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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#97: How to Stop Hating Everything You Write
#96: What Readers Really Want From Your Story
#95: How to Start Your Story With the End in Mind
#94: Three Simple Steps to Deeper Character Development
#93: Whose Story Is It?
#92: Five Episodes to Elevate Your Writing
#91: Four Simple Steps to Major Writing Breakthroughs
#90: Four Ways to Master Show, Don't Tell
#89: What Plotters and Pantsers Both Get Wrong About Story
#88: "Outline First" and Other Rules You Should Break
#87: Four Writing Myths Holding You Back
#86: Five Reasons You Have Writer's Block and How to Break Through It
#85: How to Get Back into the Writing Zone After a Really Long Break
#84: How to Keep Writing After Rejection
#83: Four Ways to Open Your Story
#82: How to Write Fiction That Feels True
#81: Story Details: What to Leave In, What to Leave Out
#80: Four Tips to Writing a Page Turner
#79: How to Write Spellbinding Scenes
#78: Five Elements of a Riveting First Scene
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