It was a dark and stormy night. Every writer I knew was plugging away at their book. I had finished an outline of sorts, had finished the prologue, but that darn first chapter was laughing at me. Was it just because I had written this story through once, had it critiqued to within an inch of its life, and seen where I had gone wrong? Or was it some horrible defect in me? No, it couldn’t be that. Let’s ask the experts.
Guess what? Darla G. Denton says there is no right way to begin a story. Well, that’s a relief. But historical Romances are in need of some words that can act as a time stamp. I know I have started a novel thinking it was a Regency, only to find out it was Georgian or Victorian. That really messes with a reader’s head. I have the date of the letter Bernard receives telling him his twin is missing in action. It’s in the Prologue, so hopefully that will do the trick.
Chuck Sambuchino in Writers’ Digest explains that you should be able to answer the question, “Why does the story start there?” Often you want to start with the action. Since my Regency is about the potential death of a member of the family with a reveal about a ruse being in place, the place to start seemed like the moment when Bernard realizes he has to tell the truth. Just as soon as he sobers up.
Novelist Anne R. Allen explains that she writes her first chapter last, when she knows what the protagonist will be facing. She explains that the first draft is written for the writer, to get to know their characters and how they fit into their world. You’ll want to tell everything about them in that first draft. When you edit for the second draft, you will want to cut a lot of that information out. But hang on to it. Find ways to drop it casually into various parts of the story.
Carly Corcoran and Megan Bassett, assistant editors at Harlequin’s Mills & Boon, present a list of their top tips on opening lines that will catch an editor’s eye, and also a few pitfalls to avoid. In Romance, it’s vital to introduce the hero and heroine early and get them together sooner rather than later. The tension and conflict will build from there, so give it the time it needs.
Writers in the Storm featured debut author Ruthie Knox with seven tips on how to start a Romance novel. I agree with her points that characters are everything, but stuff has to happen. And starting the story doesn’t always mean starting at the beginning. I love episodes of “Star Trek: Deep Space 9” where we come into a story and are totally sure we missed something. Then the episode moves on to reveal what was happening and how the character became entangled in the crazy.
I hope this helps you get your story on paper or in the computer. Thanks for reading, I’ll be back on Thursday.
Romance-ology 