Jane and I have begun the process of reading and revising our story. I had already decided we would need to modify the beginning. I firmly believe the last thing an author will write is the first page of his/her story. I read this Kick from David Farland today which verifies my belief:
“Front Loading Your Story. This almost seems so simple that it goes without saying, but when you write a story or a novel, you need to pay particular care to your opening page or ten. After all, it may be the only part of your tale that an editor or agent ever sees, and generally speaking, editors will reject ninety percent of all tales within the first two pages.
So it’s important to put a great deal of effort into that opening.
There are generally only a few things that you can do to hook your reader into the book.
1) Show some style. In other words, let the editor know that you’re a capable writer. Dazzle ‘em to the best of your ability. This means that you have to do more than just write in a professional college-educated voice. You have to pay attention to the poetry of your words, and to your similes and metaphors.
2) Hook the reader into the tale itself—the basic concept of the story. Begin moving the story along immediately. Lead off with a dramatic opening.
3) Create a powerful and compelling setting.
4) Create engrossing characters.
5) Bring out universal themes, or make sure that the story resonates powerfully with its chosen audience.
This might sound hard to do in two pages. Indeed, it is. But if you want to get your story really considered thoughtfully, those first few pages are critically important.”
I think it works for PBs as well. Only thing is, you have the first sentence or first paragraph for the hook.
Debbie Nance 