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Not too bad considering I'm a little burnt from writing those shorts.
Elf Sternberg over on rascf has been thinking abuout what he wants to accomplish in the first 1000 words. I think he's asking a lot from three pages. If I tried to do all the things in his list -- too lengthy to remember and quote here -- I don't think I'd do them well enough. I'm satisfied if I can establish a voice that I can keep consistently, if I've established the setting and at least one of the important characters, and given the reader to stick around for the rest of the chapter and learn what the big questions of the books are going to be. I think that's a lot, actually.
I'm always worried that the openings aren't compelling enough or are too eccentric. But then I'm always worried that the endings are too abrupt, or too pat, or too vague. And I'm always worried that the middles are too rambly, or not deep enough, or that the pacing is just off.
Pacing matters a lot, doesn't it?
Elf Sternberg over on rascf has been thinking abuout what he wants to accomplish in the first 1000 words. I think he's asking a lot from three pages. If I tried to do all the things in his list -- too lengthy to remember and quote here -- I don't think I'd do them well enough. I'm satisfied if I can establish a voice that I can keep consistently, if I've established the setting and at least one of the important characters, and given the reader to stick around for the rest of the chapter and learn what the big questions of the books are going to be. I think that's a lot, actually.
I'm always worried that the openings aren't compelling enough or are too eccentric. But then I'm always worried that the endings are too abrupt, or too pat, or too vague. And I'm always worried that the middles are too rambly, or not deep enough, or that the pacing is just off.
Pacing matters a lot, doesn't it?
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I'm writing my first short story in something like ten years, and I am worried about every single one of the things you mention. It's been very soothing to see you wrestling with short fiction too, so I thought really I should say so.
But I don't think I'll worry about what Elf Sternberg thinks, just the same.
P.
Re: How does a story start?
*heh*. and right you are not to do so.
FWIW, it matters less to me whether the opening of a short story is all that compelling; i am not investing the amount of time it takes to read a novel, so i am less keen on a definite hook. eccentric is good, though.
Re: How does a story start?
P.
Re: How does a story start?
Well. I guess I should be okay, then.
I've done a short short short today, but I want to finish the novel too.
Secretly I hope I will finish this one early too, and finish the next one by Christmas. And I hope somebody will want to buy all of them, this year, by dog.