tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post2343706897188893713..comments2023-09-05T08:36:25.033-07:00Comments on Author Lisa Gail Green: BeginningsLisa Gail Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-28905242339250799472011-01-07T12:08:22.930-08:002011-01-07T12:08:22.930-08:00Susan - that sounds like a great book. And yes, t...Susan - that sounds like a great book. And yes, the reason so many people struggle with this is just that, it's very complicated!! :DLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-72311186865910696472011-01-07T10:51:13.237-08:002011-01-07T10:51:13.237-08:00Great points, all of them! I just finished reading...Great points, all of them! I just finished reading McKee's <i>Story</i> and he gave a great tip on where to locate the Inciting Incident - as soon as possible, but not before you have all the information you need to understand it. This sounds hopelessly vague, but I'm finding it a great tool. I locate the Inciting Incident of my story and work backwards from there. What does my audience <i>absolutely</i> have to know in order to understand the ramifications of the Inciting Incident? If the answer is "nothing; it's all implied in the II," then tally-ho, we lead with the II and the story starts off with a bang. If the answer is "these three bits about the central conflict and character," then off I go to build a subplot that will deliver that in the opening, as quickly as possible, before the II. <br /><br />See? Simple (not). :)Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-42149164385335225802011-01-07T08:58:36.861-08:002011-01-07T08:58:36.861-08:00Bekah - that's great that you found the right ...Bekah - that's great that you found the right one for your manuscript! Never give up and never stop working...Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-7532377352952277042011-01-07T08:54:15.805-08:002011-01-07T08:54:15.805-08:00Oh first pages....sentences...I just added somethi...Oh first pages....sentences...I just added something that will change the WHOLE book. Yeah, the one you looked at LOL!! I've found myself relating to so many different kind of hooks, not always the crazy-fast ones that I was trying to write in my WIPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-3549626731552410742011-01-07T08:49:08.399-08:002011-01-07T08:49:08.399-08:00Christine - I'm so glad it was helpful! Yes, ...Christine - I'm so glad it was helpful! Yes, we all have to learn the hard way.<br />SP - It's nice to know even JK has the same issues!<br />Laura - Great advice.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-9772531746614423732011-01-07T08:11:30.197-08:002011-01-07T08:11:30.197-08:00I love finding great openings in books I like and ...I love finding great openings in books I like and figuring out why I loved them. Usually? Voice, great writing, some internals, some initial conflict. Easy. HA!Laura Paulinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06503090226508079501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-55282831065013223452011-01-07T08:04:41.521-08:002011-01-07T08:04:41.521-08:00Great post, Lisa! Beginnings are so hard and so in...Great post, Lisa! Beginnings are so hard and so incredibly important. I know for many of my stories, I had to be well into the book before I knew exactly where to start it. But other times, I know from the beginning. Even then, though, it has to be reworked and massaged many, many times before its suitable for public viewing.<br /><br />I think JK Rowling said she rewrote the first chapter of Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone like 10 times!S.P. Sipalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17943968424012034217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-46087588403324102442011-01-07T05:35:41.091-08:002011-01-07T05:35:41.091-08:00Great post. I'm starting my second novel and s...Great post. I'm starting my second novel and some of these points help. I had to learn the hard way with the first one. Great post!Christine Danekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00979611961825725350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-75335942534144960502011-01-06T17:42:42.905-08:002011-01-06T17:42:42.905-08:00Lydia - Glad you liked it!Lydia - Glad you liked it!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-5972754410480516322011-01-06T17:33:49.847-08:002011-01-06T17:33:49.847-08:00My problems has always been figuring out where the...My problems has always been figuring out where the story truly starts.This is a great post, thanks Lisa!Lydia Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484415427764822386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-58279103056987182502011-01-06T14:55:13.824-08:002011-01-06T14:55:13.824-08:00Leslie - excellent advice!Leslie - excellent advice!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-65089274560257470322011-01-06T12:59:59.207-08:002011-01-06T12:59:59.207-08:00Awesome post, Lisa. My suggestion to anyone stuck...Awesome post, Lisa. My suggestion to anyone stuck with writing a great beginning, is to go back to the books that you love and study how they started off with a bang. Feel their rhythm and ask yourself when and how they hooked you.Leslie S. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17122865337924270039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-15363177118986125272011-01-06T11:03:12.751-08:002011-01-06T11:03:12.751-08:00Stina - thanks! Yes, things in any manuscript are...Stina - thanks! Yes, things in any manuscript are fluid, and you have to be willing to see it, accept and go with it to make it work.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-13518092812084434262011-01-06T11:00:46.892-08:002011-01-06T11:00:46.892-08:00Great post, Lisa.
It is sometimes hard knowing w...Great post, Lisa. <br /><br />It is sometimes hard knowing where to start. And what might be the right place to start can easily change if you ended up making major revisions to the plot. I ended up deleting the first chapter of the book I'm about to query because it no longer worked with the new premise of the book.Stinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-44127398247115751612011-01-06T10:24:35.120-08:002011-01-06T10:24:35.120-08:00Angela - OUCH! Sprinkling with hooks sounds painf...Angela - OUCH! Sprinkling with hooks sounds painful. :D But seriously, that's a very good analysis. I guess the whole issue on character is really whether or not the reader cares enough to find the answers...Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-53448369226415564492011-01-06T10:22:20.952-08:002011-01-06T10:22:20.952-08:00I think great beginings are ones that are sprinkle...I think great beginings are ones that are sprinkled with hooks that pull the reader in, making them ask questions that they feel compelled to find the answers to. :)<br /><br />Angela @ The Bookshelf MuseAngela Ackermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808259088625142389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-26638653977736747792011-01-06T10:00:42.340-08:002011-01-06T10:00:42.340-08:00Jess - I'm so glad this was helpful to you! I...Jess - I'm so glad this was helpful to you! It can make you want to pull your hair out to hear such conflicting information. But yes, I think sneaking in clues to character during a particularly interesting moment is the way to go if in doubt. <br /><br />Margo - He he - let me know if tricking the MS works! That's pretty clever really. <br /><br />Kristi - YW and I'm glad your 2nd ms is going smoothly. The more you write the better it gets. I say that from EXPERIENCE.<br /><br />Heather - Fantasy is trickier! Especially High Fantasy. In my werewolf example I cheated a bit because it's obviously more paranormal (based in this world). But I think seeing the world through the way the character is physically experiencing it is a good way to start.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-23430079714933038132011-01-06T09:33:44.385-08:002011-01-06T09:33:44.385-08:00I've been struggling with this exact problem l...I've been struggling with this exact problem lately. Writing fantasy often requires a bit of setup so the reader understands the world. However, it's so easy to do too much setup! Finding that balance is often hard.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-37557222592491412582011-01-06T09:26:34.609-08:002011-01-06T09:26:34.609-08:00Great info. I had such a problem with where to sta...Great info. I had such a problem with where to start my story in my first YA ms. Thankfully, my 2nd novel has gone much smoother. The beginning paragraph is so important--thanks for the tips.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05255908019822363456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-35600729995802231642011-01-06T07:21:59.283-08:002011-01-06T07:21:59.283-08:00Great solid advice for one of the most nebulous di...Great solid advice for one of the most nebulous difficult things in the world. <br /><br />Since my voice doesn't emerge until I'm a good three or four chapters into my novel, my plan is an unusual one: I'm going to try to "sneak" my first chapter in somewhere when I'm going really strong. I'm not sure if it'll work; my novel might catch on to what I'm doing. If my novel were a paranormal creature, it would be an uncontrolled genie, I think, or maybe a shapeshifter - something that you just quite get your hands on :)Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-9188974655335707342011-01-06T05:14:23.928-08:002011-01-06T05:14:23.928-08:00I needed this post today--I'm editing my WIP, ...I needed this post today--I'm editing my WIP, and (like you said) first pages are SO important. Just so you know, I knew I would love this post when you said that we all hear "start at a moment of action," but some people/agents say "I need to care about the character before they get attacked by a werewolf." This is SUCH a dilemma in one of my manuscripts. It's hard to please everyone out there, but you're right--striking a balance is essential :)Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14121018905141253640noreply@blogger.com