Make the First Page Perfect

When the manuscript of your story is submitted for publication the most important person who will read it is a publisher’s first review editor. That’s the person who decides if your submission will pass the first test for review or will it be rejected after a quick glance. The editor makes this decision after reading your first page.

The first page of your work is usually 250 to 300 words.  It’s very important that your story begins with a first page that will grab the publisher’s interest in the brief time he or she takes to read the opening words. Get the editor interested by making something happen or show something is already happening when we meet the character. This usually is the story’s protagonist, but it could be a secondary character.

When writing a short story or a piece as long as a novel, a flashback is very useful in getting the reader directly into the action. With or without a flashback, get the reader interested by simply beginning the story.

To make the first page the best possible, avoid any tangents in the opening words. Tangents are scenes that are not needed. They add nothing to the active plot. It’s always a good idea to cut out scenes that don’t advance the plot. Short stories don’t have the space for tangents. Novels are the more appropriate space for tangents that add side stories.

My short story “Double Tap” begins with police officer Susan Thompson in an emergency room. It contains the first page techniques that will get a reader interested. Here are the first few lines from that story that is one of six short stories in “The Device.”

A woman in a police uniform was lying on a table. Men and women dressed in blue scrubs surrounded her.  “That light is too bright. I don’t want to open my eyes,” she thought. “Why is someone pulling my clothes off?” “Officer Thompson!" a man shouted. “Susan, stay with us.” “Blood pressure is dropping, doctor,” a woman said. “We can’t get her to surgery at this rate,” another man said. Her uniform blouse was torn away and her bra was cutoff. She was naked from the waist up. Her chest felt wet. The table felt cold. She began to drift off.  “I’m so tired. Why is everyone shouting?”

This story has the elements of putting the reader directly into the action with no unneeded explanation. The main character is identified. Hopefully, a reader would find the first page interesting enough to lead him or her into the rest of the story.

Sending paper copies of stories to publishers is obsolete. Stories and even complete books are sent by electronic mail. Yet we still have the image of an uninterested editor throwing our manuscript into a trash can.

One way to keep your work out of the imaginary trash can is to keep the plot working on the first page. During the many edits you as an author will need to do, ask yourself if the setting or scene on the first page advances the plot. If a past reference or flashback is used, make sure it will tie back into the story later. 

Staying focused during those important first words helps you progress the plot and helps you present a better story.

Thank you for taking time to read this blog. Another blog will be in this space in a week to ten days.  See my web site at www.joevlatino.com where you can purchase copies of my book The Device. My book is available at Amazon.com in paperback and in e-book forms. 

Five Plot Points and Five Story Balancers

This blog provides information to authors who write fiction.

Action and movement create the plot that keeps fans reading. Without plot, the reader quickly finds the story boring and puts the book aside. The character of our story shows the action that is needed to continue motivation, conflict, change and resolution. These five important steps make the story move along.

A story needs balance to keep it interesting. The items that provide balance make another five item list. They are action, dialogue, description, inner monologue and exposition/narrative. Each one spreads balance throughout the story, and each one is important. They are the building blocks of a story.

Action defines what your characters are doing. The protagonist will move towards her goal and fail several times before reaching the goal or failing completely.

Dialogue tells us what the characters are saying, and it helps move the story along.

Description tells us what the characters are seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling.

Inner dialogue tells us what a character is thinking. Unlike most other art forms, prose gets us into the minds of the characters.

Exposition/narrative gives us what other information the narrator (writer) wants us to know. It is a source of telling, not showing, and needs to be used sparingly. Backstory is the most common result of exposition/narrative. A character’s history and background come from backstory. In short stories, however, space is limited.  That’s why showing a character’s qualities is better than telling them in backstory.

The five character needs and five areas for plot movement come together to create a three-act structure. Basic play structure is the three-act format. It also works for movies, novels and short stories.

In the first act, the protagonist is confronted with a challenge. In act two, he tries to solve the problem and fails several times. The author increases the problem to keep the story interesting.

Finally, in act three, the protagonist succeeds or fails, depending on the whim of the writer. Whatever the result, the audience must know it’s the resolution the whole story has been leading to.

Thanks for taking time to read this blog. Look for a new one in about a week. Visit my web site: www.joevlatino.com

Characters Need Traits and Flaws

Short stories have one main character we call the protagonist. Space restraints stop short story writers from developing protagonists with elaborate back stories that help advance plots in the longer form of fiction we call novels.

A protagonist with flaws is always more interesting. Those flaws are particularly helpful to short story writers. It helps in relating a character while using a minimum amount of words.

Years ago I heard a motivational speaker make a presentation in front of sales people. He said something that stayed with me, “In your weaknesses you will find your strengths.”

The words flaws and traits can be used interchangeably when they are describing a character. Traits help us shape a character, for better or worse.  An example is a basic trait many people have: the fear of failure. This trait can be used to show how a person is careful, prepared and focused on a task to avoid failure. In this way it’s not a flaw at all but a strength.

The reverse trait is the fear of success. Characters can suddenly find them thrust into situations that require them to overcome adversities. Once she succeeds, the responsibility that is suddenly hers can be overwhelming. 

Another trait could be described as a need for independence. Our main character could express this emotion in tension between her and a partner. How about fear of the unknown? This stems from a situation when our character is going into unchartered territory. She can sweat and even tremble as she is confronted with this trait that will carry the readers along her journey. Fear of the unknown can be used in many plot points. It puts the character and the reader into unknown territories.

In general, the hero has fears that give him or her a challenge. She confronts the challenge and fails. She fails the challenge again and then a third time. Eventually our protagonist succeeds or fails completely, it’s your choice. Keep in mind that readers want a definite conclusion, and they prefer a pleasant ending.  Sometimes, however, we have to let the antagonist, our villain, win.

Thank you for reading this blog. Check here in about a week for another subject. See my web page at www. joevlatino.com.

Writers, Like Most People, Want Validation

As authors, we want the recognition and acceptance that comes from the approval of readers and fellow writers. We crave validation of our fiction from family, friends and readers of our creative works. However, this very natural need to get recognition can actually work against our success in the fiction market.

Seeking constant approval for our creativity will make us seem desperate. That’s a sure way to drive potential readers away. Instead of begging for an audience, we need to invest our time in communications such as social media outlets and groups made up of other authors. That activity will teach us what works by the examples of authors.

Actress Sally Field gave the epitome of speeches asking for validation when she took her second Oscar for leading actress of the year. The Academy members recognized her efforts in the 1984 movie Places of the Heart. Her heart-felt words of acceptance have been ridiculed many times and usually misquoted.

Standing in front of the membership of movie actors, she gave her short speech: “I haven’t had an orthodox career, and I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!”

Her first Oscar was for best leading actress in the 1979 movie Norma Rae. Starting in the mid-1960s, Sally Field starred in several television sitcoms and successful films. Her acting ability in both dramatic and comedic roles is praised by her peers.

As writers, a self-serving speech such as the one delivered by Sally Field could be devastating to our search for new readers. Instead of reaching for a pat on the back, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. That means we need to grow as writers and use the marketing sources available to us. Those sources include book signings, speeches to local book clubs, social media, web pages and blogs.

Your writing will improve if you stop worrying what people think of you. Ten people can read your work and come up with ten different opinions, some very insulting. We can’t ignore criticisms. Anyone who puts a piece of art or creative item in front of the public has to accept that everyone is a critic. It’s our part to accept criticisms graciously, even when the words hurt. Debating or arguing with a critic never ends well.

Trust in yourself and in your craft. Sally Field showed her main motivation was to be appreciated. I think she succeeded because she’s a public figure. We can be successful by writing the best fiction we can. There’s nothing we can control other than writing the best stories possible.

Thank you for reading this blog. Check here in about a week for a new subject. See my web page at www.joevlatino.com.