LA

Thanks again for more great tips...

I often do go through books to see how they open (and I often flick to random pages to get an idea of the author's style)

My personal favourite book opening was H. G. Wells' War Of The Worlds - the entire first paragraph really, but the first sentences:

"No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studies, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water."

very memorable

mammamaia

it's actually one single sentence, not sentences... and one of the very rare few incredibly run-on sentences of all time, that stands forever as great writing!

all you newbies out there, don't think you can get away with it, though... try that today, and editors will unsheathe their blue pencils faster'n you can spit!

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sense

If I buy a book, I look to see if the first page or so is coherent. If I hardly understand anything, then I place the book back on its shelf and buy a mag. I find all this advice fascinating; I never gave it as much thought. My favourite opening paragraph is the same as LA's. I remember my ma bringing home a musical version of 'War of the Worlds' and it had this guy called Richard Burton reading that paragraph in the beginning. What a voice! If all books were written like that, I would definately buy more.

LA

Mammamaia: Yep, thanks for that, I wasn't 100% sure if a semicolon defined two sentences, or if remained as one. Now I know

Sense: I know exactly what you mean - the first rendition of the story I ever heard was the musical version with Richard Burton as the journalist/narrator.

It was rewritten and altered quite a bit though, the musical opening read:

"No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets, and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes; and slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against us."

The thing is, there have been so many versions (musical, film) that I'm having trouble reading the book, because I already know how it ends, so naturally I have little incentive to read on. It was the same when I went watching WotW at the cinema a few months back.

Mike C

LA, read the book. Listening to the CD didn't put you off watching the movie, so why should it put you off the book? So you know how it ends; so what? It's not about the destination, it's about the journey.

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LA

I know what you mean, but I've seen the same story so many times in so many different formats now - the musical, the movie, the webcomic..

The book is enjoyable but it's just taking a little longer than usual

Perad

You could do what terry pratchet does, make it utterly confusing. You then are forced to read to read it because you are just a little bit interested in what ties "the death of rats" with a school teacher.

dan48

The first paragraph of a stroy needs juicy words that one, prove you are a good writer. They dont want 5th grade words if your writing adult fiction, unless for levels under 5th Grade. To keep the reader wanting to move on through the pages, and finally to bring life to the manuscript you must have a beginning.

Dialoge also helps but it has to be good, because your taking a compostional risk starting with conversation.
I hope this answers your question.

mammamaia

i'm curious, dan... what's 'two'?

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