Player FM 앱으로 오프라인으로 전환하세요!
들어볼 가치가 있는 팟캐스트
스폰서 후원


1 Chris Nowinski - Protecting Athletes from Head Injuries & Preventing CTE 27:58
Scene Workshop: Hook Your Readers in Chapter One with Cathryn deVries
Manage episode 462287033 series 3418889
You get one shot to grab their attention. Don’t waste it with characters staring off into space.
You've put all this work into uncovering your character's internal arc. You know them SO WELL.
When you step into a scene, you're giving your absolute all to uncovering the deep meaning and purpose behind it, the profound arc of character transformation that's happening in even the smallest moments.
Yet in doing all that . . . you've lost the plot. You've crafted complex inner worlds for your characters, but all they're literally doing is staring off into space.
And you're worried that in the times when you most want to hook your readers—like your absolutely critical opening pages—you're boring them instead.
Bored readers put books down.
So what do you do? Throw in some discord and explosions to create external chaos? Cut the scene and start the story at a different point entirely?
Or is there a way to use what you know of your character's internal arc to find the perfect external action that will hook your readers and keep them turning pages?
This is exactly the challenge Cathryn deVries encountered in the first chapter of her novel. So we workshopped it together—and in this episode, you'll hear how we solved it, and how you can hook your readers, too.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Notes to Novel with Savannah Gilbo
- Read Cathryn’s scene: alicesudlow.com/76
- Read When a Slave Falls, Cathryn’s award-winning short story
- Read Lightning Hunter, a story set in the same world as the scene we workshopped
- Find Cathryn on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
80 에피소드
Manage episode 462287033 series 3418889
You get one shot to grab their attention. Don’t waste it with characters staring off into space.
You've put all this work into uncovering your character's internal arc. You know them SO WELL.
When you step into a scene, you're giving your absolute all to uncovering the deep meaning and purpose behind it, the profound arc of character transformation that's happening in even the smallest moments.
Yet in doing all that . . . you've lost the plot. You've crafted complex inner worlds for your characters, but all they're literally doing is staring off into space.
And you're worried that in the times when you most want to hook your readers—like your absolutely critical opening pages—you're boring them instead.
Bored readers put books down.
So what do you do? Throw in some discord and explosions to create external chaos? Cut the scene and start the story at a different point entirely?
Or is there a way to use what you know of your character's internal arc to find the perfect external action that will hook your readers and keep them turning pages?
This is exactly the challenge Cathryn deVries encountered in the first chapter of her novel. So we workshopped it together—and in this episode, you'll hear how we solved it, and how you can hook your readers, too.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Notes to Novel with Savannah Gilbo
- Read Cathryn’s scene: alicesudlow.com/76
- Read When a Slave Falls, Cathryn’s award-winning short story
- Read Lightning Hunter, a story set in the same world as the scene we workshopped
- Find Cathryn on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
80 에피소드
모든 에피소드
×
1 How Multiple Layers of Editing Combine to Perfect Your Story (with Cathryn deVries and Kim Kessler) 1:32:05

1 Scene Workshop: Hook Your Readers in Chapter One with Cathryn deVries 1:38:37

1 How Taylor Jenkins Reid Crafts an Exceptional Opening Scene 30:24

1 2 “Showing” and "Telling" Ways to Convey Time Passing in Your Novel 16:34

1 You Can't Skip Learning How to Write a Novel. Here's Why 20:51

1 Why Writers Resist Measuring Their Craft (And Why You Shouldn’t) 23:57
플레이어 FM에 오신것을 환영합니다!
플레이어 FM은 웹에서 고품질 팟캐스트를 검색하여 지금 바로 즐길 수 있도록 합니다. 최고의 팟캐스트 앱이며 Android, iPhone 및 웹에서도 작동합니다. 장치 간 구독 동기화를 위해 가입하세요.