FICTION FOCUS
Getting stuck in
Margaret James sets out the questions you need to ask yourself in order to keep your reader glued to the page
F
ebruary Writing Magazine’s Fiction Focus pages talked about the importance of central concepts in all kinds of stories, and in this issue we’ll consider how best to open your own story.
How could you do this in a way that will engage your reader’s attention straight away, and then keep this reader engaged?
Perhaps you could set aside your work-in-progress for an hour or so, and sketch out a one-page synopsis, even if the very thought of doing this brings you out in a rash, and even if you don’t yet know for certain how your story ends.
I promise it won’t be a waste of your time, because summarising the key points in a story is a useful skill you’re likely to need in the course of your writing life, and – more importantly – it will help you to focus on whom and what you’re actually writing about.