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TECH: Make it zing! (Moldie oldie!)
Jun. 17th, 2019 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkerOriginal Posting Feb. 20, 2018
Writer's Digest, November 1990, pages 10-14, had an article by Nancy Kress with the title Your Most Important Paragraphs, II. Apparently the previous part, Your Most Important Paragraphs, I, was in the October magazine. I may find it, sooner or later, but let's take a look at what I do have. I think the subtitle helps, "How to create the 'zing effect'in your story openings."
Nancy starts by reminding us that last month focused on the qualities that a story opening needs. Give the reader a character to focus on, hint at the upcoming conflict, provide fresh and specific details, and write some credible prose. However, Nancy points out that she didn't discuss how much this helps you, that a strong beginning helps you know where you're going, and build your confidence by giving you a strong foundation. Then Nancy raises the question, "What if the opening you've written for a story doesn't particularly please you?" If it's just all right. Or maybe it feels good, but you've got the feeling there might be better opening out there?
Well, one answer is to go ahead and write several short openings, until one of them gives you that zing. What's a zing? "A zing is that feeling of rightness and eagerness that says Yes. This is it."
Then Nancy suggests two ways to create alternative openings. First, vary the narrative mode. Second, vary the point of entrance into the story.
Narrative mode? Well, Nancy says there are five ways to present information, dialogue, description, action, one character's thoughts, and exposition. That's what she means by the narrative mode. Most fiction uses a mixture, but there's often one mode that dominates. Take a look at yours. Which one are you really using? Dialogue, description, action – which is really description in motion, a character thinking, or exposition. Beware the exposition, readers don't like to be lectured. Still, if you don't delay the actual start too long, and it's an interesting chunk of exposition, you might get away with it.
So how can you use these modes? Well, deliberately rewrite your opening in a different mode, until one of them zings for you. Nancy actually takes Cinderella, and walks through five different versions.
Another way is what Nancy calls literary relocation, starting in a different place. You probably skipped over some scenes, left out some incidents, before the current beginning, and of course, there are obviously things that happen after the current beginning. You might try using one of these is a new beginning. Just try starting the story earlier, or later. Maybe with different characters? Lots of possibilities. Make a list, and start trying them out. Look for that zing!
Even if you stick with your original opening, you can mix in some of the ideas that these other options have suggested to you. Make that story richer, because you experimented with different narrative modes and different starting points in the action.
All right? For practice? Take a story you've written, or one you are working on, and write some alternative beginnings. Different narrative modes, different starting points. Try it out, and see what happens.
Write?
tink
Writer's Digest, November 1990, pages 10-14, had an article by Nancy Kress with the title Your Most Important Paragraphs, II. Apparently the previous part, Your Most Important Paragraphs, I, was in the October magazine. I may find it, sooner or later, but let's take a look at what I do have. I think the subtitle helps, "How to create the 'zing effect'in your story openings."
Nancy starts by reminding us that last month focused on the qualities that a story opening needs. Give the reader a character to focus on, hint at the upcoming conflict, provide fresh and specific details, and write some credible prose. However, Nancy points out that she didn't discuss how much this helps you, that a strong beginning helps you know where you're going, and build your confidence by giving you a strong foundation. Then Nancy raises the question, "What if the opening you've written for a story doesn't particularly please you?" If it's just all right. Or maybe it feels good, but you've got the feeling there might be better opening out there?
Well, one answer is to go ahead and write several short openings, until one of them gives you that zing. What's a zing? "A zing is that feeling of rightness and eagerness that says Yes. This is it."
Then Nancy suggests two ways to create alternative openings. First, vary the narrative mode. Second, vary the point of entrance into the story.
Narrative mode? Well, Nancy says there are five ways to present information, dialogue, description, action, one character's thoughts, and exposition. That's what she means by the narrative mode. Most fiction uses a mixture, but there's often one mode that dominates. Take a look at yours. Which one are you really using? Dialogue, description, action – which is really description in motion, a character thinking, or exposition. Beware the exposition, readers don't like to be lectured. Still, if you don't delay the actual start too long, and it's an interesting chunk of exposition, you might get away with it.
So how can you use these modes? Well, deliberately rewrite your opening in a different mode, until one of them zings for you. Nancy actually takes Cinderella, and walks through five different versions.
Another way is what Nancy calls literary relocation, starting in a different place. You probably skipped over some scenes, left out some incidents, before the current beginning, and of course, there are obviously things that happen after the current beginning. You might try using one of these is a new beginning. Just try starting the story earlier, or later. Maybe with different characters? Lots of possibilities. Make a list, and start trying them out. Look for that zing!
Even if you stick with your original opening, you can mix in some of the ideas that these other options have suggested to you. Make that story richer, because you experimented with different narrative modes and different starting points in the action.
All right? For practice? Take a story you've written, or one you are working on, and write some alternative beginnings. Different narrative modes, different starting points. Try it out, and see what happens.
Write?
tink