Prof. Juan G. Noblejas

37
If you’re going to write about a place, a people, a time and a
culture, then you MUST know the place, the people, the time
and the culture...
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Patti nei primi 10-15 minuti: “everything”
In ten minutes (10 first pages) the writer needs to
• introduce the main characters,
• establish the genre,
• let the reader or viewer know generally
--- what the story is about,
--- and what is at stake.
A common error
many writers make in setting up the story is letting the
crucial ten pages go by filled with exposition and useless
scenes, and then starting the drama around page 30.
Very few readers, unless the writing is exceptional, will give
the writer 30 or more pages to set up the story.
In the first ten pages (10 minutes):
-- the characters need to be established,
-- goals presented, and
-- voice delineated.
The writer needs to set the protagonist or main character
against the antagonist or obstacles to his goal. In other
words, he has to find a way to make the reader or viewer
care about the main character.