Catching a Wave

I've never surfed in the ocean but "catching a wave" is like starting a book with a HOOK. Without the hook there's no ride. So let's begin this lesson. Think of a theatrical performance. You sit in your seat, the lights in the theatre dim, all chattering ceases, there's an expectant hush, the curtain rises, from stage left an actor appears and speaks...

This is the moment when something magical happens. You breathe deeply and relax into the moment. The actor draws you into the scene.

And so it is with starting a book. If you're like me, you read the back cover of the book. If the blurb interests you, you flip the book open to Page One, Chapter One and begin reading.

This is where the author is like the actor entering from Stage Left. Does the author draw you into the scene? So much depends on those first paragraphs. The magical moment has to catch the reader by surprise. Makes her want to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Open any book on your shelf, romance, mystery, SciFi, paranormal, Regency, historical and read the first page. Open Pride and Prejudice and read the famous first paragraph penned by the wonderful Jane Austen.

Or open my historical romance, A Very Difficult Man and read the first two pages. Haven't purchased it? It's available from Cerridwen Press as an e-book.

Isabelle's Diary, published by Cerridwen Press, will be available for purchase on September 6, 2007. It's a contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. Can a ghost appear on a sunny June morning weeping over a diary in a cafe?

Anita Birt
www.anitabirt.com