First Page Critique - YA FANTASY

Tomorrow is the first day of autumn!

We received another First Page Critique entry.  In other words, another brave soul needs our help! It's up to all of us [including YOU] to provide that help.  Please offer your thoughts in the comments section.

Reminder: Be nice, but be honest. [Comments that are not polite/respectful will be deleted.] What would YOU like to know if this was YOUR first page? Do you think it has a good opening line? Does it have a hook? Does it pull you into the story? Do you want to read more? Why or why not? Be specific, so your critique helps the person who wrote the entry.

Category/Genre – YA Fantasy

There was something off about that woman.

Ace couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about her felt different. It wasn’t just the way she was dressed, though that was a large part of it. She was wearing a cashmere sweater dress and carrying what appeared to be a genuine leather purse, ostensibly flaunting her wealth with no care for the pickpockets who were eyeing her bag.

She didn’t dress like anyone else around here. Even if she wasn’t from this side of town, she should have known better than to show off her status in such a way. But she walked on, confident and unconcerned despite the attention she was gathering. 

Normally, she would be the type that Ace would try to pickpocket himself, but this time, he stayed his hand.

“What are you looking at?” Mikky asked gruffly. His usual frown deepened when he saw the woman. “What an idiot. Does she not have any common sense whatsoever?”

Ace slid a teasing grin over at him. “Not everyone can be as smart as you.”

Mikky squinted suspiciously at him, trying to work out if he was being sincere or not, before shaking his head. “Whatever. Stop getting distracted. Don’t forget, we’re here for-”

First Page Critique - ADULT FANTASY

It's hot here in SoCal

We received a First Page Critique entry.  In other words, a brave soul needs our help! It's up to all of us [including YOU] to provide that help.  Please offer your thoughts in the comments section.

Reminder: Be nice, but be honest. [Comments that are not polite/respectful will be deleted.] What would YOU like to know if this was YOUR first page? Do you think it has a good opening line? Does it have a hook? Does it pull you into the story? Do you want to read more? Why or why not? Be specific, so your critique helps the person who wrote the entry.

Category/Genre – Adult Fantasy

Lend me your ear, dear reader, so I may tell you a story about revenge. 

Saphrina Loresmeth, blissfully unaware of her impending demise, pulled her car over to take a phone call. Though the country road was deserted, she always turned on her flashers and her protective charms. With a flick of a button, a shimmering blue shield formed around her car. Since someone had mixed salt into the thaumaturgical tank, it wouldn’t block so much as a leaf falling off the scraggly trees.

I told her so, but she couldn’t hear a mere ghost.

“Olivia?” Bone-deep exhaustion filled Saphrina’s question. She’d cried so many times over the last few days she had no tears left. Only fear that the last person returning her calls would abandon her. “Should I…come over another time?”

“Nonsense,” Olivia Cathor said. “I told Percy either he lets you sleep in our guest bedroom, or he’s banished there himself.”

“Thank you.” Saphrina had lost many friends since her husband, presidential nominee Oscar Loresmeth, had filed for a divorce.

“You know how much I owe you. During my son’s illness…” Olivia stumbled over the topic they’d never spoken of aloud. “Now it’s my turn to repay you.”

“What’s happened?” The muzzy heat from her vinyl car seats made Saphrina’s head pound. Her greasy hair clung to her forehead, as she hadn’t showered since being thrown out of her home. The sunrise gave the grass lining the road a sickly yellow color matching her desire to throw up.

Dear O'Abby: Are Contests Worth My Time?

Dear O'Abby,

There seem to be so many writing contests out there and I was wondering if it's actually worth entering any of them.  No offense meant.  I know Operation Awesome runs its own contest, but that's kind of what made me ask the question.  Does anyone ever actually get an agent or a publishing contract out of these contests?  

Yours,

Contestable

Dear Contestable,

It's really up to you whether you want to enter contests.  They're not compulsory for any writer, but they are a lot of fun, and a really good way to meet other writers who might end up becoming beta readers or critique partners.

And yes, people do sometimes get agents or publishing contracts through these contests.  I actually got both.  In the same week.  But I ended up passing on the publishing contract in favor of working with the agent in the end.  That was one crazy week, I'm telling you!

But even if you don't get picked by the agent or editor judge, entering contests is a good way to see how your work stacks up against other peoples'.  Most contests ask the judges to leave feedback, so even if you don't win, you have notes from a professional on your query and/or first page.  And you can use those notes to help polish both up, and often the rest of your MS too.

Sometimes readers of the blog are also asked to leave feedback which means you don't just get one opinion, but many.  If something about one particular piece of feedback resonates strongly, you can reach out to that person and thank them.  You may even become friends with that person or decide to work together as critique partners or beta readers.  I met several of my very favorite writing buddies this way and we are still critiquing each other more than 10 years on.

But if you're not interested in entering contests, it's not going to be the end of your writing career.  You can still query traditionally, and your chances are probably no better or worse than if you'd entered the contest.

Good luck, which ever way you decide to go!  And if you're thinking of entering our Pass or Pages, you have about a day left to do it.

X O'Abby

#FirstPageImpressions 08/13/19

It's been a while, but...

#FirstPageImpressions has been on vacation, but now we're back! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback that will help you improve your work. I'm so excited to see your first pages! All age categories and genres welcome :)

Here's how to participate:

1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by Thursday, August 15, 2019 at 12:00 pm EST.

2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (If you don't, I can't find you to give you your critique!)

For a rules refresher, please visit this post.

The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Thursday evening. Best of luck!

Dear O'Abby - Can I send more pages than requested with my query?

Dear O'Abby,

I'm querying, and most agents seem to want either five or ten pages with the query, if they want pages at all.  My chapters are pretty short - only around 1500 words each, and all end with a hook leading into the next chapter.  1500 words is around six pages....

So my question is, if an agent asks for five pages, is it okay if I send the whole first chapter, even if it is over the five pages?  Or the first two chapters if they ask for ten? I feel like leaving the chapters a few hundred words shy of the end of each chapter doesn't showcase my work in the best light because  the hooks at the end of each chapter are almost always the best parts.

What would you suggest?

Yours,

One Page Too Long

Dear One Page Too Long,

Most agents ask that you past these pages into the body of an email along with your query, so they're not actually going to know exactly how many pages you've sent unless they count the words.  If you send the entire novel, or two or three times as much as they've asked for, they'll notice, but if it's only a couple of hundred extra words, they probably won't. And I don't believe any agent is pedantic enough (or has enough time) to count your words and reject you because you sent a page or two more than what was requested.

The purpose of sending pages is to show the agent what your writing voice is, your style, and that you can actually string sentences together in a coherent fashion.  Rather than focusing on the length of your sample, make sure it's the best possible example of your work.  Check for typos, grammar errors or spelling mistakes.  Make sure you've tightened the language so every word has a purpose and reason to be there.  Ensure the opening of your book is compelling enough to make readers want to read on.

You want the agent to be frustrated when they reach the end of your sample, wanting to read on enough that they will reach out and ask for the rest of your book to be delivered to their in-box immediately so they can keep reading.

If your pages don't do that, it doesn't matter if you send five, ten or twenty.

XX O'Abby

#AtoZChallenge Understanding #PassOrPages

Understanding #PassOrPages

#PassOrPages is Operation Awesome's query contest. The goal is to help writers get feedback on their query and first page, and possibly link them up with an agent who likes their work.

Three times a year, we choose a genre and age category and reach out to agents who might be interested in those manuscripts. Once we have our agent panel, we open up the contest to writers. Anyone can send in their query and first page, as long as they fit the genre and age category.

(Why only the first page? That could be as little as an agent reads, and we've even had agents stop after the first sentence. If they're not intrigued, they're not going to keep reading, so that first page is the most vital to the query package.)

Winners are randomly drawn and their work is sent to the agent panel. The participating agents give brief feedback on the entries and explain why they're passing on the work, or requesting pages. You can find our #PassOrPages archive with all our past contests here.

We began this contest because sometimes - okay, most of the time - the agenting process seems inscrutable. What do all those rejection letters mean when they say "I just didn't fall in love with it"? By asking agents specifically to critique the basic query package, we hope that all writers, not just those whose work is critiqued, will gain insight into what goes through an agent's mind when they read the query and first page. Here are some of the most common comments from the past three years of #PassOrPages, and how you can adjust your work accordingly:

• Awkward phrasing. Read your query and first page aloud, or paste them into Google Translate and hit the "listen" button. Sometimes hearing things aloud sets off those problem spots that you don't catch when you're reading, especially when you've read that page a hundred times already. Keep in mind that the query should read like the inside of a book jacket.
• Too many grammar/spelling mistakes. One grammar/spelling mistake is too many in your query package. Proofread, proofread, and proofread again. Have a friend, coworker, CP, beta, whoever, look at your pages before you send them.
• Cut words/sentences. In your query and first page, keep prose tight and to the point. This isn't the time for flowery language, this is prime real estate! The first page is the time to show that your work is worth reading, not that you know how to write. Ask yourself, "Is this as concise as I can be?" Cut words like "just," "had," and instances of passive voice. If a sentence isn't advancing the plot, cut it.
• Tone of the pages doesn't match tone of the query. This is a tough one. Try writing your query as if your main character wrote it - not necessarily as if they're telling their story, but write with their voice. 
• Cut rhetorical question. Rhetorical questions are ALWAYS a bad idea. Whether it's a query, the opening line of your manuscript, or a Twitter pitch, rhetorical questions are not something agents want to see. They don't give you any new information or advance the plot in any way, and they're typically used as a crutch when writers don't know how to bring up the topic at hand. Just delete the question and dive straight in - you'll be surprised how well the story works without it.
• Main character reads too old/too young for the age category. Maybe you've simply mis-categorized your work as MG when it should be YA. Maybe your character really doesn't act their age and you need to talk to some people that age to find out how they would act. I wish I had more advice to give about this one, but this is much more specific to a particular work. 
• Keep similes and metaphor to a minimum. Most often, similes and metaphors aren't in the writer's own words (quiet as a mouse, all the world's a stage, etc.). One is enough for the first page, since you want to keep the agent's focus on your words.

The first #PassOrPages of 2019 is coming up next month. Keep an eye out for our genre reveal on April 30!

#FirstPageImpressions 03/19/19

It's time for...

#FirstPageImpressions is here again! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback that will help you improve your work. I'm so excited to see your first pages!

Here's how to participate:

1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 12:00 pm EST.

2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (Or else I can't find you to give you your critique!)

For a rules refresher, please visit this post.

The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Thursday evening. Best of luck!

#FirstPageImpressions 03/05/19

It's time for...

#FirstPageImpressions is here again! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback that will help you improve your work. I'm so excited to see your first pages!

Here's how to participate:

1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 12:00 pm EST.

2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (Or else I can't find you to give you your critique!)

For a rules refresher, please visit this post.

The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Thursday evening. Best of luck!

#FirstPageImpressions 02/19/19

It's time for...

#FirstPageImpressions is here again! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback. I'm so excited to see your first pages!

Here's how to participate:

1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 12:00 pm EST.

2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (Or else I can't find you to give you your critique!)

For a rules refresher, please visit this post.

The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Thursday evening. Best of luck!

#FirstPageImpressions 02/05/19

It's time for the very first...

#FirstPageImpressions has officially arrived! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback. I'm so excited to get this event off the ground, and I can't wait to see your first pages!

Rules reminder:

1) You must comment on the #FirstPageImpressions post in order to enter, as well as comment on one other Operation Awesome blog post from that week. This will be checked, and failure to comment on another blog post will result in your entry being invalidated.

2) If you are the winner, please make it easy to contact you. If you are not comfortable with leaving your email in your comment, then please make sure that your blogging profile has your contact information listed.

3) Entry comments will be accepted until Thursday, 12 Noon, EST. The winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced Thursday evening in the comments section.

4) Your critiqued first page will be returned to you via email in an attached document with notes in the margins within 7 days.

5) If you have won a first page critique, you will not be eligible to win another until 3 months have passed. Critiques will not be done multiple times on the same first page. If you enter again, it must be with a new story. (If you have won a query critique from #QueryFriday, you are still eligible to win a first page critique.)

6) First page means first 250 words, regardless of spacing. If this cuts off a sentence, use the last sentence that will put you below 250 words. We use the word count checker in Microsoft Word to verify this. If your entry is over 250 words, you will not receive feedback.

Introducing #FirstPageImpressions!

Please extend a big welcome to...

#FirstPageImpressions is a brand-new Operation Awesome event! It is a sister event to #QueryFriday, in that winners will get a critique of - you guessed it - their first page.

The first page of your manuscript is the first sample of your writing that an agent receives, so you want to make sure that it's the best, most polished version of your work. #FirstPageImpressions will provide fresh eyes on your first page so you know just what that first impression is, because as we all know, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Our critique will focus on identifying ways to make your writing pop, as well as cleaning up any loose ends. And if we don't have anything to fix, we'll let you know!

#FirstPageImpressions will take place every other Tuesday. If it gets popular enough, we might increase the frequency, but that's up to you!

Rules:

1.) You must comment on the #FirstPageImpressions post in order to enter, as well as comment on one other Operation Awesome blog post from that week. This will be checked, and failure to comment on another blog post will result in your entry being invalidated.

2.) If you are the winner, please make it easy to contact you. If you are not comfortable with leaving your email in your comment, then please make sure that your blogging profile has your contact information listed.

3.) Entry comments will be accepted until Thursday, 12 Noon, EST. The winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced Thursday evening in the comments section.

4.) Your critiqued first page will be returned to you via email in an attached document with notes in the margins within 7 days.

5.) If you have won a first page critique, you will not be eligible to win another until 3 months have passed. Critiques will not be done multiple times on the same first page. If you enter again, it must be with a new story. (If you have won a query critique from #QueryFriday, you are still eligible to win a first page critique.)

6.) First page means first 250 words, regardless of spacing. If this cuts off a sentence, use the last sentence that will put you below 250 words. We use the word count checker in Microsoft Word to verify this. If your entry is over 250 words, you will not receive feedback.


We're very excited to get this event started, and we hope you are too! If you have any questions or comments, please let us know, either in the comments of this post or on Twitter @OpAwesome6.

Maximizing Productivity on First Drafts: The NaNo Way

Katrina did a great job of covering how she does first drafts. I'll expand by how I get through my first-draft explorations by maximizing productivity. Keep in mind, my way isn't the right or only way; it's just what's worked for me.

Like Katrina, I begin with Save the Cat beat sheets, but add a Fiction University twist on the Three-Act Structure. And, because characters don't always come as quickly as my worlds and plots do, I also draft character profiles on a master sheet, including a character poem for the protagonist.

I borrowed the character poem idea from author Shelley Coriell.  It works great for figuring out a character's likes, dislikes, weaknesses and flaws early on. And whenever I add a new character while writing (I'm more of a pantser than a plotter) they also go on the master sheet. I'm also playing with the idea Stephsco brought up on Katrina's last post because a character arc beat sheet would better show how characters grow and develop as a result of story events. It's not just about what happens, but how the characters react and change throughout their journeys.

Once my beat sheet and character profiles are done, I usually dive in full force. I borrowed a NaNoWriMo spreadsheet from a fellow writer back when I wrote my second novel and have used it ever since. The first column is for minimum word count per day required for a NaNo win (50,000 words in one month), the second is for actual word count, and the third is to measure the difference between the two (all Excel formulas have been calculated beforehand, so the spreadsheet automatically determines the differences between counts). I don't fill out the sheet daily (just during each draft session), but it encourages me to get words out as often as I can. I also do virtual writing sprints with people to motivate me to keep working when the going gets tough.

Here's a word-count sheet from my last (fifth) novel (notice I expanded the formula from 50,000 to 80,000):

Green indicates when my word count exceeded the NaNo measurement, and dashes show when I broke even. Luckily, this last go-round, I went above and beyond the minimum more often than not. This is rare, but shows I'm getting better (and quicker) at drafting which each new novel.

But I also need to point out the dramatic down-side to this method, one I've seen in my writing after the fact. Paying too much attention to word count causes my first drafts to be too skeletal. Things happen way too quickly (or are inconsistent throughout the story), and transitions are often rushed and forced. So just be cautionary if you choose this method--don't be afraid to take your time, flesh out details, and let the novel romp around in the mud as much as it wants to. See where the words take you!

What about you? What has helped your productivity during a first draft?

December 2014 Mystery Agent Critique Forum --Open now!

Welcome back to the Mystery Agent critique portion of our contest. Those who wished to be included in the open forum are ready for your critiques.

Our rules are simple:

Be helpful. 
Be relevant. 
Be kind. 

Thank you to all of you, and to all our amazing entrants! Happy critting!

Visit the entries in the tab under the OA blog banner: MA Critiques.

Just a little more info about the forum:

You DO NOT have to register to comment.
To comment on a pitch, just click Reply on the main post in the thread. It will bring up a comment box where you can enter your name and comment.
To return to the full list,click December 2014 Mystery Agent in the top left corner of the forum.

Any questions? Lave in the comments below this post.

Reasons for Requesting: Character Interests

So you've got this concept, right? And an idea of what kind of character you need at the helm. You've developed their personality and dialogue and fears, so you've got a pretty well developed character on your hands. But there is a vital ingredient that your character will be lost without: Interests.

Yes interests. We all have them. Our hobbies and activities that make our hearts sing. And, especially for YA and Middle Grade, these things are important. I mean all of us were probably in some kind of club at one point or another. Band, theater, sports, art, underwater basket weaving... there are lots of things out there to be interested in.

But many times when I read an MS the character doesn't seem to... like anything. They make a big deal over the things they hate and don't get but not what they love. I think often times that's a trap authors fall into, especially in fantasy. They make the character's life flat and boring until the adventure starts and THEN the MC's life begins. But it feels cheap. Like the character has existed in a bubble until the story comes along.

How do you solve this? Give your MC goals and interests. Give them a path in life that they would have gone on if not for their adventures. And for bonus points, work their talents and interest somewhere into the plot. If they are adept at underwater basket weaving, maybe add a scene where the only way to beat the villain is to weave a basket-like prison underwater. Obviously an exaggeration, but it makes the character feel more real and three dimensional.

Ron was good at chess. It came in handy. Hermione was good at all of her classes and that comes in handy. In an MS I read recently, the MC used her talents and passions to solve the situation. Give them interests and make them count and its a good way to earn a request.

Bonus tip: if the only thing the character is ever passionate about is the love interest, you're doing something wrong. The character's whole life is not tied to the love interest. Even though 'interest' is in the title, it doesn't count as one. I have read books where that has happened.

That's all for today. Have a great week everyone!

Reasons for Requesting: Setting

As mentioned the last time I posted, I went to Alaska this summer on a cruise with my family. It was truly a beautiful, breathtaking landscape. The kind that gets you inspired to write epic fantasy with huge, sweeping landscapes. Mostly because it almost doesn't seem real. Below are some pictures from the trip, including some sleepy sea lions :)

The weather was amazing to match the scenery. A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So it can be hard to make an image come to life with only a few paragraphs.

One of the great powers of writers is to make places that exist only in words come to life in the readers mind. Its a hard task and definitely one I struggle most with as a writer. Dialogue flows easily. Plot and characters? One of my strong suits. But imagery of any kind, particularly setting? I struggle big time with that.

So when a see a writer who can nail that setting? GIMME! The setting is as much a character as anyone else in your story. It should be a fully integrated element of the story. A most recent example I've come across of pitch perfect setting is  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Spain is a huge part of the story and this book makes me want to visit.

In the end, that's really what your setting should do. Make us want to BE there. Make us want to hop onto the nearest train to Spain, Italy, Alaska or any number of fantastical locations. There are a lot of important elements that go into fleshing out a world, but setting is one of the most important.

Helpful tip for setting if you're bad at it like I am: Practice with describing places. It doesn't matter if its your local coffee shop or the glaciers of Alaska. Practice setting the scene to help it become more natural. And use all five senses when you do. Practice makes perfect right? And it might just land you an agent!

Reasons for Requesting: Queries

Let's go with another positive post today and talk about reasons why I request from the slush pile: the query letter itself.

Queries are really hard. Any writer who has ever been in the trenches knows this. Exactly how do you bottle up your wonderful story into just a 200-300 word summary? It takes a lot of practice to finally learn how. But I can tell you that all the practice is worth it.

I find a lot of the queries I read aren't very good. They're either too long or too confusing. They focus more on the author's life story than the actual book or they focus too much on the little details of the story rather than boiling it down to what's really important. But I never pass judgement just on a query. I'll always look at the pages no matter what the query says.

So then you might say, 'why does it matter? Can't I just let my awesome writing shine through?'

Well, having a query that makes your concept shine does something important. It makes me want to like your story. If I read a query that pops, it gets me excited. It makes me want to read the pages and I will over look a few flaws in the first pages for a good concept. Because, gosh darn it, I want this to be good. Now you need to have the writing to match it, but it helps to get me enthusiastic.

If a query is dull or confusing, I'm more likely to search for reasons to reject. Because I'm not excited, I'm looking for an excuse to stop reading. Flaws become more visible. Even worse, if your query is snarky or arrogant in tone, you might make me REALLY want to stop reading.

This isn't a constant rule. I have read first pages attached to lack luster queries that really grabbed my attention. But those are the exception and they only do so because they pop from page one. But usually, really good writers have the dedication to write stellar queries. (I have never requested more pages after a snarky query letter though. Humor is good. Snark and arrogance--NOPE!)

Make your query count. Because the query can affect an agents outlook on your story from the beginning. Its probably best to make that outlook positive rather than negative.

Reason for Requesting: Voice

My past two posts have been about reasons for rejection. But today, lets take a more positive approach and look at something else. Reasons why I request submissions, because I request a fair amount. I'd say that, on average, I request about 1/4 submissions I read. What makes that one submission stand out from the other three? What grabs hold of me and keeps me wanting more?

There are a lot of factors of course, but the number one reason is: Strong voice.

This is a hard answer to hear, I find. Mostly because 'voice' is so gosh darn hard to define. Every writer has a different voice and every character as well. Its hard to get voice just right. Try too hard and it sounds manufactured and contrived. Don't try hard enough and your pages will read as dull.

I define voice as this: when everything just reads 'right'. That's it. Voice is that magic element that helps all the others, including character, plot and setting, click into place. Its the super glue of writing. And yet its the hardest thing, in my opinion, to learn how to perfect.

So how do you improve your voice? In two steps:

1. Read books that you think have 'a good voice'. What do they do right? Why is the voice memorable? Is it because of the sense of humor? Is it the visceral imagery? What about the first page of your favorite novel sucks you in. Try to figure out what 'strong voice' means to you and that will help you to find your own writer's voice.

2. Practice. There's no better way to improve your writer's voice than practice, practice, practice. Write a few short stories and see what they have in common. What are some tropes that you like to use? What stuff sounds natural and what doesn't? Keep on writing until you hit your sweet spot.

These tips aren't exactly the end-all-be-all key to a good voice. But that's because no one else can find your writer's voice for you. Its something you have to find yourself. But once you hit it, trust me, the requests will start pouring in.

Reasons for Rejection: Stereotypes

One of the quickest ways for a submission to earn a rejection (from me at least) is stereotypes in the first pages. And not just of people either. Stereotypical situations, settings and plots can turn me off as well. This should come as no surprise and yet it can be very difficult for writers not to rely on stereotypes.

You have to establish a lot in your opening pages. Characters, setting, relationships, the inciting incident and, if you're writing fantasy, another world. So, sometimes, it feels necessary to take short cuts. You need people to feel sympathy for your outcast character? Boom! Stereotypical bullies donning football or cheerleader uniforms. You need your character to look like they have a life and friends outside of the plot? Boom! Stereotypical funny, out-there, but supportive best friend who is mostly there to be your character's best friend.

I think its hard not to fall into stereotypes like these, especially in YA. Parents that don't understand, bullies, cool best friends. These are tropes that have been done to death. So if I start reading a scene the features one or more of these, the story starts to feel tired. I feel like I've read it before. And you don't ever want an agent to feel like they've read your work a million times before.

There are a lot of ways to solve this problem. You can spend a lot of time developing your side characters. You can pull the reader through with a gripping voice. You can try starting your story in a different place to see if it cuts out the stereotypes. Experiment and you'll find a way.

Unique openings are difficult but they can start with unique, fully developed characters that don't take shortcuts and draw in your reader from page one.