Doesn’t have anything to do with the post, I just love this shelf.

One of the things I see most often as an editor is the story started with backstory. You know, all the stuff about the character and why he is the way he is and how when he was ten this thing happened or that other thing. We get why he is still single or divorced. Or why he’s angry at his boss. The author rambles on for pages and pages telling the reader things that don’t matter to the story at hand, that the reader doesn’t need to know at the beginning. Things that tend to bore the reader so that they don’t finish the first page much less the first chapter.

Then there is the info dump. Paragraphs or pages of information about the world the character is in. Which usually involves some backstory as to who is in charge and how they got there. Again, stuff that the reader doesn’t really need to know at the beginning.

What is needed at the beginning of any story is something that will hook the reader, drag him into the story, and keep him there even when he really needs to be doing something else. This usually takes the form of action or suspense. It’s something that shakes up the main character, starts the ball rolling on the adventure, so to speak.

Yet, many times, I see people standing around talking about things that don’t matter, or the author will describe the setting, or even start with something that doesn’t move the story forward.

And it’s not always a newbie problem. I did the same thing not long ago. In fact, I sent an entry in for a contest and  had to delete about a page and a half of “stuff” that didn’t move the story forward. It was good writing, but just not needed at that start. It didn’t hook the reader so had to go.

Here’s the thing. The author needs to know all that backstory and info. And some of it is important to the story. But, it needs to be woven in. A bit here, a bit there. A sentence over here, and another over there. Same thing with info dumps. The reader may need to know the information sooner or later but she doesn’t need it all in one big glob. It has to be woven in also.

Writing is hard work. Someone once said something to the effect of “easy reading is damned hard writing” and that is so true. I tried to find who said it but came up with several different answers.  But, whoever said it, knew what he was talking about. We don’t become masters of our craft overnight. I like to compare it to  a master wood carver. The master didn’t become a master overnight. He studied his craft, practiced, made mistakes, started over, practiced some more. It took years upon years to become a master.

Writing is the same. So, I encourage you to grab some of your favorite books and check out the beginning, see how the author hooks you. Then look at your own writing. See if you can do it better.