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Open Right

Rowan McAuley: Creative Writing Workshop 2: How to Begin

Session Info:

Creating a powerful opening is the first step in earning your reader’s attention.  This workshop will consider well-known authors’ first lines, and discuss what makes for an effective start to your own story.

Topics:
  • What is the job of a story’s beginning? (Genre, voice, and the contract with the reader)
  • Discussion of selected opening paragraphs from well-known novels. What makes them effective?  What promises do they make?  How do they invite the reader to continue reading?
  • How should your story begin?  (Starting in the middle, starting with a feeling, finding your voice)