Transport Your Readers

Make them sense they’re really there.

This past week in Colorado Springs, we expected an inch of snow. We got six.

So I enjoyed a trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast. Mild temperatures, gentle breezes, tropical scents, and great fishing. Even better, I didn’t had to leave my house. I traveled through the pages of a well-crafted novel.

His setting, in effect, becomes a key character.

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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 not … Continue reading