By
Karen Cogan
How
many ways are there to set the tone of a book? The answer depends upon the
genre you are writing. The first few sentences of your novel prepare your
readers for the trip on which they are embarking. Consequently, a sweet Regency romance should begin
differently than a psychological thriller. Guess which of the lines below came
from a sweet Regency romance and which is the thriller.
1.
.
“I thought little enough of it when Charlotte missed our appointment last week.
But again, today?” Marianne Bentley creased her fine brow into a furrow as she
departed the Pump Room on this bright April afternoon. Her abigail, Elizabeth,
scurried beside her, her short and stocky frame hard-pressed to keep up.
2.
Bethany’s
heart skittered as she hastened along the street. She glanced behind her, unable
to escape the feeling she’d been followed. She’d told no one except the
detective about the evidence that could prove the innocence of her friend. In
two more blocks she would arrive at the police station. She could hand it over
and stop worrying
That
was easy. The first was the first sentences of one of my Regency romances
titled, THE MYSERIOUS MARQUIS. The second quote is the first lines of my psychological
thriller titled, BETRAYAL.
While
there is pressure to hook the reader with the first few lines, you don’t want
to set the tone for the wrong story. It
is true that many readers cross-over between genres. Yet, they won’t be hooked
by the opening for a sweet romance that sounds like science fiction no matter
how intriguing it may be.
That
is not to say that a sweet romance can’t start with intrigue. Yet it must be
the right intrigue. Consider this example from my imagination: “Carla fought
panic as she watched the toddler head for the busy street. Where were his
parents? Since no one seemed to notice
the child, she set off at a run to intercept him.”
This
begins with action and the suspense of whether the child will be saved. It also
opens the possibility of romance when she discovers that the father is a
widower who had turned around for only a moment and lost sight of his son. If I
had written about a gruesome murder, my sweet romance fans would have closed
the cover.
The point is that your reader should
never be misled for the sake of an enticing beginning. Certainly, you want an
interesting opening. All you must do is to think carefully about your genre for
the hook that draws readers into your novel.
A native of Houston, TX, Karen Cogan spent her early years
enjoying life along the Gulf Coast. After high school, she attended Texas
A&M as well as the University of Houston where she obtained a B.S. in early
childhood education. She has written numerous articles and stories, books for children and novels for adults. She
particularly enjoys writing romantic suspense and contemporary and historical
romance. She has written over thirty-one books in print and e-book format and
she had several more in the works. When
she is not writing, Karen enjoys her grandchildren, horseback riding, reading
and Bible study and dark chocolate. She is recently retired from public school
teaching and uses the experience of working with children to plan and write her
children’s books. She now lives in the Southwest with her family and assorted
pets. For more information about Karen and her books, go to: https://www.facebook.com/karencoganfanpage/
https://kecogan.wordpress.com/ https://www.karencogan.com
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