Writing Excuses Writing Excuses 10.14: How Much of the Beginning Needs to Come First?
7 snips
Apr 5, 2015 AI Snips
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Beginnings Are Promise Contracts
- The beginning of a story makes promises the reader expects you to pay off by the end.
- Those promises define what ideas, questions, and character wants the story will answer.
Show Motivation Early
- Establish character motivation early so readers care about the outcome.
- Show what the character wants and why we should root for them within the first third.
Tone Signals Genre Promise
- The book's 'body language'—tone and framing—signals genre and reader expectations.
- If tone mismatches later content, readers feel misled or disappointed.