In today's episode, I'm going to talk about the five most common mistakes I see writers make in their opening pages. Here's a preview of what's included:
[01:00] Details about my brand new workshop called “How to Hook Readers in Your First 5 Pages.” In this workshop, I'll walk you through the five key elements that you need to include in your first five pages AND I’ll show you how these five key elements manifest in the first five pages of The Hunger Games. If you want to sign up, or if you want to learn more about this workshop, head over to savannahgilbo.com/pages.
[01:45] The first reason your opening pages are so important is that we only have a very small window to catch a reader’s attention and make them want to find out how the story’s going to play out. And if we don’t catch their attention in the first three to five pages, they’re probably not going to keep reading the rest of the story.
[01:55] The second reason your opening pages are so important is that editors, agents, and publishers will use these pages to get an overall sense of your story and your writing skill. And if those pages don’t grab their attention, they know the book isn’t likely to grab the reader's attention either.
[02:30] Mistake #1: There's not enough big picture context and readers feel lost or confused.
[03:30] Mistake #2: The protagonist is introduced too late -- or the story starts with a character who isn't the protagonist.
[04:35] Mistake #3: There's a lot of action happening but it's all just objectively dramatic and doesn't really mean anything.
[06:10] Mistake #4: There's too much info-dumping of backstory or worldbuilding details.
[07:15] Mistake #5: There's nothing at stake -- or there is something at stake but doesn't really matter in terms of the big picture story.
[09:10] Key points and episode recap.
Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts!
If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance!
Links mentioned in this episode:
FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!
Support the show
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips