EP 237 A Perfect Beginning to Your Novel

The other day, I heard Mark Hurwitz say that "the beginning of the book (exposition is the literary term) is a bit like a social contract between the reader and the writer. This got me thinking about the different critique groups and contests that we have that focus solely on the beginning phrases of our books. Are they helpful? I’m of the opinion that they aren’t.So today we are going through a pile of books to see how the beginnings stand up to being social contracts between the writer and the reader.Books I read from today:Caraval by Stephanie GarberThe Violin Conspiracy by Brendan SlocumbThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green99 Percent Mine by Sally ThorneAnxious People by Fredrick BackmanShadow of the Dragon by Tom ClancyThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidThe Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather MorrisBended Loyalty is up for PREORDER! https://books.katcaldwell.com/loyaltyGet Bended Dream here: https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-prequel Like Substack? Find me at Lessons In Story. https://lessonsinstory.substack.comSign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletterWant more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I’m reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://storylectory.katcaldwell.com/signup You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @katcaldwell_writing