Writing Excuses

19.48: Beginning With A Thrill

Dec 1, 2024

Dive into the art of captivating storytelling with insights on how to hook your readers right from the start. Discover the difference between beginning with tension versus a thrill, and learn to introduce conflict effectively. The discussion uncovers the concept of micro-tropes and how borrowing from different genres can enrich your writing. Explore emotional scenes by balancing comfort and discomfort, and get inspired by the power of a well-crafted 'meet-cute.' Plus, reflect on the narrative disruption that drives conflict!

20:56

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Quick takeaways

Beginning with a thrill means engaging readers through impactful openings that establish conflict and disrupt the norm of characters' lives.

Using detailed descriptions and micro-tensions allows writers to build suspense, keeping readers on edge and anticipating future conflicts.

Deep dives

Starting with Impact

Thrillers and mysteries are distinguished by their ability to begin with a high-impact opening that immediately engages readers. A striking example is the use of a cold open in crime shows, where a murder scene sets the stage for the unfolding mystery. This immediate introduction of a compelling question captures audience interest and hints at the type of story to follow. The importance of establishing a significant hook right at the beginning cannot be understated, as it is crucial for maintaining reader momentum throughout the narrative.

Intro

2min

Captivating Beginnings in Storytelling

8min

Crafting Suspense Through Perspective

5min

Crafting Emotional Scenes

4min

Thrill and Romance: Crafting Engaging Beginnings

4min

Unveiling Conflict Through Storytelling

3min

As we wrap up our Close Reading Series, we’re shifting our focus towards helping you integrate what you’ve learned. For December, we’ll be releasing episodes designed to help you make measurable progress on a writing project. So dust off your current work-in-progress, or pull out your brainstorming documents—we’re here to help you finish the year strong.

Today, we’re focusing on beginnings. The titular phrase “beginning with a thrill,” doesn’t have to mean a burst of action or violence, but more so refers to how you hook your reader within the first few pages of whatever you’re writing. A great example of this is Toy Story, which we dive into at the end of this episode. Dan encourages us to shift our focus from starting with tension to starting with a thrill. How do you introduce conflict into your work while taking into consideration your genre? How do you establish—and then break— the “normal” in your world? DongWon talks about micro-tropes, and encourages us to steal and borrow from various genres. Also on this episode: meat cubes versus meet cutes. They’re different, even though they sound (phonetically) the same.

Thing of the week: The Favourite (movie)

Homework: What breaks “normal” for your character right now? Now, write that.

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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