3 ms·
A lot of writing advice focusses on writing the perfect first line/page/chapter, because that's all editors/agents will read. And so I find many books have gre
by shantnutiwari 5y ago
A lot of writing advice focusses on writing the perfect first line/page/chapter, because that's all editors/agents will read.
And so I find many books have great openings, but get boring in 2nd chapter.
So if Im in a store, I always start browsing a book after the 1st chapter-- that gives me a better idea of what the book will be like.
And this advice-- open a book with a "killer" opening isnt always true. When I was doing a writing course with Dean Smith, he had us analyse the openings of our favourite book. For me, at that time, was Jurassic Park.
If you havent read the book, the first chapter is leisurely and slow, talking about a minor character who feels bored at her job as an island doctor. But that chapter is masterfully written, as the very last line hints that there is trouble in paradise, and sets up the main story.
Compared with the movie, which starts in the middle of action, but the scene is dark and confusing, and I always skip it on repeat viewings.
- yoz-y 5y agoA parallel with software would be shareware games. Often the first free chapter was the best the game would ever get. John Romero advocated for "finishing the first level last", in order to make it best. Music also felt like this for me (in games), e.g.: the opening themes to Doom, Tyrian, Raptor are very memorable.
- shantnutiwari 5y agoWhat I loved about Half-life demo-- it was a completely new level not in the original game--but it still had all the main things that made the game fun (aliens, marines, puzzles etc). For music -- I guess you do need a killer opening, as people will change the channel (or click away) (unless you are already very famous).
- kibwen 5y agoThis kind of demo that has "a little bit of everything" is known as a "vertical slice": https://www.whatgamesare.com/vertical-slice.html https://www.whatgamesare.com/vertical-slice.html
- kibwen 5y agoShigeru Miyamoto also confesses to making the first level last, in this interview with Dragon Quest's Yuji Horii from 1989: https://www.glitterberri.com/developer-interviews/miyamoto-horii-discussion/ https://www.glitterberri.com/developer-interviews/miyamoto-h...