11–20 of 83 posts
This kind of reminds me that, although I'll read a lot about programming and startups, I haven't learned anything about writing (formally) in many many years. Does anyone have any good recommendations for books about writing non-fiction? The OP refers to a few book about writing fiction, which sound interesting (and that may be helpful), but I was wondering if there was something similar that targeted maybe copy-writ…
Iain Banks manages to provide both one of the most memorable opening sentences: "It was the day my grandmother exploded." and my favourite opening paragraph (or two): "Two days ago I decided to kill myself. I would walk and hitch and sail away from this dark city to the bright spaces of the wet west coast, and there throw myself into the tall, glittering seas beyond Iona (with its cargo of mouldering kings) to let th…
If everyone followed the advice in this article, the advice would be terrible. Most people don't, so it's probably pretty safe for now. The general advice though, is to pay attention to what feels overdone and then don't do that. And don't stop paying attention, because it will definitely change.
From reading good writing, and by looking at opening sentences specially I came to the conclusion that the best way to start a chunk of text is by starting to say what you want to say. Just say what you have to say and don't think about it as an "opening sentence". By thinking of structure you lose perspective of the most important thing in any writing, the message. My favorite writers get to the point quickly and ef…
It's not so simple. If the reader is interested in comprehending a large amount of technical or objective information quickly, then yes, by all means, start with the point, hold no cards above the table, and get to it.
But even this article demonstrates that sometimes, a different approach is appropriate. "When I was a 25 year old editor" -- what the hell is a 25-year old doing being an editor of a paper? What kind of a paper is this anyway?
That - strikes my interest. That makes me want to continue reading. It draws me in. This is why I read - to shed the dust of everyday life - to be drawn in and whisked away to a fantasy world much more exciting than my own life.
The way to start a chunk of text is to be keenly aware of who your audience is, and what they want. And, equally, the way to begin reading a chunk of text is to either adapt to the the mold of the intended audience or simply reject the writing. It's not valid to say that starting a book in a coy, crafty, inviting way is somehow illegitimate because it doesn't get to the point right away. Some people prefer and enjoy that type of opening.
Just wanted to add that this advice will necessarily change with the times. Something sounds trite and cliche if you've heard it (or something like it) too much. Most of the things that sound trite and cliche now sounded great the first time you heard them. That's how they got repeated enough to become trite and cliche in the first place. If everyone followed the advice in this article, the advice would be terrible.…
Iain Banks manages to provide both one of the most memorable opening sentences: "It was the day my grandmother exploded." and my favourite opening paragraph (or two): "Two days ago I decided to kill myself. I would walk and hitch and sail away from this dark city to the bright spaces of the wet west coast, and there throw myself into the tall, glittering seas beyond Iona (with its cargo of mouldering kings) to let th…
Even though I'm not a great fan of his work, Banks did write one of the most memorable opening lines ever in The Crow Road . Two other great examples: William Gibson's Neuromancer : "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." Herman Melville's Moby Dick : "Call me Ishmael." Neither strictly tells the reader what the books are about, but they're great hooks.
Shakespeare's Hamlet: "Who's there?"
Kafka's Metamorphosis: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect."
That being said, I think all other kinds of texts should be as story-like as possible, in the sense that they should be gripping and interesting from the very first sentence -- I want to be a little bit lost and not know where exactly the writer is taking me. In this case, I really like the idea of jumping straight into a scenario (or anecdote), I remember having been suggested by my teachers in middle school to do so. Having opened the text with a scenario, you can also use it in the conclusion to wrap things up and let the reader know how the story ended, given the conclusions reached in the body of the text.
My book recommendation is "How to write a sentence (and how to read one)", http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/01/27/how-to-wri... It has whole chapters on both first and last sentences.
Iain Banks manages to provide both one of the most memorable opening sentences: "It was the day my grandmother exploded." and my favourite opening paragraph (or two): "Two days ago I decided to kill myself. I would walk and hitch and sail away from this dark city to the bright spaces of the wet west coast, and there throw myself into the tall, glittering seas beyond Iona (with its cargo of mouldering kings) to let th…
Even though I'm not a great fan of his work, Banks did write one of the most memorable opening lines ever in The Crow Road . Two other great examples: William Gibson's Neuromancer : "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." Herman Melville's Moby Dick : "Call me Ishmael." Neither strictly tells the reader what the books are about, but they're great hooks.
"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."