How do you begin your epic sci-fi, fantasy, or horror story? How do you grab a viewer or reader’s attention, introduce your characters and world, and avoid the dreaded infodump? To discuss these questions and much more, we talk to Shiraz Janjua, host of the YouTube channel How the Novel Starts.
Show Notes:
How the Novel Starts
Shiraz's website
Shiraz's Instagram
Bulwer-Lytton Awards
Reading and Watching List:
George Orwell, 1984
Karen Russell, Swamplandia
Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
William Gibson, Neuromancer
Michael Chabon, Yiddish Policemen's Union
Vajra Chandasekera, The Saint Of Bright Doors
Frank Herbert, Dune
JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Christopher Nolan, Inception
George Lucas, Star Wars