We can all agree that your opening scenes are your only chance to capture your reader's attention. It's what hooks them into the story.
Your first scene and several scenes that follow are your story's setup.
The setup is essential to master. You have to be concise, deliberate, and selective with what you reveal and withhold. You don't want to give too much away too soon.
Your beginning scenes must accomplish several things simultaneously. And in this episode, I'm boiling it down to 4 essentials.
Episode Web Page with Show Notes
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#67: The Most Overlooked Way to Show (Don't Tell) How a Character Feels
#66: Two Simple Ways to Amp Up Suspense
#65: Cut The Cliches and Write Something Original
#64: Crush Self Doubt and Write Like You Mean It
#63: Is Your Writing Style Upstaging Your Story?
#62: Two Common Mistakes That Land Your Manuscript in the Reject Pile and How to Fix Them
#61: Alternatives to Chronological Story Time You Probably Haven't Heard Of
#60: Three Flashback Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
#59: The Writer's Voice- A Conversation With Writer/Performer Bonnie Lykes Bigler
#58: Three Ways You're Telling When You Should Be Showing
#57: Three Essential Pillars of Point of View (That Have Nothing To Do With Which Person Your Write In)
#56: Three Quick Editing Tips to Craft Riveting Sentences
#55: Is Your Story Plot Driven or Character Driven?
#54: Structure Your WIP With This 3-Act Framework
#53: How to Write Dialogue That Sounds Natural
#52: The Number One Mistake Writers Make With Dialogue
#51: Three Ways to Beat Writer's Block
#50: How Much Backstory Does Your Reader Really Need To Know?
#49: The Quickest Way to Engage Your Reader
#48: Does Your Story Need An Antagonist?
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