The Place For My Writers Notes

Original Posting 25 July 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"Assess your starting points for the book and for each scene. Begin your manuscript in media res, 'in the middle of things.' Commence just before or just as the protagonist's life destabilizes." Laurie Rosin

Or as Howard Tayler likes to put it over here on Writing Excuses (15 minute podcasts about writing at http://www.writingexcuses.com/ ) -- In Late, Out Early. Start as late as possible, and end as soon as possible. Incidentally, I think that's in medias res, although that's rather pedantic. The point being that "As the car barreled into the side of his shop..." is rather more interesting than "Henry was born to stolidly middle-class parents in the small town of OshKosh, Ohio..."

So pay attention to the starting points you pick, overall, and for each scene. Where does the ordinary humdrum start to fall apart? What is the inciting incident that kicks off the avalanche of actions, reactions, and emotional turmoil that you are going to detail? Find the butterfly wing flapping, and start with that...

While we're at it, this is a great point for revision and reading groups. Often we as writers, especially in the first flush of writing, have some preliminary stuff that we need to get out before we actually hit the real starting point. Looking through slush piles, I'm amazed at how often writers fill in background... before starting! Get the machete out and cut that filler. If you need it, put some back as flashbacks or around the edges, but... start at the right place.