Category Archives: Your First Page

A young woman runs into an old friend in a grocery store—at least she thinks he’s an old friend. In fact the man Eleanor mistakes for “Lyle” is fresh out of prison, sent there for what crime we don’t know. … Continue reading →

In Latin there’s a phrase for it: in media res. It means “in the middle of things,” and it’s where many authors like to begin their books. By starting “in the middle of things,” authors avoid the long and potentially … Continue reading →

In works by inexperienced authors suspense tends take one of two forms. The first kind of suspense, the good kind, raises questions like the following: What will happen to X when Y happens? How will Character X solve Problem Y? … Continue reading →