Monday, October 18, 2010

To start with a bang????



I've always loved to start my dark tales with a bang, but recently I read that violence to start a story can instead turn a reader off because they have not yet developed feelings for your character, making it difficult for them to care. You know that makes a strange amount of sense to me. So taking it a step further ... what if it is your main character perpetrating the violence? More problematic yet ... what if your protagonist is a bit of an anti-hero? An everyday man who does what is necessary for what he believes in ... right or wrong?

This is making me rethink the opening of my WIP. I would love to hear your thoughts.

MM

5 comments:

  1. I have no problem with it, whatsoever. I would even say that I like it, as long as you provide a good emotional reaction directly following.

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  2. That's the dilemma I'm having with my urban fantasy. The MC is an assassin! I think it's a fine line. I start to hint at why she became an assassin later on in the first chapter to try to get the reader more invested into her and her story.

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  3. I'm with you, Summer. I love it when a story reaches out and grabs me by the throat. lol It draws me right in and makes me want more.

    Nicole, with an assassin as the MC ... I think I would be disappointed if we didn't start out with some action!

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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  4. I like to be hooked straight away! I say go for it!

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  5. I like to hook my reader with a high tension bang right off the start, but the worry is why should the reader care about the character -- a perfect stranger -- with the angst? I think if you write the opening in a way readers will sympathize by simple virtue that they wouldn't want to be in that guys"s shoes, you can't go wrong.

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