POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
In The Beginning
Once upon a time I had a teacher in high school who wasn’t a whole lot older than we were. She was easy to talk to because we were almost peers. One day she told a funny story about her brother. She told us that her whole family had gone out to eat in a restaurant one day and they were all talking and laughing and having a good time. Her brother, just a little kid at the time, wanted some of the attention, but no one noticed him at all. He finally stood up on a chair in the middle of the restaurant and yelled at the top of his lungs, “UNDERWEAR!” Needless to say, he found his attention.
Our stories are kind of like my teacher’s brother.
Our readers are busy people with homes, families and friends, jobs, shopping, and tons of other things to do in their lives. If we want their attention to tell them our stories, we need to shout something riveting in the first few words. We should start with something that will catch their attention immediately, or we will lose them quickly. Action is a good way to start, and humor opens their hearts. Then there’s the mysterious beginning such as, “If I had known things would turn out like that, I never would have done it.”
Try different opening sentences, reading them allowed and listening to the words. Look for a group of words that are provocative and attention grabbing. Your readers will be hooked for the remainder of the story.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
Nandy Ekle
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