Learn to make the first pages of your novel count.

Editors and agents often say that the opening pages of a novel are the most important. If the writing doesn't grab the reader in this short amount of time, the manuscript will most likely be rejected. But knowing how and where to begin a novel can be daunting, and honing the pages to get them right can take a very long time. This workshop will explore the key elements of conflict, point-of-view, a sense of place, rhythm, and prose—right from the get-go of a story. The goal is to begin a novel by establishing an intimacy between your characters and the reader as you artfully shape a journey that will inspire him or her to keep turning the page.

Participants are encouraged to bring the opening page of their own work to share for a quick critique.

Deborah Reed is the author of four novels: The Days When Birds Come Back, Olivay, Things We Set on Fire, and Carry Yourself Back to Me. She has also authored two popular thrillers under the pen name Audrey Braun.
Deborah holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing and is co-director of the Black Forest Writing Seminars at the University of Freiburg in Germany. She teaches creative writing at workshops around the U.S. and in Europe.
She lives on the coast of Oregon.


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