Well, this is an odd tick that I should do something about...

[prusik]

I realized something reading the latest issue of F&SF and the latest of Asimov's: my stories start very statically. Usually, for one reason or another, the main character is either watching the world go by, or musing about something. (Ok, sometimes, they wake up from sleep or unconsciousness. However, they are never confused. They always now exactly where they are and what they have to do.)

Clearly, I need to write a story where, at start, the main character is salsa dancing while simultaneously toppling the government of France and proving Goldbach's Conjecture.

Comments

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Have your beta readers not pointed this out before?

[prusik.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm kind of glad that they don't follow my work so closely that they can point out this sort of pattern. I think that would freak me out.

I can definitely remember one case where one beta reader thought that nothing happened in the entire story. I don't remember if I've had a pattern of "your opening is very static" crits though.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Well, my writing group would very definitely point that kind of stuff out to me, but then, they know I tend to start over here when I really want to, and need to be, over there. Also, I get lost in pretty descriptions when the story should be movinghuphuphup.