OPENINGS: Novel Writing Unchanged, The Writer, 1994. My workshops have always focused on hooking readers with craft elements taught to me by literary masters. Barnaby Conrad, founder of the renowned Santa Barbara Writers Conference, mentored me for many years. I was one of the faithful during his workshop leading days at SBWC and while he talked of many elements, the key for Mr. C. was hooking your readers on the opening.

I’m not the kind of writer that can listen to the middle parts of a novel-in-progress and be very helpful. But I do have a keen ear for openings, what opening pages telegraph as well as what they lack for me, the reader, to remain interested.

I highly recommend Barnaby Conrad’s “The Ten Best Openings Ever Written

Below are highlights of a piece Barnaby wrote for #TheWriterMagazine published in 1994. Every word written remains true today. I will make many copies for distribution to my ipcoming SBWC18 Hooking Readers Workshop for #writers  attending in June, 2018. Click for conference details

OPENINGS Still KEY!

 

“A Novel’s Opening is Critical” Barnaby Conrad Often Said