![]() ![]() With your novel’s overall mood and tone in mind, you’re ready to make one of the most important writing decisions for your book: its point of view. ![]() This is especially important if you hope for this novel to be the first in a trilogy or series. To avoid this kind of tonal whiplash, you’ll need to have a sense of where your novel’s going before you craft its opening lines. An out-of-place opening, after all, is like a bloody knife on the cover of a wholesome romance: sure to have your readers blinking in confusion instead of eagerly turning the pages. Make sure you keep this tone in mind from the very start. You should, however, consider the overall tone of your story from the beginning, whether it’s as soft as spun sugar or as sharp as a blade. We’re not suggesting you plan out your whole plot scene by scene: there’s still plenty of room for spontaneity here. Now, don’t worry if you’re the kind of writer who likes to figure things out as they go. That means the beginning of a novel should set the tone for all the writing that follows, letting the reader know what to expect as they make their way deeper into the story. As King says, the best novel openings aren’t just beautiful sentences - they’re invitations into a world of the author’s creation. ![]()
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