You don’t have to write for the movie to make your work more cinematic. In a recent post on her blog, C.S. Lakin shares her advice for adding visual impact to your novel’s opening page. She advises writers to approach their work cinematically, as modern readers are attuned to television and movie storytelling. “This doesn’t mean a novel must feel like a movie or it will flop,” Lakin says. “It does mean, though, that the more you can create cinematic effects and use cinematic structure in your scenes, the more visual they will be to the reader.”
Lakin advises that you:
- Start with an establishing shot. Clearly show where your characters are.
- Start in the middle of something. Resist the urge to introduce too much exposition or explanation. Show your characters in action or engaged in a telling moment.
- Choose the right angle. Find the core point of your scene and determine the best way to present it. A close-up of an important detail? A broad view of the character’s world? “It’s all about making your reader notice what you want her to notice,” Lakin says.
