Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Get Your Readers' Attention—And Keep It—From the First World to the Final Page

Translating that initial flash of inspiration into a complete story requires careful crafting. So how do you keep your story from beginning slowly, floundering midway, and trailing off at the end? Nancy Kress shows you effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story—essential lessons for strong start-to-finish storytelling.

• Hook readers, agents, and editors in the first three paragraphs.
• Make and keep your story's implicit promise to the reader.
• Build drama and credibility by controlling your prose.
• Consider the price a writer pays for flashbacks.
• Reveal character effectively throughout your story.