Peter Lopez Jr.'s Blog: Xulon Press Blog , page 26

How To Build Creative Confidence In Your Writing

I’ll let you in on a secret: writing is less about professional training and more about creative confidence. Anyone can string together a few decent sentences. The difference is that those with creative confidence will share their decent sentences with anyone and everyone, while other writers hide their work away from the world—proclaiming it isn’t good enough for public consumption.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a difference between putting work out that hasn’t been revised, edited and proofread, and putting out work that you deem lesser than someone else’s work.

Each time you negatively compare your work to another, devaluing your skillset, your talent, or your entire creative existence, you are desecrating your creative confidence. If you do that one too many times, you could convince yourself of altogether abandoning the gift of storytelling.

The good thing is, you can never get too far down that road of negativity. It does take work, however, to get yourself back on a confidence-building path. That work lies solely within you—no one else can give you confidence, especially confidence in your own writing. You have to cultivate it deep within your soul. How do you build creative confidence? First, we have to look at the three most common forms of confidence-bashing we subject ourselves to.

3 Ways to Kill Creative Confidence
1. Don’t share your work with anyone—ever.

Have you ever played one of those team-building games where you write down one thing no one would know about you, and the team has to guess who wrote it? Well, you don’t want to be the person that puts, “I like to write,” on a piece of paper and no one can guess it’d be you. We each have talents and gifts that we are to share within our communities. If no one knows you write because you’ve never told them or shared something you’ve written with them, are you sharing your gift? I’m not saying you need to run up the closest mountaintop and scream, “I’m a writer!” for all to hear. Instead, find little ways to share your writing: join a local writing group, offer your services to the church newsletter or local newspaper, share short stories in Facebook posts. The more you share, the more creative confidence you build each time.

2. Spend more time comparing your work to other people instead of honing your own craft.

We live in a world where anyone can shame us for something we said, did, or didn’t do. Trends like fat-shaming and mom-shaming are negative social behaviors that fuel the bullying society we live in. Don’t let negativity from outside sources—or yourself—infiltrate your creative space. Stop comparing your work to something you’ve read, stop devaluing your own work, and stop telling others your work is awful. The more you hear negativity or speak negativity into existence, the more damage you do to your creative confidence. Words are powerful; you must be careful about how you use them.

3. Take all criticism as negative criticism instead of looking at it as a learning experience.

Maybe you’re not type one or two mentioned above, maybe you’ve shared your work with others and you don’t speak about your own work negatively, which is great. However, as soon as you receive criticism that doesn’t fall in line with what you want to hear, you shut down.

First off, criticism is part of the creative process, but how you respond to it and what you do with the information is 100% up to you. Instead of taking the criticism too personally, remove yourself and your emotions from the equation. Then, examine the facts provided in the feedback and use it as a way to improve your craft even more.

Everyone, from Shakespeare to Hemingway to Thoreau, was told they didn’t have what it took to craft a well-written story at some point in their writing careers. All three writers’ works now serve as teaching elements in English classrooms across the country—and the world. If these literary greats had taken negative criticism to heart, I wouldn’t be able to quote lines from Shakespeare’s plays, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with The Sun Also Rises in my American Literature class, and I wouldn’t know that I could appreciate Thoreau’s descriptions of nature.

Now: how do you flip the script, find your creative confidence, and keep it?
Most importantly, hold this truth close to your heart: if God has placed a calling on your heart to write, you must obey and write.

Second, if you feel unsure about your writing skills from an educational standpoint, pick up a copy of The Elements of Style and get those nitty-gritty English rules in your writer’s toolbox. A builder can’t build a house without tools, and you can’t write a book without your writing toolbox.

Third, you have to write—a lot. Not everything you write will be shareable with the public, but that’s not the point. Share the work you’ve poured your heart and soul into, the work you’ve revised, rewritten and edited to perfection. Then, ask people what they honestly think about it. Stow every compliment, every “I loved it” in the back of your head. When you’re having a particularly rough day (and they will come), roll back over those compliments, and believe them!

Once you start filling your creative energy with positive reinforcement, you’ll grow your creative confidence. And trust me—confidence is like gold in the creative world.

The post How To Build Creative Confidence In Your Writing appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Set the Scene for Writing Success

Most writers have a routine they like to follow, and bless your heart if you suggest changing it. Maybe you like to curl up on the couch with a notepad and pencil, or perhaps you have worn your imprint into the best seat at a coffee shop (you know the one: right next to an outlet, a table, and a window). Every now and then, though, it does the writer’s soul good to evaluate if your writing process is really working you, and find some easy solutions to shake it up a bit.

1.) What writing phase are you completing?

It is no surprise that the different stages of the writing process require changes in environment. Brainstorming plots, characters, themes, or hooks are best accomplished in the face of inspiration. That often happens in a park or a café where you can observe people. Revising or editing will probably require a more solitary space where your brain can focus on the grammatical minutiae at hand.

2.) How do you warm-up?

If you find yourself racing to your idea book right after your daily run, then I think you know the answer. Other people need the familiar sounds of their coffee maker first thing in the morning to spark their creativity. Think about when you find yourself struck with those serendipitous ideas, and use these routines to your advantage. Make time around these activities to write—not just jot down, but actually write. Incorporate them into your writing process; after all, good writing starts long before when the pen hits the paper.

3.) Do you like it noisy or quiet?

I absolutely cannot concentrate in a silent room. The silence becomes the loudest possible distraction, and I can’t keep a line of thought. What do you do if you like some noise, but dislike the distracting qualities of conversations, television, or music? Ambient noise, my friend. There are plenty of apps and websites to provide whatever sound will help you focus, whether it is ocean waves, thunderstorms, or just plain white noise. Try some out and see if they help you keep the good writing flowing.

4.) What does good writing smell like?

Ok, stay with me on this one. Scent is widely known as the sense that is most strongly linked with memories, but it is also the sense that we neglect when it comes to our writing routine. What is writing if not putting thoughts and memories into words? Find a soothing scent that makes you feel relaxed and creative, and use it as a cue to your brain that your writing routine has officially begun. Even better, choose a scent that is tuned in to what you are writing: the aroma of freshly cut grass for a coming-of-age novel set during a high school summer, or a musky floral for a book about a personal journey. Whether you use candles, essential oils, or simply sniff your favorite cologne, inspiration will come wafting in on the air.

5.) Are you old school or new school?

I used to keep this ratty old paperback style guide I had from college right next to me whenever I wrote. I’d start looking something up, but then simply do a quick online search instead (don’t look at me that way; I’m a product of my generation). Eventually, I realized that everything I needed was just a click away, and as soon as I embraced that, my routine was shorter and easier. You would be surprised what help you can find in the form of websites and desktop apps now, as I discussed in a past blog post “5 Best Apps and Websites for Writers”

Every routine needs a little stir once in a while to keep your writing place your happy place. Some of us are classic, sitting at a desk with a coffee and a notepad, and others are quirky, pulling on our favorite lucky socks before every writing session. What are the routines or writing process steps you use to set the scene?

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How to Add Subplots to Your Novel and Why You Need Them

While your main plot is solely focused on your protagonist and his or her outcome, subplots serve as side stories to the main plot and tend to focus on secondary characters. Subplots should not overpower the main plot, but instead, strengthen the story and more develop the theme of your novel.

The How

While short stories or children’s books under 8,000 words rely on a basic, linear plot structure (one plotline), any story over that 8,000-word mark should have one or more subplots (depending on the story’s length) woven into it.

Treat each subplot as a mini-story, meaning they need a beginning, middle, and end. It may be helpful to write subplots in a separate document and then incorporate them into your main story file where they fit best. You can do this by using scene breaks or simply starting a new chapter. Or, as you write your main story, you can leave notes in brackets for yourself to mark where you’ll weave in subplots later. Both approaches ensure you have a full story for each subplot and allows them to be woven seamlessly into your main story.

Since subplots help to move the story along through the dreaded middle zone, introduce subplots around the 30 percent mark of your novel. If you have more than one subplot to introduce, make sure you are weaving each of them into your main story in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the reader and cause them to forget the focus of the main plot altogether.

Your subplots will need to start moving toward resolution or be fully resolved in the 70 to 90 percent mark of your story. If a subplot runs parallel or mirrors the main plot (two characters running on a parallel storyline at different times, for example) then your subplot would need resolution at the same time as the main story’s climax.

The Why

Just as life does not run one storyline at a time, books should mirror the same complexities of life. Readers are accustomed to multiple things happening at the same time—many plates spinning in the air, so to speak—and subplots allow authors to challenge readers’ cognitive capabilities.

But, why exactly do we need subplots in novels? Here are seven reasons to incorporate subplots into your own story:

1. Puts secondary characters in the spotlight

Subplots allow you to put your secondary characters to work. Readers are able to see which characters are working for or against the protagonist in the main plot.

2. Provides relief to story tension

A more light-hearted subplot can subdue the tension of the main plotline.

3. Increases the story’s tension

Subplots can also further build a story’s tension by revealing a villain in the story or detail mounting obstacles the protagonist will eventually run into.

4. Paves the way for a series

What starts as a subplot in one book can lead to/expand to the main plot in the next book of your series.

5. Speeds up or slows down pacing

Subplots give you more control over the pacing of your novel. If you need to slow down the pacing in your book, introduce a new subplot that will take time to build tension. When you need to speed up the pace of your book, reaching the climax of a subplot’s story arc can do that. Essentially, subplots create the roller coaster feeling readers experience as they read.

6. Reveals unknown information to characters or readers

Oftentimes, the narrator’s point of view can leave holes—both on purpose and unintended—for readers. Subplots allow authors to convey information to a certain character, and even the reader, without sharing that information with the protagonist. This tactic helps move the story forward and also builds tension.

7. Ties in a moral lesson

The best way to include a moral lesson in your writing is to do so in a way that the reader doesn’t see it happening. Subplots allow writers to convey deeper points to readers without beating the message over their heads.

Working on a novel or some other type of book and looking for more writing tips? Be sure to subscribe to our blog for updates on our latest posts!

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Showing Characters’ Moods and Emotions

Whether you’ve been writing for decades or are just embarking on your first writing journey, you’ve likely heard the phrase “show, don’t tell” ad nauseum. It’s one writing rule that applies to every genre because it makes or breaks the reading experience for your end-user—the reader. When we take it upon ourselves to tell readers what happens instead of presenting them with scenes to imagine in their minds, we inevitably strip our writing of the one thing our readers are looking for—an experience.

In order for a book to provide a great experience, writers must build tension from the first page to the climax of the story. A huge part of building that tension is giving readers the opportunity to feel positive or negative reactions to characters and their emotions, as well as situations and their outcomes. Telling, or summarizing, any part of your story for readers does not allow tension to build because you remove the ability for your readers to emotionally connect.

You might think writers struggle more with showing and telling when it comes to scene-building, but more often than not, I notice telling creep into stories when dealing with characters’ feelings and moods. Writers are quick to tell readers exactly how characters feel or what mood they are in, but the reality is—humans aren’t always self-aware enough in specific moments to define exactly how they feel or what kind of mood they are in.

The Writer’s Toolbox

So, what can writers do to better show characters’ emotions and moods? They can pull from real life, more specifically, they can use words, tone, and body language to convey emotions and moods for their characters.

Words—Much like we use our own words to let others know we are angry, sad, or happy, writers can use dialogue to help characters communicate how they feel. Not every person is direct about their emotions either, so decide early on if one or some of your characters take a more passive-aggressive approach in communicating their feelings.  

Tone—As we know from experience, it’s not just the words we use to communicate our emotions or mood, but also the tone of voice we use when we speak. The same is true for characters.

Take, for instance, the phrase “I’m fine.”

If we read: “I’m fine,” Jess paused. “Really.” We believe Jess truly is fine.

However, if we read: Jess let out a sigh. “Geeze, I’m fine! Okay?” We can see that Jess is actually not fine even though her words say she is.

The second example also shows how the use of opposing words and tone can show passive-aggressive communication in characters’ dialogue.

Body language—We tend to use body language more than words to communicate with others on a daily basis. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” Take a few moments to think about how you personally would react to a situation you’ve placed your protagonist in. What would your body language look like? How would you react? Are your actions consistent with your protagonist’s personality? If so, incorporate them into your writing. If your protagonist has a different personality from yours and might react another way, write that instead.

Telling vs. Showing Examples

Let’s look at a few samples of telling and showing. You’ll notice each example of telling is a short sentence and does not paint a picture for readers. On the other hand, the showing examples help you see the moment in your mind—which is exactly what we want to create for readers.

Telling: She was angry.

Showing: Jess stomped out of the house, letting the screen door slap back against the door frame.

Telling: She was happy.

Showing: Without warning, Jess jumped into John’s arms. A huge smile formed on her face as dreams of their future together danced through her head.

Now, you try. I’ve provided the telling example below, and I want you to add your example of showing that feeling in the comment section.

Telling: He was sad.

Are you looking for more writing advice? Check out our other blog posts to learn more!

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10 Steps to Plotting Scenes Using Index Cards

Whether you’re a plotter or a panster, writing fiction or nonfiction, you can benefit from using index cards to plot your book ahead of time. The old-school outlining format we used for research papers in high school isn’t for everyone and can often make it more difficult to rearrange material later on.

So, grab a stack of index cards, your favorite pen, a large cup of coffee and spread out somewhere comfortable. We’re going to draft every scene of your book using index cards.

On one side of each index card, write names of characters who will be in the scene. Also, include the location where the scene will take place.
At the top of the other side of the card, write a one-sentence synopsis of the scene.
Under that one sentence, add as many notes about this scene as you want. Use full sentences, phrases or bullet points—whatever feels most natural to you—to flesh out each scene a bit more. Keep in mind though, you only get one index card per scene.
Don’t worry about writing the scene cards in the order you think the story should be told. Just write scenes as fast as you can. You’ll organize them later.
If you’re writing a full-length novel, you should have close to 60 index cards at the end of this process. A novel typically has about 60 scenes in total.
Shuffle the stack of index cards, then begin laying them out on the floor or a large table. With the one-sentence synopsis side up, place the index cards in the order you think makes sense to tell your story. This is similar to storyboarding—just without images to go along with the text.
Once you’ve placed all of your index cards, read over the cards and ask yourself: Does the progression of scenes make sense? Does anything seem out of place? Am I missing any important scenes?
The act of physically laying out your scenes allows you to easily see the big-picture view of your book and if any scene seems out of place.
Move your index cards around to adjust the flow of your story before you even start to write.
When you’ve locked your scene order in place, you can either tape all your index cards to a wall in story order and remove scenes as you complete them, or you can display only the index cards for the scenes you’re currently working on so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the enormity of writing a book.

Have you tried plotting your book with index cards? Let us know how you liked the process below!

The post 10 Steps to Plotting Scenes Using Index Cards appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Writers, Tell Your Story on Instagram

The thought of branding and marketing yourself as a person—let alone a writer—can feel like a challenge. With social media’s continued growth, however, it’s easier than ever to create and cultivate your online persona. Instagram, for instance, isn’t even a decade into its existence yet and has 1 billion active monthly users. So, if you don’t have an Instagram account to promote yourself as a writer or published author yet, now is the time to sign-up, create your profile, and start engaging.

Not sure where to start? Here are our top tips for creating a great Instagram profile and sharing your writing journey:

Craft a creative bio.

You have a small amount of space to include a personal bio in your profile. Be sure to include that you are a writer and the genre you write or that you are a published author and add the title of your published work. Be creative and set yourself apart as an individual with the rest of the space you have. Include the city you live in, your other hobbies, or something that makes you stand out. You can also use emojis and hashtags to round out your profile.

Choose your aesthetic.

Choose three to five main themes you want to represent through images you post on your feed. Rotate through those themes as you decide which photos to share. For instance, if you love being outside, have a great writing spot, and a cute dog, use those three themes as your dominant ideas. Here are a few other ideas to help you decide what to post:

Quotes
Where you write
Books you’re reading
Real places that inspire your writing
Writing progress
Selfies or other photos of yourself
Pre-book launch photos
Book launch party
Photos of you signing books

Focus on photography.

While you may think crafting a great caption for your photo is important (and it is), Instagram is all about photography. Make sure your photos are well-lit, have contrasting colors, and are in focus. Use the same photo filter to create consistency on your profile and steer away from heavily filtered photos that might diminish the quality of your photo.

If you aren’t fully confident in your own photography or selfie skills, ask a family member or friend to take pictures for you. You can also use resources like Canva, which offer some free stock photography and tons of creative offerings to round out your Instagram profile.

Be strategic with hashtags.

Millions of people use hashtags every day to find what they are searching for on Instagram. From their next favorite book to their dream vacation spot, people around the world use hashtags, or keywords, to find things. So, use hashtags that connect to your photo or your caption. Here are a few popular writing hashtags you can explore and use:

#Amwriting
#Writer
#Writers
#WritersofInstagram
#Writergram
#Writingcommunity
#WriterWednesday
#Writinggoals
#Writinglife
#Writing
#Writerlife
#Writerslife
#Writingzone
#Writingspace
#WhereIwrite
#Writingabook
#Writingfiction
#Writingnonfiction
#Books
#Bookstagram
#Author
#AuthorsofInstagram
#Authorcommunity
#Publishedauthor
#Indieauthor

Find your community.

There is a large community of writers, published authors, beta readers, designers, and more on Instagram. Take time to tap into these communities and make friends. From starting an online critique group to finding beta readers for your fiction or nonfiction manuscript, get to know people through Instagram and you’ll have them in your corner long before you may need their help, or they need yours.

Be engaged.

You will get out of Instagram what you put into it. Instagram engagement is less about how people engage with you and more about how you engage with others. If you like and comment on other people’s photos, engagement on your own photos will increase. So, put the Instagram algorithm out of your mind and be present with your online community.

To increase engagement on your own posts, craft captions that tell others to like, respond to or share your post.

Use Instagram Stories to give followers a peek at what you’re currently working on, where you work, your city, etc. This interaction helps followers see you as a real person they can build a connection with.

Want to learn more about online marketing for authors? Read Writers and Websites: The Importance of Owning Your Brand on the Internet.

The post Writers, Tell Your Story on Instagram appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Writing Back Cover Copy for Your Nonfiction Book

Writing back cover copy for nonfiction books is significantly different than writing back cover copy for fiction. Nonfiction readers care more about who is providing the information. These readers want to know they are receiving help or education from an expert on a particular topic. Nonfiction back cover copy must spell out the benefits for readers as well as the author’s expertise in order for the book to be taken seriously.

Do you still feel like writing your back cover copy is as difficult as drafting your resume? Here are four tips to maximize your nonfiction back cover copy:

No more than 200 words.

This is the industry standard cap on word count for back cover copy. While you may feel you have a limited amount of space to sell your book, honing your message down to the information below will help keep you focused.

Sell the benefits.

Your nonfiction book should help or educate your readers in some way. Start your back cover copy out strong and go into detail about what readers will gain from reading your book. The back cover of your nonfiction book should provide the answers your readers can expect to gain from your book, which is unlike back cover copy for fiction [link to back cover copy for fiction].

Position yourself as an expert.

Readers want experts to educate them, so make sure to communicate to readers that you are an expert in the content of your book. For example, if you are a dietitian and your book is on health and nutrition, make sure potential readers know you are a registered dietitian. You should also include academic credentials that directly correlate to the material of your book. If you wrote a book about overcoming depression and have a Ph.D. in psychology, include that in your back cover copy.

Include an author biography.

Your short biography (three sentences maximum) should include how many years of experience you have as it relates to your book’s content, academic degrees you have earned and where you earned them, and any other relevant information that continues to position you as an expert. Your author biography should be no longer than 75 words.

Need help writing your back cover summary? Contact us at 1-866-381-2665 to learn about our back cover copy service.

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15 Phrases that Signal Your Writing Went Off Topic

Throughout my experience as an editor, I’ve found that nonfiction writers are more inclined to go off topic than fiction writers. I believe passion plays a huge role in writers’ rabbit holes, tangents, and off-topic stories or anecdotes. When writers are angry, allow their personal biases to seep through their work, or let their passions run wild on paper, that is when I see writers jump the tracks from the purpose of their book and digress into uncharted territory.

Over the years, I’ve heard writers defend their side topics. “But it adds color to my writing,” they will say, or “readers enjoy my stories.” Those rabbit holes, however, leave readers confused.

The good news is that almost all writers who go off topic employ the same phrases to signal they have strayed from their overall message or are trying to get back on topic.

Here are the 15 most common phrases I see while editing that signal writers have gone off topic:

Let me tell you about that real quick.
I’m going to go off topic here for a moment.
This is off topic.
This is beside the point.
This isn’t related, but…
On a side note…
Speaking of …
I’ll get to that in a minute.
Let’s backtrack a moment.
This is unrelated, but…
Now, back to what I was saying.
Let’s get back on track now.
Now, where was I?
That’s not related, but…
I digress…

Search Your Work

Open your current manuscript and use the search feature to find keywords or phrases from the list above in your writing. If you come across a section where you went off topic, either delete the section completely or highlight it and go back later to see if you can rework the material so it does stay on topic with the message of your book.

If you’re struggling to self-identify tangents or rabbit holes in your writing, ask a friend or a professional to read over your work and mark any areas you got sidetracked.

Are you looking for professional help in identifying off topic material in your manuscript? Learn more about our editorial services here or call 866-381-2665 to speak with one of our publishing consultants.

The post 15 Phrases that Signal Your Writing Went Off Topic appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Mid-Year Writing Check-In

People all around the world add “write a book” to their list of resolutions at the start of each year. By July many forgot they made that promise to themselves. Life gets busy and responsibilities start to stack up. Dreams of becoming an author slip to the wayside—only to be dusted off at the onset of another new year.

Did you promise yourself you would finish a writing project this year and stalled out somewhere between January and now? Don’t worry, there’s still time to focus back in and accomplish your writing goals before 2019 comes to an end. Here are a few tips to reset your writing intentions and follow through on your writing dreams.

5 Ways to Reignite Your Writing Routine
Remind yourself of your goal.

The first step in getting your writing groove back is to remind yourself why you want to write and what writing goal you want to accomplish. If your original goal was to write a novel in 2019, and that seems overwhelming now that it’s August, be flexible and set a smaller goal like writing a short story or novella-length book instead.

Make a list noting why your writing goal is important to you.

It’s important to know the driving force behind your goals. Write down a list of reasons why you want to follow through on your writing goals. That will help fuel your passion—especially when the going gets tough.

Write down three small actions you can take this week to get closer to accomplishing your goal.

These actions should be tasks you can complete in an hour or less each. Don’t overload yourself with time-consuming tasks right out of the gate. This will only hinder your progress in the long-term. Get the feel of a few wins under your belt with three simple tasks, then expand your to-do list and your time to include more labor-intensive work.

What action can you create time today to accomplish?

Out of those three tasks you set above, choose one task you can make time today to complete. When you complete that task, celebrate your accomplishment.

Set a deadline for completing the other two actions this week.

Just setting three tasks to complete this week isn’t enough. Sit down with your calendar and allot time to complete the other two tasks you created for yourself. Once you have completed those original three tasks, set three more tasks for yourself.

Working on tasks in groups of three ensures that you feel enough tension to want to complete those tasks, but it’s also not an overwhelming amount of work that will force you to shut down and not do anything. After you check off some of your smaller writing goals, start adding one difficult task to your three tasks each week. Tell yourself these tasks are non-negotiable and adjust your schedule to make room for them.

Want to check off one simple task right now? Reach out to one of our publishing consultants at 1-866-381-2665 about committing to publishing your book this year.

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Great Beginnings: Starting a Novel

By your side is a ratty notebook, bruised black and blue with the smeared ink of furiously scribbled ideas that came to you at midnight, dotted with translucence from the epiphany you had about your villain, while still wet from a shower.  You’ve finally decided to write the story that has been stirring around in your heart and mind—now what do you start typing on that blank page facing you? How do you introduce readers to the crazy, beautiful world in your head? 

Starting a novel is tricky, but those first few lines are vital to your book. The characters, setting, tone, and mood are all dependent on the reader’s first impression of the universe you are creating. To illustrate just some of your options, I have collected some examples of the best first-lines in literature.

1.”In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.” The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

It’s a classic for a reason, people. Beginning with a lingering thought makes us wonder just what that advice could be. This also draws the vague shape of the narrator, namely that he is no longer young, but not necessarily old, either; he is at an intangible age somewhere between. He is also the type of introspective person who would ruminate for years on a piece of sage counsel. Fitzgerald packs loads of characterization into a short sentence. 

2. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” 1984 by George Orwell

A simple statement takes an unexpected turn and reveals a surprising detail about this world you are stepping into. Starting a novel with a startling and unique piece of description is one guaranteed way to gain a reader’s attention. In this specific example, we see the world we know fused with a world of the unknown—where the comforts of clocks that chime and months named April are interrupted by the unsettling existence of that thirteenth hour.

 3. “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Sometimes we should get to know the character in her own space completing an everyday task her own way. Not only does this establish the character’s personality (as we can see, Clarissa Dalloway can be a bit of a control freak), but also sets the tone for the story. This statement has an air of pretension as we imagine why such importance is placed on trimmings such as flowers.

 4. “Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.” Ulysses by James Joyce

 Yes, sometimes a solid description can be absolutely wonderful. The key here is to make the description meaningful; it needs to lead somewhere and say something in itself through the imagery. Showing instead of telling is of overwhelming importance here. Avoid the tired description of scenery as your opening unless it is absolutely sparkling and integral to the scene.

5. “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 

 This example combines two intriguing ideas: beginning with a dramatic moment and beginning with a shift in time. Starting a novel with your character in obvious trouble is one way to jump right into the action. Readers will begin to care about him immediately, and you have an opportunity to lead up to this moment.

It can be helpful to muse on examples but always listen to your inner voice. You are a writer because you have a story to tell and a message to portray. Ask your characters and they will tell you how to introduce them to the world. What are your favorite tips when it comes to starting a novel?

 

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