This is a pinch hitter edition as SensibleShoes deals with real life.
I've been thinking a lot about beginnings of novels, mainly my own deficiencies in the area. One of my college professors told me a million years ago that I used "warm-up pitches" for three or four sentences before I really got rolling. "In media res!" he said. But the advice and time haven't laid a glove on my infinite loquacity. I just can't seem drop the reader into the fiery furnace of the action; I belong to the gradual-approach, scenic-route, let's-stop-for-lunch school of writing.
Sensho has addressed beginnings, but it's been a while, and then she talked about first sentences. Hopeless. I'm not ready. Let's try first paragraphs.
In the spirit of Hermione Granger, I took to the Muggle library (internet) for advice.
Introduce your protagonist! Introduce a catalyst or conflict! Hint at the protagonist's core need! Have a hook! one website exhorted. This seems to reflect the modern consensus, and I bet Sensho would like it.
