tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post4613396021460384289..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: The First PageDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-60881923400415321022010-09-14T13:43:39.835-06:002010-09-14T13:43:39.835-06:00Thanks for the comments, everyone.
And you know, ...Thanks for the comments, everyone.<br /><br />And you know, personally, I love a riveting first sentence, page, chapter, but it's not all about action. I love language and the beauty of how an author takes words and make them sing on the page.<br /><br />Like Marian said, the illustration I used isn't huge on action, per se, not "now" action anyway, but the writing evokes action that has happened, characters, setting, time period in a way that by the time I flip to page 2, I'm IN the story.<br /><br />LOVE that.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-45284944381296218892010-09-14T03:02:56.826-06:002010-09-14T03:02:56.826-06:00"You got me at hello."
We are such tim..."You got me at hello." <br /><br />We are such time starved creatures aren't we? Has there always been only twenty-four hours in every day?<br /><br />Time starved? Perhaps. That means of course that those special moments that we set aside for us must not be wasted...not one instant of them.<br /><br />I find that a book that fails to alert my senses to incoming emotion in the first page loses the time battle and is placed non too gently to the back of the shelf or on the small doomed "Oh ...yeah, that book."<br />pile.<br /><br />Another enjoyable post from your clever pen.<br />Well done.Soooz Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02390489724415063410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-52852448914863762802010-09-13T17:31:59.669-06:002010-09-13T17:31:59.669-06:00I think it kind of sucks how the new generation of...I think it kind of sucks how the new generation of readers are so fast paced thanks to internet and movies. They want to feel the thrill and whatnot, I understand, but still it's amazing to what it has become after only a few years. People want bigger explosions, fast-paced and nonstop action, and less flashbacks. <br /><br />An interesting piece and awesome thoughts. I enjoy killer first sentences and hooks all the time. Heck! I even use them in my own writing. A writer has to have a reader by page one!<br /><br />Write on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-45916504075621624182010-09-13T17:30:49.602-06:002010-09-13T17:30:49.602-06:00My favourite series (Robin Hobb's Farseer Tril...My favourite series (Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy) took a third of the first book before it finally hooked me. I still can't believe I stuck with it; it must have been a time when I had nothing else better to do. I don't have that kind of patience anymore. But I am glad I did read that book; it was well worth it. I'm now reading it a second time and it is a much smoother read because I'm picking up all the foreshadowing now. It's beautifully crafted; just slow.<br /><br />Elle<br /><a href="http://hearwritenow.com/word-4-writers/" rel="nofollow">Word 4 Writers on HearWriteNow</a><br /><a href="http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Blood-Red Pencil</a>HearWriteNowhttp://hearwritenow.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-24316189678911381972010-09-13T13:27:05.596-06:002010-09-13T13:27:05.596-06:00Excellent post, Shon. I'm a big fan of killer ...Excellent post, Shon. I'm a big fan of killer first sentences for novels, but according to a workshop I attended at the Colorado Gold Conference, they're even more critical for short stories, specifically shorts for e-zines. Has to do with the possible short attention span of those who read online and from their various e-gadgets.<br /><br /><a href="http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Patricia</a>Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-48348071361228775202010-09-13T11:37:31.700-06:002010-09-13T11:37:31.700-06:00Great post, Shon! The illustration was wonderful, ...Great post, Shon! The illustration was wonderful, not just because it's riveting and evocative, but because it runs counter to the oversimplification of "start with action". The "action" is all implied and foreshadowed or takes place in a fictional memory planted in the reader's mind (brilliantly done).<br /><br />Thanks for this!<br /><br /><a href="http://MarianAllen" rel="nofollow">Marian Allen</a>Marian Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-16828643267913934642010-09-13T09:17:46.043-06:002010-09-13T09:17:46.043-06:00Firsts are sooo important... first chapters, first...Firsts are sooo important... first chapters, first page, first sentence. Great post.Nicole Zoltackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07464800543376449290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-3514969171309416412010-09-13T08:17:33.582-06:002010-09-13T08:17:33.582-06:00That is a great opening scene. It would have hooke...That is a great opening scene. It would have hooked me, as well. <br /><br />Readers today really do want to be hooked from the opening sentence. And agents do also!Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-64986049838630424042010-09-13T05:39:04.142-06:002010-09-13T05:39:04.142-06:00You've nailed it, Shon. This discussion of ins...You've nailed it, Shon. This discussion of instant gratification meets instant hook needs to be read, reread, and applied. Writers and editors, take note. Great post!Linda Lanenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-56992768887088474362010-09-13T05:11:46.732-06:002010-09-13T05:11:46.732-06:00This is an amazing post! I am one of those readers...This is an amazing post! I am one of those readers who needs to be hooked from the very start. I have never been able to force myself to keep reading a book with a "slow start." <br /><br />Because that's how I am as a reader, that's how I tend to write as a writer. All of my stories start either in the middle or very close to the end. <br /><br />You have the perfect example by showing us your favorite author's opening. If you write the type of stories that entertain you the most, not only will your 1st page rock so will the entire story and the ending. <br /><br />Thank you so much for this post!From the pen of Crystal Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16550922952074679313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-36085283339057001332010-09-13T04:42:54.169-06:002010-09-13T04:42:54.169-06:00Thanks Shon - it isn't enough to be told that ...Thanks Shon - it isn't enough to be told that we need a dynamite first page - we need to know how to do this and you have very beautifully illustrated that. I do believe it is like anything else in our fiction - it has to be part of the whole otherwise it would be like a talent contest where the girl came out doing running cartwheels carrying sparklers only to stand for the rest of her eight minutes quietly singing a boring song offkey!<br /> I now cannot wait to read Sugar!<br /><a href="http://www.labanan.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Jan Morrison</a>Jan Morrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01771180344305042855noreply@blogger.com