On Writing : Page One by Debbie Seagle

Personally, character. It's easy to care when the trouble is huge enough, but as it gets smaller, it's easier to care less (cynical as it might sound). Unless it's happening to someone I care about, then no tragedy is too small. I figure that's a human enough bias that I'd rather try to work with it.

.... I probably should worry more about voice, though.

I multi task, by attempting all three, writers voice, characters that leap off the page & initial set up has fire, with urgency. The latter is crucial, cos the very first impression must be a page turner. Readers of the spec pile, for producer’s remits, may not even last, the first ten pages. Also, many pages on, there can still be no clear concept, the protagonist’s needs, the antagonist (or conflict that opposes them) & stakes.

For me, - especially with Deadly Dutch High,- it’s never just one of those. Page one has to feel like you’ve stepped into something that was already alive before you arrived.

I lean hardest into atmosphere + tension first. The voice comes through that naturally, and the character is revealed by how they react to what’s already wrong.

In DDH, the world itself is watching… so page one isn’t about explaining, - it’s about feeling observed, slightly off-balance, like something just beneath the surface is waiting. That’s the hook.

If I can land that quiet unease, where readers don’t fully understand what’s happening but know something isn’t right, they’ll follow the character into whatever comes next.

So yeah… voice, character, trouble, they all matter.

But I want the reader to feel like they’ve already walked into trouble before the first line even finishes.

Debbie, great question, landing a compelling character in a moment of tension often naturally brings both voice and intrigue together on page one. For writers refining those openings, Stage 32’s script services and feedback sessions can be incredibly helpful, and we’re always here to support and guide you!

It really depends on the story. At some point in my writing, I have done all three, with a lean toward either voice or character. For feature scripts, I try to stay as close as possible to the recommendation of having the inciting incident by page 10, so what I do on page one is often influenced by that and subsequently tailored to the needs of the story.

Debbie Seagle for me, it’s a balance, but if I had to choose, I’m usually trying to land clarity of tone and voice first, because that tells the reader what kind of experience they’re about to have. From there, I want to quickly anchor the reader into the character’s POV and ground it in something that hooks them and makes them want to learn more, something with a bit of propulsion, even if it’s subtle.

Great question.

For me, the first page is about establishing tone and emotional direction immediately — so the reader understands the psychological world they’re stepping into.

If that foundation is strong, character and tension naturally follow.

Page one must include conflict and dialogue, or action at the end that makes the reader want to turn the page.

Trouble. You need to introduce the conflict ASAP.

The story theme (i.e.: an encapsulation of what is wrong and what needs changing or solving)

To me I think Page one should hook the reader with immediate tension (something feels wrong), a strong, engaging voice, and a character we’re curious about—in that order of priority.

The best openings blend all three at once: a character in a slightly unsettling situation, written in a way that feels distinct and pulls you in.

Your voice needs to scream off the page in page one. It can be a quiet scream, loud, but a vibe to show the reader you aren't screwing around and to buckle up.

I tend to think page one sends the reader's grey matter into, a place where a kernal of truth might be hidden.

I try and grab attention in the first paragraph... but I understand all stories are different!

I think you have to do all of them, but fundamentally it's a character that makes you want to watch/read. You can have all the trouble you like, but if we don't care about the character (and why this is the worst kind of trouble for them) then the stakes won't satisfy. Same with the voice - you need it to draw you in, but if it's not backed up by character and story it becomes just style over substance.

For me, pages 1 to 5 are absolutely a promise.

They are a promise of tonal style, a suggestion of the character arc to come, and an early signal that this protagonist is someone worth following. Not because everything is explained, but because something in their perspective, behavior, or predicament makes us lean in.

Voice matters, trouble matters, character matters, but what really hooks me is the feeling that the writer is in control and knows exactly what kind of experience they are inviting us into. That is what makes me keep reading.

Yes. LOL ;-)

It's worth noting that page one is one of the LAST things that I write. I'm a staunch believer in outlining, developing using treatments, and even using "scriptments" to prevent diving into a scene and just "filling in the blank". So, by the time I'm refining my first page, I know the ending I'm setting up, I know the action that follows it, I know THE most important person and how to set them up (and the tone). Does it always work? Absolutely not - even page one is going to go through a "puppy draft", but usually by the time I get to it, I'm one draft away from a polished draft. EDIT: Y'all, professional novelists do this ALL.THE.TIME! To the point where they will add their 3-5 sentences of what happens at the top of their chapter, and then just have a great time getting from one place to the other within that assigned chapter. Screenwriters could learn a thing from their process!

Because page one is meant to be a "HOOK", I would say you have to give yourself MORE grace to go through multiple iterations. That is to say if you go through 10 drafts of your script, let yourself come up with 20 different openings. That way you can find the best intersection of all the things an opening needs to do. For example, an opening image that contrasts against the closing image. An opening that contrasts against the next story beat, the opening having enough contrast within itself to set up the main conflict (I love using Ted Lasso as an example), the opening setting up the tone for project, the opening setting the pace for the project, the opening honoring the medium (because features are different than shows), etc. etc.

So... don't choose ONE. Every opportunity you can create a scene that does multiple things at the same time, DO IT. The great challenge of the visual medium is compressing space and time. Great question! Looking forward to having you back in the Coverage Report - maybe we can workshop that first page for you?

Cheers! K. Ross

PS - Just now noting that this is posted in the AUTHORING Lounge, allow me to say that I've also been studying adaptations recently (for my new YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@storymath.online ), and I noticed how the best ones start with the inciting incident as well. Now, this is often true for features and tv series as well, but when your first 3 sentences of a 579-page novel, that is MASTERFUL writing. Start the action FAST, give us room to ruminate with our character's internal world, and then get back to the action.

Character, 100%. I try to establish who they are as quickly as I could, followed by the world they're inhabiting.