12/01/2005
The Most Important Page Of All
Which page do you spend the most time on?
I write and rewrite my first page, saying roughly the same thing, as many times as there are pages in the finished book (or thereabouts)
I don't know about you, but I am grabbed, or not grabbed by the end of a book's first page.
Yes, if I think there's something that intrigues me I'm not going to slam it shut just because I'm not sure what that something might be... but I do believe that the first page, the first line, is absolutely crucial. And if you don't care about it, why should anyone else?
Does it touch me- Do I smile, frown, sigh, turn over the page and read on?
I even look at the page as a sculpture- Does it look good on the page?
And music- Does the rhythm please me in my head as I read the words?
Emotion- that's what writing means to me- I want to experience something as I write, as I read... And by the end of the book I want to feel that I've been on a journey
That's why I pay so much attention to the first page- that journey has to be worth taking.
And why am I up so early?
Because later this morning I will be speaking to my lovely Ed' And with almost 30 authors on her hands, I don't want to waste a precious second of her time.
So now I'm off to make a list (of questions for her)
What would we do without them? Editors, and lists!
Love to all,
Happy reading, and wishing you a peaceful day full of love.
Susan
I write and rewrite my first page, saying roughly the same thing, as many times as there are pages in the finished book (or thereabouts)
I don't know about you, but I am grabbed, or not grabbed by the end of a book's first page.
Yes, if I think there's something that intrigues me I'm not going to slam it shut just because I'm not sure what that something might be... but I do believe that the first page, the first line, is absolutely crucial. And if you don't care about it, why should anyone else?
Does it touch me- Do I smile, frown, sigh, turn over the page and read on?
I even look at the page as a sculpture- Does it look good on the page?
And music- Does the rhythm please me in my head as I read the words?
Emotion- that's what writing means to me- I want to experience something as I write, as I read... And by the end of the book I want to feel that I've been on a journey
That's why I pay so much attention to the first page- that journey has to be worth taking.
And why am I up so early?
Because later this morning I will be speaking to my lovely Ed' And with almost 30 authors on her hands, I don't want to waste a precious second of her time.
So now I'm off to make a list (of questions for her)
What would we do without them? Editors, and lists!
Love to all,
Happy reading, and wishing you a peaceful day full of love.
Susan
