Essentials for Starting a Scene

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

Stay in Your POV

Keep readers inside your character’s head.

The novel’s opening chapter reminded me of the car commercial that promotes its lane-departure warning system. If the car drifts across the center line, it sounds a loud alert.

This prospective author could have used something similar for his novel’s point of view. Unknowingly, he kept drifting from his main character’s awareness.

In a scene with Miriam … Continue reading

Three Tasks for Scene Openings

Do your first lines make these essentials clear?

I thought I knew the way. But heading from the unfamiliar location, I took a wrong turn. What I saw didn’t align with what I’d assumed. My only recourse was to go back, check things more carefully, and start afresh.

I’ve experienced that … Continue reading