Writing Irresistible First Pages: Part I
What you'll learn
- Writing engaging first pages for fiction.
- How to introduce backstory and other relevant details without bogging down your manuscript.
- Crafting first pages that will hook agents, publishers, and readers.
- The first class in a two-part series on first pages.
Requirements
- A manuscript draft that you're working on, or,
- A completed manuscript that you're submitting, or,
- A book idea.
Description
There’s a lot of pressure on those opening novel pages. Here’s how to start your story in a compelling way, avoid common mistakes, and catch the attention of an agent or publisher in the slush. In this presentation, you will hear a wealth of information about how to write successful, eye-catching first pages. This course is geared to novel and memoir writers of all categories, from middle grade to fantasy. This is the first part of the two-part First Pages course.
Who this course is for:
- Beginning to advanced fiction writers who want to hone their craft.
Course content
- Preview05:07
Instructor
![Mary Kole](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 412 Reviews
- 2,902 Students
- 7 Courses
Former literary agent Mary Kole founded Mary Kole Editorial in 2013 and provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children’s book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance and memoir. She founded Good Story Company in 2019 with the aim of providing valuable content—like the Good Story Podcast and Crit Collective writing forum—to writers of all categories and ability levels.
She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer's Digest Books.