanks for the tidy wrap up.jenny milchmanhttp://suspenseyourdisbelief.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-69117400279564549672012-03-08T15:22:32.444-05:002012-03-08T15:22:32.444-05:00Thanks, Cathy.
That's a great idea, Miranda! ...Thanks, Cathy.<br /><br />That's a great idea, Miranda! I really should think about that!Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-42678266531138900312012-03-08T12:00:41.246-05:002012-03-08T12:00:41.246-05:00Cool I will check that link out. Jodie, have you c...Cool I will check that link out. Jodie, have you considered getting all your great articles published in one book?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02577552858891249213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-58219684341394705032012-03-08T11:53:01.771-05:002012-03-08T11:53:01.771-05:00Great advice Jodie
As a contest judge and coordin...Great advice Jodie<br /><br />As a contest judge and coordinator I've seen too many writers fill those opening pages with either backstory or chit-chat instead of diving into their story.CathyPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-6125752004333488962012-03-08T11:41:50.583-05:002012-03-08T11:41:50.583-05:00Thanks for posting this for me, Miranda! And yes, ...Thanks for posting this for me, Miranda! And yes, it's usually best to wait until you're well into the story or even finished before spending too much time polishing the opening.<br /><br />I've also recently written another related article called "Set up Your Story in the First Paragraphs", which is posted over at Crime Fiction Collective: http://crimefictioncollective.blogspot.com/2012/03/set-up-your-story-in-first-paragraphs.htmlJodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-78380700122605453752012-03-08T11:36:02.325-05:002012-03-08T11:36:02.325-05:00Jodie, thanks so much for this post. I had a bad h...Jodie, thanks so much for this post. I had a bad habit of spending way too much time on my first chapter. It cost me so much time that I had to get an extension on my novel deadline. Now I write straight through and then come back, because without fail my first chapter always changes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02577552858891249213noreply@blogger.com