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PODCAST

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good

Formerly Story Cuppings! Every month we visit the local library to randomly select a new release and read its first chapter. As writers, we are told that those opening pages are crucial to hooking readers. So, let"s see if the first chapter successfully hooks picky readers as well as teaches fellow hardworking writers. Cheers!

arts books

All Episodes

00:16:37

You've Got Five Pages, Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen,...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2024/01/12

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! This podcast covers a lot of mysteries--I mean, a LOT of mysteries--so it's fun to see how blending mystery with another genre can create something unique yet accessible for a reader. Thomas Mullen's Blind Spots opens with a traditional setup of The Cop Stakeout, but this

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00:10:49

You've Got Five Pages, The Lost Library by Rebecca...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2024/01/05

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! My daughter Blondie came to me a few days ago hoping I could share Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass’ The Lost Library with you, so here we are! I can see why Blondie enjoyed this Middle-Grade tale, too. We have a by-the-rules cat determined to keep mice out of the old house’s basement but refuses

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00:20:19

You've Got Five Pages, Death in the Dark Woods by...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/12/29

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! Alas, the Prologue Curse returns. Don’t get me wrong, my fellow creatives—Annelise Ryan’s premise for Death in the Dark Woods carries promise of something weird and wild, and in Wisconsin of all places! As a fellow Wisconsinite, I’m all in for that kind of mystery. While the prologue starts a

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00:18:42

You've Got Five Pages, The Wager by David Grann, to...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/12/22

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I think for the first time ever, I find the author’s note to be a compelling hook. David Grann’s The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, a fascinating mix of true crime and nautical history. Grann shares a quick paragraph before the prologue describing the “debris” he

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00:20:45

You've Got Five Pages, Distant Sons by Tim Johnston,...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/12/15

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! For the first time in a while we have us a prologue, folks. But what a prologue. We are transported to a 1976 summer evening tense with sport and hormones and mystery as two brothers run off to play a baseball game…but only one returns. It’s a damn beautiful prologue, the cadence of the prose

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00:18:52

You've Got Five Pages, Thorn Hedge by T. Kingfisher,...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/12/08

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the story of others to see how they do it! I admit, I am a little bias with today’s selection. When I saw T. Kingfisher had a new dark take on a classic story, I had to jump on it. Thorn Hedge does not disappoint. Its opening pages are told from the Fairy’s perspective, describing a crushingly long passage of time as she guards

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00:18:06

You've Got Five Pages, Midnight is the Darkest Hour...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/12/01

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the story of others to see how they do it! The opening pages of Ashley Winstead’s Midnight is the Darkest Hour are a real treat to read. Once we got past the trigger warning of violent things that often happen in suspense thrillers, we are transported to a small Louisiana town working to survive by a swamp. While folks are

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00:21:51

You've Got Five Pages, North of Nowhere by Allison...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/11/10

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! One thing that drew me to Allison Brennan's North of Nowhere was the promise of siblings depending on each other for survival while on the run from their murderous father through a wintry wilderness. After plenty of stories where romance is the primary focus of the characters'

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00:18:04

You've Got Five Pages, Star Bringer by Tracy Wolff...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/11/03

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! With a gorgeous cover design and a surprisingly long trigger warning, Star Bringer caught my eye and exposed me to two romance writers I’ve never read before: Nina Croft and Tracy Wolff. Their publication histories are both quite impressive, showing the two clearly know a thing or

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00:17:30

You've Got Five Pages, The Longmire Defense by Craig...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/10/27

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! Now for the record, we’re not technically in the first five pages here. The Longmire Defense is the NINETEENTH installment in Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, so this story-world and cast of characters was established quite some time ago. Still, I was in the mood for a mystery in the

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00:14:21

You've Got Five Pages, Clytemnestra by Costanza...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/10/20

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! One of my favorite BBC miniseries of all time is I, Claudius, which is based on two historical fiction novels by Robert Graves. When reading the opening pages of Costanza Casati’s debut novel Clytemnestra, I could not help but recall Claudius’ childhood from the opening chapters of

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00:15:40

You've Got Five Pages, Whalefall by Daniel Kraus, to...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/10/13

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! Firstly, I apologize for that two-month break, fellow creatives. Blondie broke her leg a couple of days after my August podcast, and it’s been a whirlwind of doctor and therapist visits since then. Now that we’re finally finding a new rhythm with school and recovery, I can return to

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00:20:51

You've Got Five Pages, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros,...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/08/18

The first chapter can make or break a reader’s engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let’s study the stories of others to see how they do it! As a born and bred fantasy lover who’s raised a girl obsessed with the Wings of Fire series, I had to grab Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing from the library’s new release shelf. Dragon stories are always in demand, whether it’s for the sheer escapist adventure or the exploration of the

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00:20:26

You've Got Five Pages, The Big Sugar by Mary Logue,...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/08/04

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! It’s prologue time, folks, but I’ll give Mary Logue props here for effectively using a prologue to tackle a LOT for her book The Big Sugar: A Brigid Reardon Mystery. The first section provides a vivid description of the Wyoming Plains and Rocky Mountains and how they contrast

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00:19:38

You've Got Five Pages, The Senator's Wife by Liv...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/07/28

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! After the more somber, experimental style of Oates' book last week, I'm actually rather happy to have a suspenseful thriller that reads like something from the Hallmark Channel. Liv Constantine's The Senator's Wife opens with a cross-couple conflict at a beach

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00:15:03

You've Got Five Pages, 48 Clues into the...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/07/21

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I'll be honest here, folks--After just a few pages, I felt exhausted reading Oates' 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister. Oates takes a more experimental, non-linear narrative approach; while vivid, lush, and highly stylized, the prose also doubles back on

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00:20:42

You've Got Five Pages, Ink Blood Sister Scribe by...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/07/14

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I was so happy to discover a new fantasy release at my local library--that's rare! I don't like grabbing hyped books by big news book clubs, but I can see why folks dig Törzs' Ink Blood Sister Scribe. The prose is very descriptive and balanced between action and

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00:23:12

You've Got Five Pages, The Devil's Blaze by Robert J....

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/07/07

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I do so love a good Holmesian tale! As a young child, I devoured Doyle's original stories just like my father did. We enjoyed collecting stories written by other writers as well, who took Holmes to places like Paris and the American Midwest. So trying Robert J

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00:22:37

You've Got Five Pages, Storm Watch by C.J. Box, to...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/06/23

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett is not a boring protagonist, nor do the opening pages of Storm Watch feel stale. This game warden clearly has principles when it comes to treating wildlife with dignity and respect, whether it’s putting an elk out of its misery or capturing a wolf

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00:21:53

You've Got Five Pages, The Golden Spoon by Jessa...

You"ve Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It"s Good ·

2023/06/09

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! So I was initially bummed when I saw The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell had not one prologue, but TWO. I also glanced ahead and saw that frequent head-hopping is in a reader's future, for the story follows the many perspectives of baking contestants on a cooking show at a

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148 results

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