Opening Scene/Staying on Track/Supreme Court Judge/Devo/Alternative Housing

1. The hardest part of writing a novel is the opening scene. Janice Hardy, at Writers in the Storm, gives insight regarding this process. The opening scene will either hook a reader or send them running away.

2. The publishing industry can often be frustrating. Martin Wiles posts at The Write Conversation and shares tips on how to stay on track.

3. Supreme Court Judge, Clarence Thomas, speaks out against abortion. See the entire story at Christian Headlines.

4. I enjoyed Rhonda Rhea's post entitled, "No Other Name." Many of us can relate to a Mom or Grandma going through a whole list of names before hitting on  the right one. However, there's  one  name for which there's no substitute.

5.  I came across this blog post on Hip2Save about homes made out of shipping containers. They're an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Right now, they're only available in Texas, but the company plans to expand to other states. (P.S. It's actually on Hip2behome, but I didn't want to mess up the link I'd already inserted.)

Writers:  The opening of any article or novel makes most writers break into a cold sweat. What are some of the ways you craft a great hook?

Readers:  Please share your thoughts on how a first page affects your desire to read the entire article/book.

Photo Credit: Andrew Bierle