Comments on: Grab Your Reader by the Throat – Write a Strong Introduction

By: Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:25:29 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kathleen, Lisa, Rebecca!

Good luck writing for Suite, Kathleen…I hope you love it.

By: Kathleen Smith

Kathleen Smith — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:54:51 +0000

Thanks for the “tips on writing” blog! I am new to Suite 101; infact, just getting started today. So, a thank you for the encouragement as I settle down to writing my first article.

By: Lisa Angle

Lisa Angle — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:51:37 +0000

Thank you Laurie. Sol is a great workshop leader.

I’ve got some more tips for great story beginnings:
http://www.ninetydegreesmedia.com/?p=203

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:24:00 +0000

These are great tips! You can also use controversy to hook readers. People love sensationalism!

By: Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:38:50 +0000

Hi Tracey,

I’m totally with you on the description part! I find it boring to read, and even more boring to write….but some readers love description (I learned that from my book club ).

One writer advises writers to stop “clearing their throat.” Instead, get write into the action…like you said.

Happy writing,
Laurie

By: Tracey

Tracey — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:13:55 +0000

Great tips. I like to start my story with action that way the reader is hooked almost right away. I find it the story starts with description, I tend to skip past that section, or put the book down completely. The intro really has to engage me, or I have to know the author is a great writer for me to continue reading the book.

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[...] 3. Talking on the phone. Here’s a hard one. Not only can it be fun, it can also be essential for your job. If there’s a call you can’t afford to miss, it takes nerves of steel to ignore a ringing phone. To solve this problem, try to schedule your writing as an appointment — and then treat it like a meeting with your CEO. If necessary, leave your office and perch in a coffee shop or at a boardroom or library table. (One of the biggest mistakes I make as a writer is not getting out of my home office once in a while. Writing elsewhere increases my creativity). [...]

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The Make Money Blogging eBook - and My Top 10 Tips — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:38:24 +0000

[...] something new, sharing a mistake she made and learned from, or growing or changing in some way. Gripping writing isn’t just “write what you know”….it’s “write what you’re learning about” or [...]

By: Geoffrey Kamadi

Geoffrey Kamadi — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:33:11 +0000

Most illuminating! I think adding a visual element is one of the best ways to keep your reader interestred. The reader can actually “see” what you are talking about.

-Kamadi

By: Crissy W

Crissy W — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:42:20 +0000

Conflict is good, and so is making readers curious.

Thanks for showing examples of effective writing, it make a difference. It helps to see what you’re talking about.

Crissy