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#HistFicThursdays - The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Cresswell - Guest Post

For today's #HistFicThursdays blog, I am delighted to be welcoming  Allie Cresswell  to the blog with a guest post about her brand new book  The Standing Stone on the Moor ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour! But first, let's meet the book... Blurb Yorkshire, 1845. Folklore whispers that they used to burn witches at the standing stone on the moor. When the wind is easterly, it wails a strange lament. History declares it was placed as a marker, visible for miles—a signpost for the lost, directing them towards home. Forced from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded as ‘thieves and ne’er-do-wells.’ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader. Beth is the steward of nearby manor Tall Chimneys—a thankless task as the owners never visit. An educated young woman, Beth feels r...

NANOWRIMO - Beginnings


Friday 1st November 2019 - Beginnings

No matter what anyone tells you, your beginning is spectacularly important. No pressure or anything, but if a reader doesn’t gel with your first line, your second must be amazing.  The general rule of thumb is, the further a reader is expected to go to find the story, the easier it will be to lose them.

Starting a book can seem a bit like a rocky, uphill struggle - but it's worth it!



One of the most well-known beginnings:

In the beginning was the word

It’s difficult to rival that one!

But it’s a statement of truth (let’s leave fact out of it, as most of use NaNoWriMo writers are in the business of fiction), and that’s what most of my first lines are.

Petrovia Lodge was all that could be expected of a country house for a family of a not inconsiderable income.
Day’s Dying Glory

In a country at peace, men of war are confined to their homes and families.
Beneath Black Clouds and White

The springy heather underfoot was the only thing which coaxed on the faltering footfalls of the tartan-clad man as he stumbled forward.
Caledon

‘The gule block is almost spent,’ a delicate voice announced from the curtained archway, the first sound of the new year.
The Year We Lived

All of these set the mood and paint a picture in the reader’s mind.  They also serve to establish the voice for the rest of the story to come.  The most important thing is to make sure your opening line is true to the rest of the book, and that it doesn’t just fill a space on your blank Scrivener page.   

Remember, this is not so much your hook as your bait, you want to make it irresistible to your target audience.

And it’s not just your first line.  Everything in your first chapter wants to lay the groundwork for the adventure which is going to unfold, whether that is focussing on one character so your reader gets to really appreciate and emphasise with them, or introducing a whole host of them to create the image of a busy confusion.  Once you’ve got this foundation laid, your story will begin telling itself, you’re just a tool for the telling!

Here are a couple of things to think about in the opening pages of your novel:

  •  Place is vital! You don’t have to be heavy-handed and detail every brick in the wall, but you do want your reader to connect instantly.
  • Starting with speech grabs your reader but tell them who’s talking, or they begin your story with preconceived ideas.
  • Don’t use any voice but your own, or the story will feel stilted.

Virginia Crow

www.crowvus.com

Comments

  1. My favourite opening line has to be by Muriel Spark - "He looked as if he would murder me, and he did". If I could write anything that was half as witty and macabre, I would be happy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Me again (minus typo!)
      Wow, that is an amazing beginning! Talk about opening with a punch!

      Delete
    3. I know! I "think" I'm getting the book of short stories this comes from for Christmas - so that's my Christmas ghost story sorted 😅

      Delete

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