Inciting Incident: 3 Secrets for Starting Your Story in the Right Spot

Hey there, fellow scribe!

Have you ever struggled to start your novel in the right spot?

I bet you nodded yes…because this is a storytelling dragon that many writers face.

And it’s not like you’re agonizing over a trifle.

Because you know what’s at stake.

A lot rides on your story beginning.

All you want to do is catch the attention of the person whose yes could change your life (e.g. a literary agent or a book browser).

But if you started your story in the wrong place…

If your story beginning is flat, boring, or bogged down by exposition…

You won’t keep the attention of your target audience.

They will toss your story back into the slush pile—relegating it to obscurity.

After all, they’re spoiled for choice, with thousands of entertainment options vying for their attention.

But.

The beginning of your story must do more than get you on the path to a sale.

It also has to convey various details to your target audience so they can understand and care about what happens later.

In short, the beginning of your novel has to (a) grab readers AND (b) set your plotting pieces in place.

Trouble is, each objective tends to use different pacing—one brisk, one more leisurely.

This is what I refer to as the marketing-plotting conundrum.

And boy is it a doozy.

Would you like to banish this storytelling dragon once and for all?

Would you like to learn how to successful ease readers into your novel?

Then join me on Saturday, October 21 (8 PM EST), where I will share 3 secrets to solve the marketing-plotting conundrum and start your story in the right spot.

Because I explore each secret in detail, this presentation runs about 2 hours.

So make sure to set aside time on your schedule for this deep dive into the craft of writing.

You don’t want to miss it – can’t wait to see you there!

H. R. D’Costa

Story Structure + Stakes Expert from scribemeetsworld.com