Fabulous First Page - Trust Fall Edition

This bestselling author of contemporary fiction gets it right from page 1!

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I haven’t read this book yet, but I know I want to

You know how there are certain authors who you trust? Like, whenever a new book of theirs comes out, there’s no doubt in your mind you’ll want to read it. That’s how I feel about Curtis Sittenfeld and Jennifer McMahon. That’s how I feel about this author, too. You’ve probably heard of his books, even if you haven’t read them, because several of his novels have been turned into popular films and television shows.

He’s a good storyteller, but also there’s also just a certain something about his narrative voice. It feels confident and in control, and it makes me feel confident that I’m in the hands of a good storyteller. It’s as if his prose says to me, “look, I’ve got a great story to tell. I’m just going to jump right into it. Trust me, you can fall back into this book and I’ll catch you.” And I do, I do trust him to tell me a great story.

That’s why I feel confident in saying that, even though I just picked this book up at the library yesterday and haven’t yet had a chance to read past the first few chapters, I know— based on my trust in this author and based, of course, on the fabulous first page— that I’m going to enjoy the book. That’s the power of a good storyteller. That’s the power of a good first page.

Before I reveal the title, I’ll start with a reminder of all the things a first page should try to do:

A first page should:

• Hook the reader right away and invite them into the story. (Of course, this depends on the type of reader you’re trying to attract. What hooks a sci-fi reader might be different from what hooks a romance reader, for example.)

• Set the scene and the overall tone of the novel.

• Introduce a main character (and/or introduce a main setting or theme).

• Hint at a conflict, situation, mystery/secret, or question. (Or, in the words of

  Cecilia Lyra, plant some “curiosity seeds.”)

• Set reader expectations. (For example, a funny book should be funny on page one; a scary book should have hints of spookiness of page one.)

And for more on first pages, check out:

• This post about first pages from Karin Gillespie.

• This post on Jane Friedman’s blog about first pages.

• This post on novel openings from Devon Halliday

• All the “Books with Hooks” episodes of the podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, in which the two literary agents critique queries and first pages. The Shit About Writing Team

• All my other Fabulous First Page showcases!

Now, without further ado, let’s find out the name of this book and read it’s fabulous first page…