What is your protagonist doing, and or saying when the curtain lifts on the set of that first page of your story, or novel?
Their actions and dialogue relay not only much about who they are while interacting in the world with others, but also their identity within the universe of their own personalities.
They also where the journey of the story demands they grow and change in an effort to survive the chaos and the upheaval every good story bestows.
The opening of a story is also where the writer sows seeds that will later blossom into a path of change. This we call foreshadowing.
A major part of foreshadowing requires knowing what awaits your protagonist down the road of your story.
Hence the benefit of planning your novel.
Where your major character is headed, what the life and trials of the story will demand of her or him vastly shapes how she or he enters the story.
The opening of a story must contrast the story’s end. Likewise how the major character presents at the outset of a novel, must distinguish the way in which she or he will look at the end.
Transformation is the key and watchword.
To depict this evolution, the writer brings focus to aspects of behavior, dialogue and thought that will shift over the time of the novel.
By shining a light on them, highlight the in the opening pages you say to the reader, “Watch this. Notice that.” It will all be important in the course of the story.
And so the reader watches. And over, you, the writer must throughout the story show these aspects of behavior and tone of thought changing.
What signals a change in the people you know and interact with? Is it dress, style of hair, they way they speak, the topics of conversation they engage in?
What kinds of movies do you most enjoy? In what way do the closing scenes reveal a change has taken place?
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We will return Monday, January 4, 2010.
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