It's taken me four novels to realize that simple statement, and in some ways I feel like bashing my head against the books (or just bashing the books against the desk) that go on and on about conflict and whatnot, and rising tension and pacing, and ignore the most basic premises of what the readers require for the opening chapter to hook.
And part of the credit, I seem to recall, must go to moschus (erm, I could be wrong), who observed that what hooks a reader in the first chapter isn't falling in love with the characters -- six thousand words or so is too soon for that. What hooks the reader is curiosity, and you can only do that by giving them something to ask questions about.
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Date: 4 Jan 2007 06:08 pm (UTC)And part of the credit, I seem to recall, must go to