Thinking of beginnings...
I spoke the other day about story openings. Well, here's one I think works pretty well, from the thriller Damaged by Halifax writer Pamela Callow.
As I say, it's a thriller, and there is plenty of mayhem and murder and deadly peril. Some of these books begin with exactly the kind of overwrought opening that generally turns me off.
This opening, however? I like:
Springtime in Halifax was not known for its warmth or sunshine. Nor was Lyons McGrath Barrett, one of Halifax's premiere boutique law firms.
We know when it is, where we are, and that our main character is either a lawyer or consulting a lawyer. (She's a lawyer, which we get in the next paragraph.)
It's neat, catchy, concise, and not at all overbearing. For me, this is a nice sleek way to open the door to the story.
Now, if the next paragraph had featured our hero picking up his girlfriend, the receptionist for the law firm, driving to the airport and flying away somewhere, never to mention Halifax or the law firm again? Then I would be legitimately pissed.
As I say, it's a thriller, and there is plenty of mayhem and murder and deadly peril. Some of these books begin with exactly the kind of overwrought opening that generally turns me off.
This opening, however? I like:
Springtime in Halifax was not known for its warmth or sunshine. Nor was Lyons McGrath Barrett, one of Halifax's premiere boutique law firms.
We know when it is, where we are, and that our main character is either a lawyer or consulting a lawyer. (She's a lawyer, which we get in the next paragraph.)
It's neat, catchy, concise, and not at all overbearing. For me, this is a nice sleek way to open the door to the story.
Now, if the next paragraph had featured our hero picking up his girlfriend, the receptionist for the law firm, driving to the airport and flying away somewhere, never to mention Halifax or the law firm again? Then I would be legitimately pissed.