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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#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?
#47: Even Minor Characters Play a Major Role
#46: What's the Theme of Your Story? And Why Does It Matter?
#45: How to Hook Readers in Your First Sentence
#44: How to Fix a Broken Plot
#43: Five Ways to Transform Real People into Fascinating Fictional Characters
#42: What Kind of Writer Are You?
#41: The Struggle Most Writers Never Talk About
#40: Show Don't Tell: Revealing Character Through Body Language
#39: How to Write Captivating Character Description
#38: How to Create Characters Readers Care About
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