Good openings - the eye of the beholder
Two blog posts in one day? The writing must be going well... But I didn't want to *just* use the blog as an exercise in book promotion (despite temptation/appearances to the contrary).
I'm currently dipping into Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress. I've read a few bits and here and there, as well as trying to take a more structured approach to what Kress has to say. I'm not big on self-help books, mainly because I like to discover things for myself and I think if I'd read this as a 'how to write' guide I would have felt quite daunted. Better to write first and read about your mistakes afterwards, in my view. I also think that too close attention to any 'rules of the game' can result in formulaic writing. Nevertheless, the book accords very well with my experience of writing so far and it's handy to tie things together and learn a few new things along the way.
One thing that has made me wonder a bit is Kress's approach to beginnings. She has some great advice, but she uses these two examples of beginnings to explore do's and don't's (I should also point out that the emphasis is on introducing a character):
Example 1 (p. 10):
"I am sitting over coffee and cigarets [sic] at my friend Rita's and I am telling her about it.
Here is what I tell her.
It is late of a slow Wednesday when Herb seats the fat man at my station.
This fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen, though he is neat-appearing and well-dressed enough. Everything about him is big. But is is the fingers I remember best. When I stop at the table next to his to see to the old couple, I first notice the fingers."
Example 2 (p. 11):
"The fall day was hot. Ted Henderson drove to the school and parked the car. He wore a dark blue suit, black shoes, and the maroon tie Kathy had given him for Christmas. He climbed the steps and opened the door. Inside, it was cooler. The school office told him Mrs. Kelly would join him soon. Ted sat down to wait.
When Mrs. Kelly arrived, she led him into a conference room. They sat down.
'I'd like to discuss my daughter Jane's grades,' Ted said. 'Her report card wasn't very good.' "
Which of these openers is deemed by Kress to be "unsuccessful"? Answer below.
Kress concludes that example 1 is more successful at introducing a character. It gives the character a real 'voice'. In Kress' words: "readers will sense that there is a character here, a genuine person." (p. 11). In contrast, example 2, Kress contends, simply raises a ton of questions about who Ted is and his motivations for seeing Mrs. Kelly. I don't dispute that, though I think anyone writing in the first person automatically gains more character - Kress doesn't make this point in her critique - and so the comparison is a bit unfair. Beyond that, which opener would prompt me to read more? For me, it would be example 2, simply because there are so many questions about Ted Henderson and his motives. Example one - from a story by Raymond Carver - is less interesting to my taste, and I even find the use of such obvious devices as the meandering and mundane 'this-is-not-important-but-it-is' tone a bit cliched and annoying.
What I really learnt from this example: write for yourself - you know what works for you, and if you don't like it, nobody else will.
I'm looking forward to the rest if the book: it's making me think, even if I don't always agree, and that's always a good thing.
I'm currently dipping into Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress. I've read a few bits and here and there, as well as trying to take a more structured approach to what Kress has to say. I'm not big on self-help books, mainly because I like to discover things for myself and I think if I'd read this as a 'how to write' guide I would have felt quite daunted. Better to write first and read about your mistakes afterwards, in my view. I also think that too close attention to any 'rules of the game' can result in formulaic writing. Nevertheless, the book accords very well with my experience of writing so far and it's handy to tie things together and learn a few new things along the way.
One thing that has made me wonder a bit is Kress's approach to beginnings. She has some great advice, but she uses these two examples of beginnings to explore do's and don't's (I should also point out that the emphasis is on introducing a character):
Example 1 (p. 10):
"I am sitting over coffee and cigarets [sic] at my friend Rita's and I am telling her about it.
Here is what I tell her.
It is late of a slow Wednesday when Herb seats the fat man at my station.
This fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen, though he is neat-appearing and well-dressed enough. Everything about him is big. But is is the fingers I remember best. When I stop at the table next to his to see to the old couple, I first notice the fingers."
Example 2 (p. 11):
"The fall day was hot. Ted Henderson drove to the school and parked the car. He wore a dark blue suit, black shoes, and the maroon tie Kathy had given him for Christmas. He climbed the steps and opened the door. Inside, it was cooler. The school office told him Mrs. Kelly would join him soon. Ted sat down to wait.
When Mrs. Kelly arrived, she led him into a conference room. They sat down.
'I'd like to discuss my daughter Jane's grades,' Ted said. 'Her report card wasn't very good.' "
Which of these openers is deemed by Kress to be "unsuccessful"? Answer below.
Kress concludes that example 1 is more successful at introducing a character. It gives the character a real 'voice'. In Kress' words: "readers will sense that there is a character here, a genuine person." (p. 11). In contrast, example 2, Kress contends, simply raises a ton of questions about who Ted is and his motivations for seeing Mrs. Kelly. I don't dispute that, though I think anyone writing in the first person automatically gains more character - Kress doesn't make this point in her critique - and so the comparison is a bit unfair. Beyond that, which opener would prompt me to read more? For me, it would be example 2, simply because there are so many questions about Ted Henderson and his motives. Example one - from a story by Raymond Carver - is less interesting to my taste, and I even find the use of such obvious devices as the meandering and mundane 'this-is-not-important-but-it-is' tone a bit cliched and annoying.
What I really learnt from this example: write for yourself - you know what works for you, and if you don't like it, nobody else will.
I'm looking forward to the rest if the book: it's making me think, even if I don't always agree, and that's always a good thing.
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"The fall day was hot. I drove to the school and parked the car. I wore a dark blue suit, black shoes, and the maroon tie Kathy had given me for Chrstmas. I climbed the steps and opened the door. Inside it was cooler. The school office told me Mrs. Kelly would join me soon. I sat down to wait.
When Mrs. Kelly arrived, she led me into a conference room. We sat down.
'I'd like to discuss my daughter's grades,' I said. 'Her report card wasn't very good.' "
More character?