9 Mistakes You're Probably Making in the First 10 Pages

Your first 10 pages can make or break your novel. If your opening doesn't grab attention right away, you'll lose your readers — and likely get rejected by agents and publishers. Here are the 9 biggest mistakes that kill manuscripts in those crucial opening pages — and exactly how to fix them.

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9 NOVEL OPENING MISTAKES:
0:00 Intro
0:50 Spotlighting inconsequential characters
2:45 Delivering too much backstory
4:04 Burying the action
5:19 Starting with a lengthy prologue
6:45 Confusing the reader 
8:04 Not introducing enough conflict 
9:32 Forgetting the setting
10:40 Neglecting the stakes
12:12 Opening in the wrong place entirely

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