Whats Ur Idea Of A Good Opening?

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I examined plenty of short stories last night, and good openings are the exception.

A good opening is one of the Writers Ten Commandments, and violated more than the others. Whats your idea of a killer opening?

FWIW Department. Adultery's original meaning was CHEAT or SWINDLE not STAY AWAY FROM YOUR NEIGHBOR or MOTHER IN LAW. And that means NO QUICKIES!

 

[LadyVer]

Interesting. I was reading short stories as well. I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and four and twenty blackbirds by Neil Gaiman. I think.that was the title. I liked both stories, but I saw a couple of mechanical errors in both. I was reading.more to see the style of writing. I read a couple of stories by Kate Chopin as well.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Interesting. I was reading short stories as well. I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and four and twenty blackbirds by Neil Gaiman. I think.that was the title. I liked both stories, but I saw a couple of mechanical errors in both. I was reading.more to see the style of writing. I read a couple of stories by Kate Chopin as well.

God knows how I try to read Card but my spirit is weak.

 

[LadyVer]

My.son had tried to get me to read the Ender's Game book for years. When I googled short stories yesterday, Card's website came up. I don't know if I would want to read the book though. The story alone reminded me of Lord of the Flies, and LotF's writing was better.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Card's popular. Just not with me.

I'm exploring Patrick O'Brian's 20 volume opus of the British Navy (Master and Commander). So far its not captivating but its interesting for all the nautical and historical research he did. No PC in it at all; the seaman make cunt-splices and enjoy native women in their cramped hammocks, and the captain hires nigger seamen. Lotsa blacks in the British and American navies around 1800.

 

[LadyVer]

I've looked at his hooks, but they never seemed interesting enough to me, and I enjoy historical fiction. I wasn't aware of the writing that you mention though. The books just looked boring, although I think the books sell well.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I've looked at his hooks, but they never seemed interesting enough to me, and I enjoy historical fiction. I wasn't aware of the writing that you mention though. The books just looked boring, although I think the books sell well.

Patrick O'Brian prolly appeals to a niche of teens obsessed with sailing. He's better than the Horatio Hornblower crap.

 

[LadyVer]

Patrick O'Brian prolly appeals to a niche of teens obsessed with sailing. He's better than the Horatio Hornblower crap.

Maybe so. I liked Bernard Cornwell's Archer trilogy and his Anglo-Saxon series, although some of his other books I didn't much vare for, like the Arthur legend

 

[PayDay]

A good opening either sets the tone of the work, or makes little sense until you read the story again.

 

[sr71plt]

good openings are the exception.

"Good openings" are subjective. Maybe you're just closed minded.

 

[LadyVer]

"Good openings" are subjective. Maybe you're just closed minded.

Don't get Jim started. He and I were having an.unusually cordial conversation.

 

[sr71plt]

More often than not his premises stink and thus don't really lead to "good" discussions. (Although that too is subjective. )

This is one of those premises sinking in quicksand.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

PILOT got a head start on Happy Hour today. He calls it Happy Days.

 

[jomar]

Card's popular. Just not with me.

I'm exploring Patrick O'Brian's 20 volume opus of the British Navy (Master and Commander). So far its not captivating but its interesting for all the nautical and historical research he did. No PC in it at all; the seaman make cunt-splices and enjoy native women in their cramped hammocks, and the captain hires nigger seamen. Lotsa blacks in the British and American navies around 1800.

Ender's Game was pretty good. The series got weird after that.

O'Brian's books are pretty slow going for the most part, but his vocabulary and command of language is amazingly nuanced and brilliant. He finds pitch perfect words.

Maybe so. I liked Bernard Cornwell's Archer trilogy and his Anglo-Saxon series, although some of his other books I didn't much vare for, like the Arthur legend

If you liked those, and I really did, you might like his Warrior Chronicles/Saxon Stories (or is this series what you were referring to).

I especially enjoyed the Sharpe Books and Sharpe's Tiger inspired my poem Seringapatam. If you read this series try to do so along Sharpe's chronological age, not in the order they were written.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Ender's Game was pretty good. The series got weird after that.

O'Brian's books are pretty slow going for the most part, but his vocabulary and command of language is amazingly nuanced and brilliant. He finds pitch perfect words.




If you liked those, and I really did, you might like his Warrior Chronicles/Saxon Stories (or is this series what you were referring to).

I especially enjoyed the Sharpe Books and Sharpe's Tiger inspired my poem Seringapatam. If you read this series try to do so along Sharpe's chronological age, not in the order they were written.

So far he hasn't made me daydream of other things, like washing the car or weeding, so I'll stick with Volume ONE till it gets interesting or I doze.

 

[SamScribble]

Whats your idea of a killer opening?

One which makes me want to keep reading. There are plenty that don't.

 

[slyc_willie]

It's hard to pin down what makes a good opening. Some people might like a slow intro, with plenty of background before the action starts rolling. Others want the smack in the face, with explanations coming later. I think I've used both and probably a few others.

For me, though, unless there's good reason for it, if I read a few pages and there's no dialogue and nothing but "setting the scene," I put the book down. Give me some, give me a page's worth. But don't give me the whole litany of how Mary Jane's grandmother moved to Rhode Island back in 1933 and everything that's happened to the family between then and now.

Personally, I want the opening to give me a WTF moment. If I don't get that within the first couple of pages, I'll look for something else.

 

[LadyVer]

Ender's Game was pretty good. The series got weird after that.

O'Brian's books are pretty slow going for the most part, but his vocabulary and command of language is amazingly nuanced and brilliant. He finds pitch perfect words.

If you liked those, and I really did, you might like his Warrior Chronicles/Saxon Stories (or is this series what you were referring to).

I especially enjoyed the Sharpe Books and Sharpe's Tiger inspired my poem Seringapatam. If you read this series try to do so along Sharpe's chronological age, not in the order they were written.

The Anglo-Saxon series I mentioned is probably the same series you're referring to--Alfred fighting the Vikings; the story of Utred, kidnapped as a boy during a raid in Northumberland, who then grows up to become Viking warrior, yet tries to win piece for Alfred.

I haven't read the Sharpe books yet, although I would like to. The Archer series was set during the Battle of Crecy, I think.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

It's hard to pin down what makes a good opening. Some people might like a slow intro, with plenty of background before the action starts rolling. Others want the smack in the face, with explanations coming later. I think I've used both and probably a few others.

For me, though, unless there's good reason for it, if I read a few pages and there's no dialogue and nothing but "setting the scene," I put the book down. Give me some, give me a page's worth. But don't give me the whole litany of how Mary Jane's grandmother moved to Rhode Island back in 1933 and everything that's happened to the family between then and now.

Personally, I want the opening to give me a WTF moment. If I don't get that within the first couple of pages, I'll look for something else.

I was just looking at the opening of THE SEARCHERS by Alan Le May. After supper Henry Edwards took his light shotgun and went outside the house for one last look around; he hoped his family would think he was after sage hens, highly unlikely so near the house. Great John Wayne movie, too.

 

[jomar]

The Anglo-Saxon series I mentioned is probably the same series you're referring to--Alfred fighting the Vikings; the story of Utred, kidnapped as a boy during a raid in Northumberland, who then grows up to become Viking warrior, yet tries to win piece for Alfred.

I haven't read the Sharpe books yet, although I would like to. The Archer series was set during the Battle of Crecy, I think.

Yes, that's the one...Alfred and Utred. I've read the Archer series.

The Sharpe books were a lot of fun. The TV series not so much, though maybe if I'd seen it before reading the books...

 

[slyc_willie]

I was just looking at the opening of THE SEARCHERS by Alan Le May. After supper Henry Edwards took his light shotgun and went outside the house for one last look around; he hoped his family would think he was after sage hens, highly unlikely so near the house. Great John Wayne movie, too.

John leCarre had some interesting openings, if I recall. The few my father had that I read way back when usually started with someone heading off to kill someone else.

On the subject of beginning with background, I just remembered how Peter Benchley opened "Beast." His character's name was Whip Darling, and Benchley went into some surprisingly interesting historical background about the island, the families, and why the main character was called "Whip." I liked that particular instance of starting a book with background.

But then they made it into a terrible TV movie and changed the character's last name to Dalton. I guess "Darling" wasn't manly enough.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

John leCarre had some interesting openings, if I recall. The few my father had that I read way back when usually started with someone heading off to kill someone else.

On the subject of beginning with background, I just remembered how Peter Benchley opened "Beast." His character's name was Whip Darling, and Benchley went into some surprisingly interesting historical background about the island, the families, and why the main character was called "Whip." I liked that particular instance of starting a book with background.

But then they made it into a terrible TV movie and changed the character's last name to Dalton. I guess "Darling" wasn't manly enough.

The best Le Carre opening was his first book, CALL FOR THE DEAD. In it he introduced George Smiley to the world. Its divine!

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

FOUND IT!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/22/le-carre-call-for-the-dead

 

[jomar]

We had a couple of challenges on story openings a few years ago, but I can't find them with search. One was limited to less words than the other. Was pretty fun.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I have the worst time with story openings. Most of what I have in my files are "Dark and Stormy Night" type things-- a description of surroundings-- or else someone saying something provocative so as to let the reader know sex is coming soon.

Sometimes I can get the story finished and then go back and re-write the beginning, or maybe just lop it off at something more interesting.

But then, as Jimmy says-- most stories start with less than a bang anyway.