4 Steps to Establish the Beginning of Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Setting up a novel baffles many writers, but it’s easier when you focus on what a beginning needs to do.

On Wednesday, I talked about what the word setup actually meant in fiction and why so many writers had trouble with it. Today, I’m going to focus specifically on ways to establish (good setup) your novel’s beginning without falling prey to bad setup.

When you’re setting up a story, what you’re really doing is establishing the premise of the story and where the plot is going to go. It’s part of the story, not something done before readers get to the story. It’s not dumping backstory, though there might be a little backstory in there.

A good beginning contains and conveys all the critical elements required to understand the premise, the story, the plot, and why the protagonist is willing to get involved. But it also needs to do it in such a way that piques readers curiosity and makes them interested to know more.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com