Chapter 11 Homework Weiland Inherent Question Character Setting Sweeping Declaration

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Part III: An Anthology of Readings

Chapter 11

First Impressions: The Art and Craft of S

CHAPTER S

UMMARY

This chapter encourages students to analyze the qualities that make for an effective opening in a novel or film.

While many texts may prompt students to study the opening of a piece of writing, the chapter’s cross-genre

appeal, incorporating both the written word and the multisensory experience a film offers, is unusual. Adding

film is likely to pique students’ interest and make discussions lively.

First, three essays by novelists give students the tools to recognize the hallmarks of a good opening. In her

essay “The Hook,” K.M. Weiland argues that only curiosity will keep a reader reading; therefore, a writer must

create an enticing question in the reader’s mind. In “Starting Your Story,”

Behrens and Rosen then offer the opening chapters of seven classic novels from the nineteenth century— Pride

The Hook (p. 303)

K. M. WEILAND

UMMARY

The author says that the key to getting a reader’s interest is to provoke curiosity and to create a question in the

reader’s mind. The question must be specific, relevant to the characters and situation. All good beginnings

TEACHING S

UGGESTIONS

Ask students what book or movie they’ve encountered recently that they just had to stick with until the end.

What was it about the beginning that hooked them? Then ask what books or movies they’ve started and quickly

decided not to continue with. What was it about the beginning that turned them off?

ANSWERS TO REVIEW Q

UESTIONS

1. A question is the hook’s “lowest common denominator.” Once a reader becomes curious, he or she will

2. An explicit question may be something a character wonders about or states. An implicit question is

4. The first line is important because it must convince readers to keep reading. It is the first opportunity to get

5. See the kinds of information conveyed by novelists in the first few lines, as discussed by Weiland: Inherent

Chapter Ones: The Novels

UMMARY

Students have six Chapter Ones to choose from: Pride and Prejudice (1813 by Jane Austen; Jane Eyre (1847) by

TEACHING S

UGGESTIONS

Before asking students to read the Chapter Ones on their own, choose one of these to introduce several terms

useful to discussing fiction: point of view, setting, characterization, plot, and theme. Discuss each, making

Scene Ones: The Films

UMMARY

Students are pointed to six opening scenes on the Web—film versions of the Chapter Ones they have read in this

TEACHING S

UGGESTIONS

Consider preparing students to view these scenes as you prepared them to read Chapter Ones: by modeling critical

inquiry. Arrange to view the opening scene in class, on a screen, through to the time stamp indicated in the chapter.

Then use the board to model an analysis using the six terms Tim Long has introduced. You may want to introduce

other criteria as well, asking students to consider musical score, camera work, lighting, and soon. You have the

entire vocabulary of film criticism at your disposal, but its probably best to limit analysis to Long’s criteria and just

How to Start Your Script with a Killer Opening Scene (p. 330)

Tim Long

UMMARY

Long is a screenwriter and a teacher whose advice on the effective openings opening in films largely mirrors

TEACHING S

UGGESTIONS

Long’s six elements of effective opening scenes provides a ready-made tool students can use for analyzing