the craft. the art of sample pages.

Writing those 10-15 pages can be make or break.

Photo by Joyce Hankins on Unsplash

As we continue along in fellowship and residency application season, I thought it would be a great time to chat a little about sample pages. These applications have varying levels of requirements, but most want to see a little of your writing alongside the other materials you may be putting together.

You may also simply be querying and providing sample pages as well, so all of this insight applies. While you would hope that the jury or agent can see the promise of what’s to come, the reality is, you have a very short amount of time to grab their attention.

Typically, whether you're submitting for a residency or including sample pages in a query, there are about 10-20 pages that they are looking to review initially. That’s what you have to impress them, if they’re required, at all, to read the full sample.

When we think about that first act of a novel, of which your sample pages may likely be pulled from, there are some really important things that happen there. We’re establishing our protagonist. Who they are. What they “think” they want. We’re getting a glimpse into their everyday life before everything changes which sends us on an adventure with them. We may meet one other character.

From the first line, a reader is determining whether they want to keep going or not. With so much competing for our attention, it may be even more important now than ever to ensure we have something worthwhile to say. I feel like my background in journalism prepared me for writing a great lead, and a novel is no different.

Here are a couple of striking first lines from books.

“Milan was the first person Feyi fucked since the accident.” /// You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty, Akwaeke Emezi

“The telltale sign that you are at the wedding of a rich person is napkins.” /// Olga Dies Dreaming, Xochitl Gonzalez

“It was a cool evening in late summer when Wallace, his father dead for several weeks, decided he would meet his friends at the pier after all.” /// Real Life, Brandon Taylor

Do not be afraid to write, and re-write, and re-write your first line to ensure that you have a striking opening image that makes the reader immediately want to know more.

Here are a few other notes that I have from reading the works of emerging writers: