“Call me Ishmael.”
“It is a truth universally acknowledged ..."
“This is the saddest story I have ever heard.”
These are some of the most famous opening lines in fiction. You probably have your own favorites. But what makes them effective? And beyond the opening sentence, what should the first scene of a novel or short story accomplish?Together, we’ll examine several approaches authors have taken — and students will have the opportunity to present their own opening pages for feedback from the group.
Andrew Steiner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2022 he received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In his mid-20s he left a nonprofit career to work on a small vegetable farm, providing the setting for his first novel, Let This Remain, represented by The Wylie Agency. His short fiction has been published in Narrative, Epoch, and Grain and is forthcoming in The Common. He currently lives in Germany.
"Andrew was incredible! I learned a ton and I am very motivated to start my novel! He is clear and knowledgeable and such a great teacher. He takes enough time for explanation on a point but asks our feedback and really listens. We learned a lot. Thank you for a perfect first class!"
"Andrew's class was inspiring and informative. When I left, I felt like writing!"
"Andrew was great! Personable and engaging, he kept a solid tempo for the time we had and allowed for a lot of captivating discussion."
