Welcome back, my fellow creatives!

Yup, I'm back to looking at the first five pages of various stories, for those five pages can make or break the engagement of a reader--or an agent. So, let's scope out the stories of others to see how they hook an audience!

There’s a lot to be said for a strong setup. At first glance,

However, Paula Hawkins was keen to establish certain

For I honestly wonder if we needed those two pages of the

But that is merely this writer’s opinion. The premise for the story is sound, the mystery promising before Chapter 1 begins. If you ar in need of a good mystery to carry you through these short winter days, look no further than Paula Hawkins’ The Blue Hour.

And what will we discover in the following story's pages?We'll have to wait and see. xxxx

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!

First, I have to apologize for goofing any Scottish language

That said, The Author’s Guide to Murder is the work

And what will we discover in the following story's pages?

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!

The opening pages of Kate Atkinson’s Death at the Sign of the Rook took me back to an Agatha Christie-style setup: the enigmatic invite to a lavish estate, Mother Nature’s elements cutting the cast off from civilization, and…well the protagonist Jackson Brodie is not Poirot, nor should he try to be.

While Chapter 1 technically starts further on in time than Chapter 2, I don’t feel like Atkinson pulled any sort of bait’n’switch. The first couple of pages are low-stakes with the eclectic guests of the murder

And what will we discover in the following story's pages?

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!
Yup, I'm back to looking at the first five pages of various
stories, for those five pages can make or break the engagement of a reader--or an agent. So, let's scope out the stories of others to see how they hook an
audience!

This was a treat to read. I grew up on shows like MURDER, SHE WROTE, so to see the back of this book mention a J.B. Fletcher-like protagonist tackling "a demonic murderer with an ironic sense of humor," what is not to like? :)

Waggoner's narrative voice is light-hearted and playful, while the opening few pages are still quite thorough in providing characterization for protagonist Sherry Pinkwhistle without feeling like an information dump. There's even a touch of mystery about our crime-solving librarian: why did she fall out with her fellow magic-loving best friend so many years ago? The structure of the writing and Pinkwhistle's thoughts show readers that this is a little mystery about our main character before the main plot line even begins. It's just enough so these first five pages can delight as well as intrigue. I'm in!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!

Yup, I'm back to looking at the first five pages of various
stories, for those five pages can make or break the engagement of a reader--or an agent. So, let's scope out the stories of others to see how they hook an
audience!

I’ve sampled two of T. Kingfisher’s past books on this

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!

Yup, I'm back to looking at the first five pages of various

The cover art for Lee's book immediately got my attention

And what will we discover in the next story's five pages?

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it!

Airships are the name of the game here, which is always a fun steampunk concept, and I love that spires take on a whole new meaning through this world. (The fencing swords on the cover are what drew me to pick this book up in the first place.) The writing itself has an interesting rhythm; Butcher deploys short, strong sentences amid long, active prose for those brief descriptors to pack a real punch--"The new vatteries stank."--is a personal favorite of mine. Sensory details like this mixed with banter between two airship captains made the opening pages an intriguing read. If you're ready to take off for a break from this world (I know I am) then I have a feeling Jim Butcher's Cinder Spires series would make for an excellent escape.

And what will you find in these first five pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it!

Sure, I’m naturally a little biased for Wisconsin-set

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it!

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it!

I have been recommended Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind quite often over the years, but here I am, diving into this shorter

The first chapter quickly establishes our protagonist Bast, a known character from the other books. Being a complete newbie, I accepted that there could be unclear aspects of the world for me because I wasn’t familiar with the world of The Kingkiller Chronicle. Yet the first chapter starts in a very intimate, quiet way: Bast is trying to sneak out of the inn before his master notices. The innkeeper catches him, though, and sets him up with a mysterious book and a small list of errands before asking about a stranger who stopped by the inn earlier. Bast pretends to not know much of the stranger and takes off for his errands.

Doesn’t sound like much, does it? And the stranger’s name sounds like it is also something from the other books.

But that does not leave me flustered in the least. Rothfuss has a beautiful sense of the ear in his language, describing the different sounds created when a novice tries to sneak away vs. an expert vs. the artist Bast is. The visual and aural details mixed with metaphor creates a flow of prose one can easily coast upon, happy to see where the current takes them. Sure, I may choose to follow Rothfuss’ advice and NOT read The Narrow Road Between Desires before I read The Name of the Wind, but something tells me that if I stay with the current, Bast’s tale will still take me to some pretty exciting, unique places in that fantastical realm.