Lakin C.S. First Pages of Best Sellers: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why

London: Ubiquitous Press, 2020. — 177 p.Most authors know that the first pages of a novel are the most crucial and carry the weightiest burden in their entire book. The opening scene must convey so many things that often the author will have to rewrite it numerous times to get it right.But the first page is especially crucial to get right.Here are some of the issues and topics explored in this deep dive:— Narrative that is excessive or “telling” instead of showing
— Opening paragraphs that fail to grab readers due to lack of intriguing action or flat characters
— Writing that grabs and writing that bores
— How much detail is too much or too little
— Finding the perfect balance when world building
— Ways to evoke emotion quickly in readers to get them to care about your story
— To prologue or not to prologue
— Consideration of first pages of novels in a series and what that requires
— Understanding how genre is the key to every great first page
— The pitfalls of backstory