Critique: Beginning of an idea.

[Barrett]

I call it "hunting the bandersnatch" myself, (I do like the word bandersnatch) but point taken, especially in light of my other adverb/modifying adjectives thread.

It can become overwhelming trying to follow the hardline suggestions of published authors and agents while keeping your own voice in the prose.

Thanks, KatG.

BTW, Holbrook, I can see starting with dialogue as a viable beginning, and I applaud the technique.

 

[Susan Boulton]

LOL, you're kidding me. I mean, all that crap I had to put up with from students and around here too -- not that I don't love you all -- about adverbs and exposition and dialog tags and opening with a bang and how dialog all by itself is everything, and you actually do a dynamite opening with just dialog -- and they freak out? Arrrgh!

Don't change it, then. It weeds out the brain-dead agents.

And this is why you don't go chasing the magic key, kiddies.

Got another today, from a rather large UK agent... Totally confused now (see PM), but will see how the test submissions go...