As some of you may know from looking at my shared works, I am mid-progress with the re-editing of part one of my novel ready to complete as a first person, present tense drama piece. My question is, would a piece work best delving into the middle with the drama escalating from a dramatic start, or would it be best suited to add another part before the drama, enabling my readers to see the changed in the antagonist - this being my protagonist's husband? I don't want to lose the back stories I have weaving into part one - done so as chapters - but I also don't want my readers to be left confused by the events, that due to the topic are of a shocking nature. Sorry for the long-winded question, this novel just means everything to me and I want to get it as close to perfection as I can, since naturally nothing I write will be as good as those on the shelves at Waterstones or WH Smith. Thank you all who answer... Desperate Writer.
Colin, yes that is the dilemma I face. I'm contemplating having a prologue being the back story, either her taking out a loan to start a business that is key to the present day, or her wedding that would be key in showing the changes her relationship has had. I have chapters as it stands that skip time eras, for example a part where she is a teenager conversing with her mother to show the mental decline and (hopefully) have answered questions raised to the audience. Opinions?
Victoria, if I have understood you correctly, your dilemma is one of whether to open the story with what sounds like a pretty shocking scene, or to position it later in the book so that the reader can put that into context.
Lots of good books open with a shocking scene and because the reader wants to know what happened to cause such a terrible thing, it makes them turn the page.
Weighed against that of course is the possibility that readers might open your book and be so shocked by such a dramatic opening, that they decide that that book is not for them and do not turn the page. I wonder if there is a way of straddling those two possibilities?
I am sure that you will find a way to do so. And be sure to let us all know when you do. Tension is so difficult to get just right isn't it?
Thank you both, in terms of genre my piece is entitled the mask she wears and is on my shared works piece. It starts as it originally did on this site, but my fiancé believes the story would work better with a work up to the drama. If either of you would be so kind as to take a look and see if the drama works as it is, it would be highly appreciated :)