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Before the Terrible Trouble
Asked by Sukhraj Dhadwal on February 7, 2023
Hello Jerry,
I know that the main character should be plunged into terrible trouble as soon as possible. My question is how much of a setting/world should be built before we do such a thing? In today's Office Hours session, you mentioned that publishers will likely only read 1-2 pages before deciding if they're hooked. How much should I set up before the action starts?
Jerry's Answer
No setup, Sukhraj. Get to it. The only thing you need ahead of the terrible trouble is to establish something identifiable in the character so the reader becomes as invested as possible. No one cares much about a person in trouble until they realize that person is in love, is a parent, has suffered a loss, or something similar.