Strategies to hook readers in your first 10 pages.
One-time payment for 12-month access.
A writer realizing she is
not the main character
Starting our story strong isn't about us.
It's about our reader.
In this course, we use recent bestsellers as our guide to write an opening that demands to be read.
I'm a writer who transformed my opening from "it's good" to "I literally can't put it down." This is what worked for me, and if you're in, I'm here to help you tell your story.
You'll:
"I learned more practical knowledge in these past few hours than I have from several Masterclasses."
" Don't Skip My Prologue! helped me put structure to the otherwise overwhelming task of writing an opening for my novel. Nicole breaks down theory into easy-to-follow modules. She cleverly uses supporting examples from modern day books to apply the theory, as well as a working example where you write an opening to a book together.
I knew what a good opening to a book was supposed to feel like. Nicole was able to give me the vocabulary to create those feelings for readers.
There are many ways to write an opening and now I have the levers to pull to make those unique and decide which direction I want to go in. Suspense, reader orientation, character decisions, scene selection -- there's so much to think about but it's exciting because now I have the tools.
I feel more motivated than ever to keep writing my opening."
"Nicole is a great teacher! This class has so much valuable information, and I really appreciate her enthusiasm throughout it.
Using reader expectation as the framework for exploring each of the subsequent concepts was gold. There is so much great material and I was so excited at my first lightbulb moment!
I learned more practical knowledge in these past few hours than I have from several Masterclasses."
"My name is Zoë, I'm at the beginning stages of writing my first novel, having outlined and started writing the first few chapters. Don't skip my prologue helped me decide to actually write a prologue.
Initially, I wasn't sure if I was going to include one [...] after completing the course and realizing that a prologue is my opportunity to give readers more insight into the overall story (I'm doing a series), I decided to work it in.
A specific part of the "Don't skip my prologue" course that I liked was the Great Database of Novel Openings because it helped me better understand how I can create a moment where the main character has to make a difficult decision in the first scene that helps readers understand the type of person that they are.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend the course and I look forward to referencing it throughout my writing journey!"
"The balance of theory, study of modern books, and worked ice skating example felt engaging, clever, and applied." -Past student
Me (somewhat dramatically) signing my agent contract at the Writer's Museum in Edinburgh
I'm an emerging author, writing mentor, and "story theory sommelier" — i.e. I pair writers with story tools to write a stronger book. (Yes, I did make this up. A girl has to marry her love of wine and story somehow).
I've spent years obsessively studying what makes novel openings work—reading breakout debuts, reverse-engineering first chapters, and applying everything to my own manuscript. That manuscript got me an agent.
This course is everything I would tell Me-Of-5-Years-Ago if I could take her out for a (very long and slideshow-supplemented) lunch. I hope you have as much fun watching it as I did creating it!