How Taylor Jenkins Reid Crafts an Exceptional Opening Scene

Your reader experiences your story one scene at a time. Make every scene un-put-down-able.Great stories are made of great scenes.Sure, your novel has a clever plot with twists and turns from the first page to the last. But the way your readers will experience that plot is . . .. . . one scene at a time.Which means if you want your readers to fall in love with your novel, you need to captivate them with scenes they can’t put down.How do you do it?I’ll show you in this episode. I’m analyzing a scene from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to show you how and why it works——and how you can create the same magic with your own scenes.You’ll learn:The timeless structure behind this modern sceneHow every single detail in the scene enhances that structureWhat Taylor Jenkins Reid shares through exposition—and what she leaves outHow to draw inspiration from this scene to craft an exceptional scene of your ownAnd more!This episode is a sneak peek inside my upcoming Scene Mastery Workshop. In fact, this is the first scene we’ll study in the workshop. Then, we’ll dig into seven more scenes from other great novels.So if you enjoy this episode, you’ll love the workshop.Want to master editing scenes this summer? Click here to get all the details and apply »Links mentioned in the episode:Apply to join the Scene Mastery Workshop: alicesudlow.com/workshopEp. 27: Value Shifts: How to Craft Compelling Change in Every StoryEp. 42: The 6 Essential Elements of Every Novel, Act, and SceneSend me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

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