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On the prose side, it's "Begin your story with action."
Lots of writers (and people who slam this bit of advice) think this means action-movie action: car chases, fist fights, shootouts.
What it actually means: a character doing something that advances the story. https://twitter.com/matthewfederman/status/1297055305474301957
Lots of writers (and people who slam this bit of advice) think this means action-movie action: car chases, fist fights, shootouts.
What it actually means: a character doing something that advances the story. https://twitter.com/matthewfederman/status/1297055305474301957
If your story opens with a character musing on events that happened in another time or place, that's (to steal a term from improv) "gossip."
If it opens with characters doing things unrelated to the story, that's "business."
If it opens with characters doing things unrelated to the story, that's "business."
If it opens with a character climbing out a window to avoid a subpoena, or
speeding across the state to break up a wedding, or
smash-and-grabing a jewelry store window, stripping off black sweats to reveal a suit, then walking into a restaurant to propose with the stolen ring,
speeding across the state to break up a wedding, or
smash-and-grabing a jewelry store window, stripping off black sweats to reveal a suit, then walking into a restaurant to propose with the stolen ring,
well, that's all action. No shootouts involved.
Usual caveats: you don't HAVE to open w/ action. You can spend three pages describing a dying fishing village, or six pages giving the specs of a new state-of-the-art skyscraper. You can do anything, if it's interesting.
Usual caveats: you don't HAVE to open w/ action. You can spend three pages describing a dying fishing village, or six pages giving the specs of a new state-of-the-art skyscraper. You can do anything, if it's interesting.
But certain genres and readers get hooked with action, so they give this advice because they're hoping you'll write to their tastes.
That's all.
That's all.
