Need help

Alana Mortensen · Apr 15, 2007

aye mates,

I need help and/or advice on my ovel opening. You see I start with the MC coming home from a long day at the office but I did not give info on her job or why it was a late night and jump directly into the story. I also introduce a dream sequence with Jimmy, MC's fiancee, but I didn't state that. It will come up in a future scene or dialogue, haven't decided which. Is this a good approach?

If you wish to read it, it's in SYW forum title "Mortal Life Calls".

Thanks
Alana

James D. Macdonald · Apr 15, 2007

Jumping directly into the story has much to recommend it.

Use of dream sequences, now ... be careful of them. They're tempting and easy to use. Be certain that they're the best way to introduce needed information or get around whatever plot point you're stuck on.

Alana Mortensen · Apr 15, 2007

James,

This dream sequence does contain needed info I am just not sure if it should be an immediate need or come later.

Alana

Garpy · Apr 16, 2007

If you could hold that info for a little later, I'd do it. From your description above, it sounds like you've got a few things you're trying to get across to the reader in that first chapter.

I'll echo James' response....jumping straight into the story is a perfect way to begin. Explanations/backstory can come a little later, in very small, easy to digest parcels.

Marlys · Apr 16, 2007

Just a suggestion: if you want people to go look at your post in SYW, provide a link so they don't have to go search for it.

Will Lavender · Apr 16, 2007

Read an article recently where the writer claimed that when he came to dream sequences in novels, he skipped over them. His reasoning was that, as Jim said above, they're too easy. There are no boundaries for the narrative. Anything goes, and so the very idea of the writer's "craft" was a sort of obsolete notion.

Personally, I wouldn't use a dream sequence in the front of a novel because I'd be worried that an agent or publisher would dismiss it right away.

johnzakour · Apr 16, 2007

For the most part, I'm not a big fan of dream sequences in novels. Actually, Im not a fan of dream sequences in most forms of media, the one exception is J.D.'s daydream sequences on "Scrubs". Those are usually way funny!

Raphee · Apr 16, 2007

I recently read a novel with a dream sequence as the starting point. It was from a previously published author. I just skipped it.

Tymolee · Apr 16, 2007

Just curious - is your novel in the revision stages or are you still working on it?

I only ask because I'm currently working on a novel, but I'm one of those "fly by the seat of your pants people" (no outlines here!). Anyway, the farther I got into it, the more I realized my opening wasn't really where the story started. I began with a dream sequence, too, and it didn't work.... which isn't to say yours doesn't, but I think I was using mine more as a holding place until I realized where the story actually began.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that if you're still working on your manuscript, then maybe you just have to keep at it and if you're not happy with your current opening, maybe it'll come to you in one of those great "Ah-HA!" moments.

And if you're finished with it but still have concerns about the opening, then there probably is a problem there that you need to work on.

Just my two cents. Hope it helps!

blacbird · Apr 16, 2007

Alana Mortensen said:
James,

This dream sequence does contain needed info I am just not sure if it should be an immediate need or come later.

Alana

Providing "information" in a dream-sequence is a cheesy cliché, and I'd avoid it. Find another way to provide such information.

caw

Alana Mortensen · Apr 16, 2007

Just curious - is your novel in the revision stages or are you still working on it?

I only ask because I'm currently working on a novel, but I'm one of those "fly by the seat of your pants people" (no outlines here!). Anyway, the farther I got into it, the more I realized my opening wasn't really where the story started. I began with a dream sequence, too, and it didn't work.... which isn't to say yours doesn't, but I think I was using mine more as a holding place until I realized where the story actually began.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that if you're still working on your manuscript, then maybe you just have to keep at it and if you're not happy with your current opening, maybe it'll come to you in one of those great "Ah-HA!" moments.

And if you're finished with it but still have concerns about the opening, then there probably is a problem there that you need to work on.

Just my two cents. Hope it helps!
__________________

-Leesa

Well now, this novel I am just beginning. It is definately a WIP, hough I do have another more boring and confusing, to me, beginning. I can't seem to make it advance the plot though............ Oh wait a minute I think I just figured out how to make both work!

"fly by the seat of your pants"? "No outlines"? I write the same way. Outlines are a waste of my time esecially when the book is already complete in my head. Although, I must admit this one is not and inspired by someone I met on gothicmatch.com. He loves the wamphyrri as I do and gave me a few ideas of what he would like to see in a book but he doesn't read. He is ADD and always online playing COH but it was a starting point.

Now I'm off to eat and write. Thanks mates for your help and advice though I am not inclined to save the dream sequence for later, I will do a combo type thing with both version of the opening.

Danke unde grussdich die freunde.
Alana

Tymolee · Apr 16, 2007

Alana Mortensen said:
Well now, this novel I am just beginning. It is definately a WIP, hough I do have another more boring and confusing, to me, beginning. I can't seem to make it advance the plot though............ Oh wait a minute I think I just figured out how to make both work!

Congrats! I'm glad to hear that.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Need help

Alana Mortensen

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Alana Mortensen

Garpy

keyboard monkey

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

Raphee

In debt to AW

Tymolee

blacbird

Alana Mortensen

Tymolee