Isn’t my job in the first few pages to create a living breathing character that will interest the reader?” Yes, of course. The closer writing gets to literature, the more likely it is that what fastens us to the early pages is our interest in a character. And then, as soon as possible, the writer creates some moments of tension for that character. Here, in outline, are the kind of plot situations that provide opportunities to create tension: Dangerous work is involved: The
