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How do you like novels to start?



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Fri Jul 29, 2016 12:03 am
Lefty says...



Hi, there!

So, my novel, The Fighter of Aldea, starts out a bit slow. The beta readers who have given me feedback have said that they like the beginning, and understand why it's important to be in there, but that it drags a bit.

Now, it's not all backstory and exposition and info dumps by any means. But it is crucial to understanding the world and the characters.

Currently, I have it so that the novel starts out slower and builds to the action, so that when the ball gets rolling, you feel for the characters and understand the world.

But I was considering maybe starting the book with the chapter where "everything changes," then going back and forth between that timeline and the timeline that takes place a few days before, so that we can learn about the world and the characters off and on, at the same time the plot is progressing, to break it up and make it more interesting. I hope that makes sense?

So here's my question: Do you think that's a good idea? When you read books, which kind of pacing do you prefer? A slower build up, or switching between timelines?

Again, the beginning isn't boring or unnecessary, it's just that with it, the actual "plot" doesn't get started as soon as it probably should.

Thanks for your input!

-Lefty
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Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:26 am
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Mea says...



I don't think you should switch between timelines. Flashbacks are controversial enough, but flashbacks to what's only a few days before would probably be confusing and are probably unnecessary.

It's okay to have novels that start more slowly. It's hard to say where the line is, especially without having read the book and because readers have different preferences. However, as long as there is some sort of conflict happening, even if it's not the main conflict of the story, it shouldn't be boring. That might be why your betas say it drags - there's just not enough conflict. Maybe try to combine scenes or restructure it in a way that would let you reveal the important information and build the connection to your characters a little more quickly.

Also, you more than likely don't need to spend as much time letting the readers get familiar with the world as you think you do. The really important foundation to lay is making the audience care about your characters - the world is honestly secondary to that, and you'd be surprised at how much you can just 'roll with the punches' so to speak. The only aspects that are crucial to set up right at the beginning are the one(s) that will be important plot points later.

I hope this helps - it's hard to give specific advice without having read the story in question. However, there is a market for slower beginnings, even if it's not as big. I wouldn't recommend doing the flashbacks, as it seems like since it's from just a few days ago it would be more confusing than anything.
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Fri Jul 29, 2016 2:00 am
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Carlito says...



I personally like when novels start with a touch of "normalcy" before the enticing event happens so I can get my barrings a bit and know where I am and who I'm dealing with before everything starts happening. But, I also want to immediately brought into the story and I don't want to wait for the conflict to start. Something needs to happen in that first chapter that is going to motivate me to keep reading. You have to find a way to hook your reader from chapter one so they make it to the bigger stuff.

It's great that you have feedback from betas about this! That's really useful information to have! Do any of your betas have any ideas or suggestions about how the beginning could be beefed up a bit? Knowing what they know about the story, what would they like to see in the beginning?

All of the writerly advice I've read advises that the first chapter should start where things change or right before things change. Now, even with this approach you can still show us your characters and your world and show us what "normal" looks like before everything gets crazy, but it might now be as expansive as you currently have it. For example, in my current project, I start my novel with a graduation/going away party because my MC is about to leave for a mission trip. I chose to start here because this is right on the cusp of when everything changes for her. I show her world and who she is right before she leaves and things start happening. In doing this, I can show who the major players are going to be in this story, set up her personality, and set up the conflict that is going to drive the plot (in her case, a love story).

I think jumping the timeline around could get confusing, especially if this isn't something that's going to carry through the entire novel and I would avoid it.

Beginnings are super hard, so best of luck as you continue to work on yours! Let me know if you have any questions/if something I said was confusing :D
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Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:00 pm
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Noelle says...



To answer your question I prefer action packed beginnings, but if it's written right I enjoy slow beginnings as well. I'll give you an example of the last two books I read. Coincidentally they had very different beginnings.

Unhooked is a retelling of Peter Pan, to an extent. It gets complicated. Anyway, point being, the beginning is slow. We're shown the typical kid in London scene and there are supposedly monsters chasing after her (her mother claims they exist, but the girl doesn't believe it). Those chapters dragged on and on for me until the plot began and a new character was introduced. He's what got me excited to read the story. On the other hand, The 5th Wave starts out in the middle of the plot, for all intents and purposes. As the story progresses we're tossed between flashbacks and the present. It instantly drew me in because of how the MC is written. I barely noticed the flashbacks because I felt like the MC was simply telling me the story of her life up to this point. Really, it should've been corny to me, but I was so easily drawn in by it.

My point is this: make us care about your characters. The MC in Unhooked was flat and boring, and I found myself rolling my eyes at her over and over again. I almost didn't make it to the chapter where the other character, my favorite, was introduced. The 5th Wave gave me a character that I cared about and built the story around her so I was hooked from the beginning. Characters make the story. You could have the greatest world in the history of writing with the coolest monsters and strongest magic. If you stick a character in that world that your readers don't care about they won't want to read your novel.

The question to ask your beta readers is what exactly makes it drag. If it's the characters you've got some work to do. If it's the lack of plot, but they still want to read on because of the characters then you're golden. A story doesn't rely on just plot to make it interesting.

I mine as well add my two cents about the different timelines idea. It actually works pretty well. Take the example of The 5th Wave one more time. The first 100 pages are nothing but jumping back and forth between present and past. You'd think that would make it confusing, but it keeps you interested and you're able to follow the story line. It's a balance. For example, there can't be an entire chapter of the present, then an entire chapter of the past, and then an entire chapter of the present. It needs to be weaved within the present story line so we're not jumping around as readers.
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Fri Jul 29, 2016 8:09 pm
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Rosendorn says...



I like my novels to start interestingly. This means a handful of things in any possible combination:

As late as possible

This doesn't mean "start in the middle of the action" but instead "start at the very possibly latest point people can be in the present and understand what's going on." Key term: the present. Flashbacks at the very beginning of a story, to me, indicate that the story started too late. There's nothing wrong with starting slowly to build, but you have to have some sense of something interesting at the beginning.

Voice

A good, well-developed character voice is a saving grace for novels with slow starts. There might not be much happening, but the narrator is explaining things to me in ways that make me utterly fascinated with everything going on. Instead of wondering what happens, I wonder how the narrator is going to show me their lives. It ends up being a case of "I could listen to them talk about anything and I'd love it."

Beta conflict

If you can't start with the main, life-changing conflict, toss in a side conflict that's got some grip to it. Picking a career is a common one, as is picking a significant other. The point is, there's something just interesting enough that will play a longer-term role, but it gives readers some conflict to get them used to what's going on while plot is happening before the life changing event happens.

Something Strange

1984 begins with "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Military/24 hour time is not commonly used, so for the US market, this was a thoroughly strange event that made you wonder what had happened. Harry Potter begins with Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. This makes you wonder why they must emphasize they were perfectly normal.

This tip of oddness makes you curious for why it was emphasized. This is another opening that gives you a lot of wiggle room for establishing the present, because you're relying on the pure curiosity of what happened to make us keep reading.

--

Having read parts of your novel, I would actually suggest going with a combination of Something Strange and Voice. You have a very unique premise for certain processes just suddenly stopping, and with a good narrator explaining that some things are different, you could quite easily weave her current feelings about day to day life with stories she wished were true about when the power used to work. It would make us wonder what happened, have us fall in love with the narrator, and give you the breathing space you need to start slowly.
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Wed Aug 03, 2016 3:35 am
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Lefty says...



Thank you so much for your feedback, everyone! Your advice was extremely helpful and, in the end, I decided not to jump between timelines. I think I found another way of starting off the beginning that will make it drag less.

@Noelle, I completely get what you're saying about The 5th Wave. I too loved the beginning simply because her voice and character was so entertaining to read about. I loved what you said about, "If it's the characters you've got some work to do. If it's the lack of plot, but they still want to read on because of the characters then you're golden." It was really eye opening for me and so true! Thank you for posting that. It really helped me out.

@Rosendorn Thank you for your suggestions! I will definitely think about what you said. They were really helpful, and I completely get what you're saying about "voice."

Anyway, thanks again everyone for your two cents. I owe you one!

-Lefty
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