: Re: Is the first page of a novel really that important? I am reading in a few blogs like this that the first page of the novel is really important if it has to get published. Is this true?

This is the first time I've ever seen that position espoused, the first chapter is always touted as vitally important to the reception of a novel so if that advances the plot sufficiently and is engaging you should be in good standing.

Though I'm not even sure that's necessarily true. I pick new material, when not recommended by others, by opening the book at random and reading the middle paragraph on the right. If I finish that and want to read more I pick it up and start from the beginning otherwise it goes back on the shelf.

It may be that this is a new attitude aimed at engaging audiences who read purely from electronic publications, certainly the opening pages of many of the classics aren't particularly interesting. Dune doesn't get into the main story for several chapters, the Narnia novels all start out by slowly setting the scene, The Hobbit is similar, Lord of the Rings takes even longer with the story covering some years before the adventure begins. In fact unless stories begin in medias res they should take time to establish the setting and characters.

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: Re: Is the first page of a novel really that important? I am reading in a few blogs like this that the first page of the novel is really important if it has to get published. Is this true?

More posts by @Sarah872

: Is the MC in first person singular always all knowing? While writing a first-person singular novel, is the MC all-knowing? How do we handle plots which do not include the MC, like something

: The problem with tropes isn't that they're tropes, it's that they're symptoms of lazy writing. In this case, having a species that always does the worst possible thing is a) too easy b) not

: What are good ways to improve as a writer other than writing courses? As a novice writer to improve my writing I have taken one online course. I want to ask, what are good ways to improve

: What's the point of writing that I know will never be used or read? Writing can be a very difficult, frustrating, stressful and effortful process. It can also be very isolating to the writer.

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