tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post7747008427749448130..comments2024-03-17T06:03:00.362-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Why "Start With the Action" Messes Up So Many Writers Janice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-35516426233887641032020-10-03T07:28:34.893-04:002020-10-03T07:28:34.893-04:00Most welcome :) So many writers struggle with this...Most welcome :) So many writers struggle with this. If they've been taught what "action" means, it's easy, but if not, it's just confusing. I wrote so many horrible openings before I learned this lesson, lol. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-7174653703468738102020-10-02T17:16:04.051-04:002020-10-02T17:16:04.051-04:00Oops. forgot to check the notify me box.Oops. forgot to check the notify me box.Kassandra Lambhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12868883056262771642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-27010141676317782642020-10-02T17:15:35.434-04:002020-10-02T17:15:35.434-04:00"Trouble is, total strangers in crisis are bo..."Trouble is, total strangers in crisis are boring." <br /><br />Thank you, Janice! I've resisted the start with the action advice most of my writing career. Because I know as a reader that stuff happening to strangers is not all that interesting. I spend a few paragraphs at least, sometimes a few pages, showing the reader who the protagonist is and why they should care about him/her.Kassandra Lambhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12868883056262771642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-58965077493330621572015-07-02T13:59:01.090-04:002015-07-02T13:59:01.090-04:00This post is great, especially since many writers ...This post is great, especially since many writers misunderstand what "start with the action" really means. One rule that I think works really well with openings is start in the ordanary world. This way, there would still be action, but it would move the story foreward and intruduce the characters. So if your story is about a super spy who's daily life is defusing bombs and escaping death, it would be ok to open with a near death action scene as long as it's clear that the MC has done this before throughout his life. The same thing applies if your story is about a girl in highschool. A run in with the snobby bully who she spends her days trying to avoid works just as well as the previous example because it goes with the ordanary world.<br /><br />~K.A.C.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-4766921916759695212015-07-01T21:22:53.644-04:002015-07-01T21:22:53.644-04:00Thanks so much for a terrific post. I will be post...Thanks so much for a terrific post. I will be posting the link on my blog. Rosihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01294774973863802821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-87651852669097669652015-07-01T13:47:34.455-04:002015-07-01T13:47:34.455-04:00"There’s a lot more to a strong opening scene...<i>"There’s a lot more to a strong opening scene than starting with the action."</i><br /><br />Amen to that. In fact, that "more" is INTRIGUE. Something has to grab the reader, whether it's some interesting action, a compelling voice & thoughts that will heavily influence what's going to happen <i>later</i>, or stellar exposition that creates the entire story's mood & introduces the theme.<br /><br />Ideally, the opening scene has ALL of these. And more. :)Veronica Sicoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03741318844378921184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-72820067028527527712015-07-01T12:57:04.591-04:002015-07-01T12:57:04.591-04:00Thanks for the excellent article and the clarity i...Thanks for the excellent article and the clarity it brings to amping up opening scenes.<br /><br />In addition to 'starting with action', I also love stories that pique my curiosity in the opening paragraph(s). On a parallel with the 'action' advice, raising curiosity doesn't have to mean a dead body, who-done-it moment. It can be something as simple as making readers wonder, "What's in that bag?". <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08997745795964099843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-74241446564660822872015-07-01T12:51:40.612-04:002015-07-01T12:51:40.612-04:00"We know we ought to do it, but we don’t alwa..."We know we ought to do it, but we don’t always know how"<br /><br />In a nutshell, that's why I tell everyone about this website, and what itry to do when wring with other writers. Highlight the area, mention the problem, make a suggested replacement/fix.<br /><br />It takes time and effort but we all have to learn. Savvy Stories by Dan Alatorrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10813128957118142707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-87615996268142430292015-07-01T12:46:04.453-04:002015-07-01T12:46:04.453-04:00I don't think I can add more than Martina and ...I don't think I can add more than Martina and you have already said. Great advice, ladies! Carol Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444182118975929045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-58433017993183442602015-07-01T10:31:21.083-04:002015-07-01T10:31:21.083-04:00This is a very simple and clear guideline for help...This is a very simple and clear guideline for helping writers understand exactly how to ease readers into their stories. I love the advice of how starting with the action doesn't have to mean dramatic, high-tension, high-risk feats of daring. One of my favorite pieces of advice for openings suggests that characters be trying to achieve something from the start--even if it's just a small goal. But giving them something to work toward in those first scenes helps hook the reader into their world, and gives ample opportunities for characterization. <br /><br />One of my favorite book openings is in "The Girl of Fire and Thorns." We see, from the first page, that the main character literally does not fit into the roles being forced upon her. Elisa's being forced to marry a stranger against her will, and she's a plump girl who cannot fit into the wedding dress her maids are trying to squash her into. The scene becomes a very visual representation of what will become a personal struggle for Elisa throughout the novel. Adventures in YA Publishinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01988552171385111119noreply@blogger.com