Show your reader what your protagonist sees.
Last night, when I resumed reading the detective story, I didn’t expect a lesson in the craft of fiction. But two-thirds through her tale, Australian novelist Kerry Greenwood offered a great example for writers who want to evoke emotion.
In chapter 9 of Flying Too High, set in 1928 Melbourne, private detective Phryne Fisher visits the … Continue reading
Do your first lines establish these three, key points?
Because I was unfamiliar with the surroundings, I took a wrong turn. My only recourse was to go back, check things more carefully, and start afresh.
That’s disconcerting if you’re driving a car, but also while reading a novel — finding yourself lost as you try to negotiate a new scene.
Besides keeping … Continue reading
Don’t detour readers from your story.
The manuscript’s first sentence told me the novelist was in trouble. The rest of the paragraph confirmed that. The second paragraph was no better.
Fortunately, the author had sent me the genre novel for a critique. So I was able to show her where she had missed the opportunity of a story’s most important words. If potential readers aren’t … Continue reading