THE FIRST PAGE
- Courtesy of Widbook.com -
G'day guys,
Many writers labour over the start of a story, especially the opening line. I mentioned the opening sentence on my very first class to members of the University of The Third Age. I took three well known books and read the opening sentences. The one that stood out for me, and my class, was the opening of the Day of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. What a clangar it is.
WRITING THE FIRST PAGE
Do you truly believe on the first page as the
beginning of a book? For sure it seems like the beginning. However it is
(luckily!) just the first half of your history. The challenging white that
rises from the screen (or shines, in case of papers) have defeated several
writers over generations. It defeats me every week. So why it will not defeat
you anymore?
Because if you are reading these words, it means
you are looking for improvement. And I contacted an specialist in first pages.
His name is Claudio Parreira, a writer from São Paulo who is author of the
romance “Gabriel” (Draco), also known as “The Swindler”. He’s the right person
to help us through the “dangerous” task of crossing the edge between the world
of ideas and the literature’s one: “In my case, when I am writing the first
page it is because I had an idea before, although it’s just a slight
inkling of what I actually wish to write. I think it is truly hard, but it
isn’t impossible, to simply began from nowhere. That’s because the first pages
define the next steps of the plot. And the readers can catch it swimmingly and
immediately: if the first pages aren’t that strong, one might think whether
it’s worth keep reading your book”.
Furthermore, following The Swindler’s idea, the
first page is a challenge either for you, the writer, as for your reader.
There`s a difference between you both and the responsibility of moving your
relationship forward is, in fact, all yours. You are the romancer, the novelist,
aren’t you? Whether you let his attention go, don’t eager for a second chance.
You may handle with one or at the most two chances to catch the reader. Which
means one or two paragraphs.
“Julio Cortázar, Argentinean author, wrote about
the difference between a short story and a romance: to the first one you must
win the reader by a knockout. For the second you might win by score. But I
prefer win by knockout on both cases, to be honest. In my opinion, a genial
introduction is that catchs the reader instantaneously. For sure it is easier
for short stories, but it’s also possible in romances and novels”, explain
Parreira.
Trust me, even the masters suffered on the first
page. Gay Talese, for example, in his book “A Writer’s Life”, wrote a lot about
this writer’s trial, about the process of starting a story and keep writing it
for as long as it will require. According to our specialist, Claudio Parreira,
the most important clue is to put the fear out of the table. Then write the
first word, then the first paragraph, then let it flow: “it’s really
complicated to get it right on the first try, so read what you have written,
repeat the process loudly, it can help you on the identification of several
mistakes; and start it all over again, if necessary”.
So never give up! Just start it and let it flow!
FIVE GREAT FIRST PARAGRAPHS INDICATED BY CLAUDIO PARREIRA
The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas, Machado de Assis: “For
some time I hesitated whether I should open this memories from the beginning or
from the end, which means, if I would start on my birth or my death”.
The mom comes from Asia, Campos de Carvalho: “When
I was 16 I killed my professor of logic. Invoking self-defense – and what
defense could be more rightful? - I was acquitted for five votes against
two, so I moved to a Sena’s bridge, however I never have been in Paris”.
The Shadow of the wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón: “I
can still remember that dawn, which my father drove me, for the first time, to
visit the Cemetery of Forgotten Books”.
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien: “In a hole in the
ground there lived a hobbit”.
Vertical Plaza, Parrera‘s unpublished romance: “The
sleepiness was interrupted as a mirror shattering on the ground; the night
exploding in shine and sharp pieces, dust and fragments of a dream”.
TIPS FOR A NICE FIRST PAGE
1 - Let the
ideas grow inside your brain and take your time. Remember: in general the first
page is the outcome of a maturation
2 - If an idea just arose, suddenly, without warning
and demanding to become an urgent text, just let the words flow as a free
writing; don’t mind about grammar
3 - Forget your fear and type the first line, then the
first paragraph and so on;
4 - After the first paragraph or the first page, stop
and read it again, loudly. Listen carefully to your own phrases;
5 - If you dislike what you wrote, don’t push yourself
too much, just erase it and take a break. You can back to the text when you
feel self-confident again;
6 - Always remember the Samuel Beckett’s phrase: “Ever
tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
By Jr. Bellé
Clancy's comment: Many thanks to the contributors of this post. Love the opening to the Hobbit.
And, don't forget. Read a passage out loud. The faults will jump up and slap you around the chops like a wet fish. Also, some long time advice from me ... find something you're passionate about and write passionately about it. The rest will follow. Trust me!
I'm ...
Think about this!
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