The Dangers of Hooking Your Reader

The opening line of neuromancer is brilliant. It establishes his writing style as this is going to be a very poetic, very literate book. Games bond works because it's an action movie. You promise them action right at the beginning. A fantasy book you can give an establishing shot if it's quick and it has tension and motion in it. But get the character as soon as humanly possible. Don't try to write your first line first. Write lots of interesting dialogue. Plan to cut your first chapter. Join us next week for Writing Excuses.