Replay: Holly Lynn Payne shares Five Things She's Learned about The Power of Page One
Check out the first five minutes of her recent class.
“The first page is where writers have their first chance to make a good impression. It’s also their first chance—and hopefully not their last—to hook readers and keep them engaged… And while the first page will inevitably be the most rewritten page of any book, getting it ‘right’ doesn’t have to be agonizing—in fact it can be one of the most ecstatic moments in the process.”
– Holly Lynn Payne, Five Things I’ve Learned about The Power of Page One
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning author of four novels, a private writing coach, and the host and producer of The Page One Podcast, where she interviews master storytellers about the craft of shaping the critical first page of their books. She's talked about importance of a great first page with bestselling authors including Dean Koontz, Alka Joshi, Tess Gerritsen, Robert Dugoni, JT Ellison, Tom Barbash, Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket), Kate Manning, Kristen Harnisch, and Susanna Hoffs.
In her class, Five Things I’ve Learned about The Power of Page One, Holly describes how writers can capture the impulses that make their writing unique from the very first page. She shares insights about all she's discovered about crafting stories, and practical tips writers can employ right away to captivate readers from the beginning of their stories.
Eager to discover practical, hands-on strategies for improving the opening moments of your writing?
During the class, Holly also spends a good amount of time workshopping three page-ones that she selects from workshop participants, offering positive and valuable feedback in what is a safe, celebratory, and exploratory space.
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