Monday, March 14, 2011

Beginnings


Hi all! We're talking about beginnings. I'm all for them. And I like endings almost as much. My writing process is that I always write the beginning of my book and then the end, then I go write everything that happens in between. As I work on a book, everything in the middle changes many, many times, but the beginning and the end usually stays (almost magically) the same.

Speaking of beginnings, my new book, A PUG'S TALE (pictured to the left; I really love the cover) comes out June 7. Soon! In lieu of posting the beginning in its entirety, as that would make for a crazy long blog post, how about the first paragraph? This is the first time I'm posting it anywhere...I hope you like it:

It was a decision we would later look back on with regret. There were pugs running loose in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Imagine a vast army of pugs attempting to summit the grand central staircase of the Met. Only, the pugs were not on the stairs. They were contained –if the word “contained” can even be used in the same sentence as “pugs”—in the Temple of Dendur Hall, a great expanse of rose-hued marble running the length of one side of the museum. True, this fact was only a small solace. But I’ve long been a believer in taking solace where you can get it.


6 comments:

  1. Great post. I'm not sure I could ever make my expected ending match the beginning by the time I was at the end! Good luck with your upcoming release.

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  2. Great opener, Alison! Even though I'm a devout Cat Person, I positively love that cover and can't wait to read your book.

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  3. I'm like Lauren, a devout Cat Person, but I do love, love, love pugs, and if my son wears me down we'll have two, one black, one tan.

    Alison, as you know, I loved your novel Pug Hill so much, and I was lucky to read its follow-up, A PUG'S TALE, in advance review copy form. It's so charming and wonderful and different! Brava.

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  4. So interesting to hear how everyone writes...I'm a straight-through-to-the-end kind of girl. Love the cover and opening paragraph!

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  5. I love all of you! Thanks for the good comments...makes me that much less nervous for pub!xx

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  6. I have a similar process. I write the first 100 or so pages, then write the ending and then go back and flesh out the middle. Good luck on your upcoming launch!

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