Gabino Iglesias Joins WriteHive 2021
as Horror Guest of Honor
WriteHive News
Greetings, Hivemind!
On the inaugural episode of Word Nerd Cafe, the panel and Guest Author Dan Kobolt tackle the opening. Starting a new novel is among some of the heaviest lifting writers have to conquer. Openings can make or break a reader’s attention. While some may judge a book by its cover, a weak opening can leave your reader wanting more.
They begin the discussion by pointing out that having the main character in their prime element is essential to starting a story. It’s important to get that character to be the focal point as soon as possible..
The Burn Notice series kicks off with Micahel Westen, a CIA spy in the middle of bribing a local African war lord to keep him from attacking an oil field. As he calls in the payment authorization, he finds he’s been denied. He tries a second time, and the person on the other end tells him, “We have a burn notice on you; you’re blacklisted.” Michael is now without any support and in a room with a dangerous man who is expecting a multi-million dollar payment. (Burn Notice is also a TV show, but this is the best example this author could immediately think of).
Next, Justine mentioned that some prologues she’s read have almost nothing to do with main characters – she adds that the main character is best added within the first five pages. While some fiction gets away with deviating from this (think Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire), that happens on a case-by-case basis and might be better attempted after a publisher is ready to take your book.
Past the first sentence, the panel warns not to info dump. Height, body type, and other physical features is something to pepper into the story as one goes. “Mickie wore her newest designer dress like she does every time she aces a test,” is a better way of saying “Mickie is a confident, fashion-forward, high-achieving narcissist.” The two sentences say much of the same thing, but the latter has veered strongly into “tell” territory. Dan adds on that looks can wait for later chapters.
Something as simple as naming the main character requires some finesse. Justine mentions that acquaintances won’t simply call a person’s name out of the blue, or in the middle of a task. She reminds us, “you have to make sure that it feels organic and part of the conversation or part of what is going on and doesn’t feel like, ‘and by the way, my name is Justine.’”
Changing gears, SK asks the panel about other ways of giving a sense of normalcy in a main character’s life. Jeni chimes in to say that when she edits manuscripts, she doesn’t see much in the way of reactions. Body language, visceral reactions (like being offered over-cooked broccoli casserole in polite company), or internal monologue. As an example…
Skeptic strolled into the meet and greet a fashionable ten minutes late. Checking them in was a young woman wearing a dress that they noticed wasn’t dressed and had a few cat hairs on it. Charming.
“Oh, your name is Skeptic?” she asked, “What are you skeptical about?”
Skeptic internally shuddered at the overplayed ‘joke’ and chose not to rip this woman’s head off. “Oh, you’re clever!” they replied, as they took the pre-printed nametag, placed it on their suit jacket, and moved on.
Jeni continued to add that reactions are what give a character a completeness. Without these reactions, a main character will not be notable.
There is more to this episode, and the only WriteHive’s Patreon Supporters have exclusive access!
