You've Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It's Good

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! What a delightful find! Amy Pease’s debut Northwoods is yet another mystery set in Northern Wisconsin, but I promise you, this prose and establishing chapter promise some fun thrills...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! The first chapter of Her Last Breath is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the build-up of the prostitute Erika being propositioned and then murdered by an unknown man in an SUV is paced...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I have been recommended Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind quite often over the years, but here I am, diving into this shorter fantasy work of his instead. Even Rothfuss recommen...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! This podcast covers a lot of mysteries--I mean, a LOT of mysteries--so it's fun to see how blending mystery with another genre can create something unique yet accessible for a re...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! My daughter Blondie came to me a few days ago hoping I could share Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass’ The Lost Library with you, so here we are! I can see why Blondie enjoyed this Middle-Grade ta...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! Alas, the Prologue Curse returns. Don’t get me wrong, my fellow creatives—Annelise Ryan’s premise for Death in the Dark Woods carries promise of something weird and wild, and in Wisconsin of...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I think for the first time ever, I find the author’s note to be a compelling hook. David Grann’s The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, a fascinating mix of true crime a...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! For the first time in a while we have us a prologue, folks. But what a prologue. We are transported to a 1976 summer evening tense with sport and hormones and mystery as two brothers run off...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the story of others to see how they do it! I admit, I am a little bias with today’s selection. When I saw T. Kingfisher had a new dark take on a classic story, I had to jump on it. Thorn Hedge does not disappoint. Its opening...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the story of others to see how they do it! The opening pages of Ashley Winstead’s Midnight is the Darkest Hour are a real treat to read. Once we got past the trigger warning of violent things that often happen in suspense thri...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! One thing that drew me to Allison Brennan's North of Nowhere was the promise of siblings depending on each other for survival while on the run from their murderous father throug...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! With a gorgeous cover design and a surprisingly long trigger warning, Star Bringer caught my eye and exposed me to two romance writers I’ve never read before: Nina Croft and Tracy W...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! Now for the record, we’re not technically in the first five pages here. The Longmire Defense is the NINETEENTH installment in Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, so this story-world an...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! One of my favorite BBC miniseries of all time is I, Claudius , which is based on two historical fiction novels by Robert Graves. When reading the opening pages of Costanza Casati’s...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! Firstly, I apologize for that two-month break, fellow creatives. Blondie broke her leg a couple of days after my August podcast, and it’s been a whirlwind of doctor and therapist vi...

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! As a born and bred fantasy lover who’s raised a girl obsessed with the Wings of Fire series, I had to grab Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing from the library’s new release shelf. Dragon s...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! It’s prologue time, folks, but I’ll give Mary Logue props here for effectively using a prologue to tackle a LOT for her book The Big Sugar: A Brigid Reardon Mystery. The fir...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! After the more somber, experimental style of Oates' book last week, I'm actually rather happy to have a suspenseful thriller that reads like something from the Hallm...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I'll be honest here, folks--After just a few pages, I felt exhausted reading Oates' 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister. Oates takes a more experimental, no...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I was so happy to discover a new fantasy release at my local library--that's rare! I don't like grabbing hyped books by big news book clubs, but I can see why folks...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I do so love a good Holmesian tale! As a young child, I devoured Doyle's original stories just like my father did. We enjoyed collecting stories written by other writers...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett is not a boring protagonist, nor do the opening pages of  Storm Watch  feel stale. This game warden clearly has principles when it comes to treating w...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! So I was initially bummed when I saw The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell had not one prologue, but TWO. I also glanced ahead and saw that frequent head-hopping is in a reader&...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! We've got another delight here, my friends! Now I know Sanderson's a big name in fantasy writing, but I wasn't expecting a Jane Austen-style cover for one of his...

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! Ever hear of the sci-fi cult classic Logan's Run ? It's a 1976 film about a world where everyone is young and perfect, and life will always give you just what you wa...