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- Create a Hook. A great way to start a story is to draw the reader in with a hook – something that will create intrigue. ‘I’ve often wondered what happened to Steve – did he find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?’
- Start with Dialogue. You might have seen advice about never starting a novel with a dialogue opening. But in certain cases it works, such as when you want to introduce a character quickly without a lot of explanation.
- Ask a Question. Questions are a great way to open a novel, especially when the answer (and the story that follows) could go in many different directions.
- Write Something Unexpected. ‘I never knew the impact of the purple pen until it exploded in my face.’ Starting your novel with an unexpected statement takes your reader off guard and makes them wonder how your character got to this point.
Balchin achieved great popularity and fame in the 1940s on the back of two terrifically entertaining novels ( Darkness Falls From the Air and The Small Back Room) about the ‘back-room boys’ of the Second World War and the impressive psychological thriller Mine Own Executioner.
Verdict: A Way Through the Wood gets off to a very good start but the high quality is unfortunately not maintained. In particular, the middle of the book sags as the Mannings travel around Europe trying to salvage their marriage.
Balchin’s fiction are advised to start with the three books that Orion have reissued and then to work their way — with the help of libraries and secondhand bookshops — onwards from
May 3, 2016 · A psychological study of marriage, loyalty and justice, A WAY THROUGH THE WOOD is a remarkable post-war novel. 'A superb storyteller' SUNDAY TIMES 'I'd place him up there with Graham Greene' Philippa Gregory. 'Balchin writes about timeless things, the places in the heart' Ruth Rendell.
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- Nigel Balchin
Jan 4, 2017 · 1. Craft an unexpected story opening. 2. Start with a compelling image. 3. Create interest with immediate action. 4. Begin the book with a short sentence. 5. Pose a question for the reader. 6. Engage a sense of curiosity. 7. Build a convincing world and setting. 8. Do something new with your writing. 9. Create tension that has room to grow. 10.
Sep 2, 2021 · A good beginning will hook the reader’s attention from the opening lines, and keep them engaged for the rest of the story.
