Post10: The importance of the first sentence and the first page

    I don't know about you, but as a general rule, a good book grabs me right from the first page, often from the first sentence. But to this day, I can't tell exactly what it is that makes it happen... It has to be a direct path into the story, something that gets you  into it right away. It is often very simple and matter of fact. The choice of words counts, as they will set the tone.