I received some agent feedback on the first ten pages of my novel. Though it stated that the writing was generally good, the story introduced by those pages was not enough to catch a reader. I found the input to be very helpful and insightful. Best of all, it immediately illustrated to me something I knew to be wrong but couldn't put my finger on.
Back in my Old Writers' Group we discussed the concept of a story having too much "front porch". I don't know the origin of the phrase, but it had a clear meaning. Basically it means that you have supplied too much supporting story in front of the exciting part of your story. That's what I did with my novel.
Even though my checklist told me to watch out for this particular problem, I hadn't seen it. My guess is that I was just too close to the work. The exciting and fun part of the novel started many pages in but my story started with earlier events that the reader would eventually need to know. It was like starting a murder mystery by telling why the killer did it and then walking through the details of the murder.
With this new insight, I've started the rewrite of my novel. This time it starts at the critical conflict. The reader will learn about those supporting parts at the same time as the main characters. I think this will make it a much stronger novel and make it more fun for the reader. With any luck, it will also make the first ten pages more attractive to an agent.
Having seen this now, I'll have to make more effort to watch for it in the future. When I look at my diagramming, it tells me where the conflict happens. If I have too much before that point, I know what I will have to do. Wish me luck.
Agent Feedback | Bob Trapp's Exploration
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