On her blog The First Two Pages, B. K. Stevens is engaging other writers on the perennial challenge of “capturing the reader’s attention.” It’s a topic of particular concern for the short story writer, who in the briefest of spans must convince the reader that what follows is new and fresh. AHMM readers will see some familiar contributors there, including Robert Mangeot, who analyzes the opening of his story “Two Bad Hamiltons and a Hirsuit Jackson” which was published in our May 2015 issue.
Links of Interest
Under Surveillance
- Alan Gordon
- Albert Ashforth
- Alex C. Renwick
- Andrea Smith
- Angela Zeman
- Anna Castle
- B. K. Stevens
- Bev Vincent
- Brendan DuBois
- Bruce Arthurs
- Carol Cail
- Catherine Dilts
- Cathryn Grant
- Charles John Harper
- Charles Todd
- Chris Knopf
- Christopher Latragna
- Chuck Greaves
- Con Lehane
- Dale W. Berry
- Dara Carr
- Dave Zeltserman
- David Edgerley Gates
- David Hagerty
- Dayle A. Dermatis
- Deborah Lacy
- Debra H. Goldstein
- Diana Deverell
- Elaine Viets
- Elizabeth Zelvin
- Emily Devenport
- Eric Rutter
- Evan Lewis
- Eve Fisher
- Gilbert M. Stack
- Gladys Mitchell: The Stone House
- I. J. Parker
- James Lincoln Warren
- James Sallis
- Jane K. Cleland
- Janice Law
- Jay Carey
- Jeffrey Cohen
- Jim Fusilli
- John Betancourt
- John C. Boland
- John M. Floyd
- John R. Corrigan
- John Shepphird
- Joseph D'Agnese
- Joseph Helgerson
- Joseph S. Walker
- Josh Pachter
- Joslyn Chase
- Julie Tollefson
- Kathy Lynn Emerson
- Ken Brosky
- Ken Wishnia
- Kevin Egan
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- Larry Light
- Laurel Flores Fantauzzo
- Lee Lofland
- Leslie Budewitz
- Linda Mannheim
- Loren D. Estleman
- Marianne Wilski Strong
- Mario Milosevic
- Mark Thielman
- Martin Limón
- Melissa Yi
- Michael Bracken
- Michael Caleb Tasker
- Michael Nethercott
- N. P. Simpson
- O'Neil De Noux
- Parker Littlewood
- Paul D. Marks
- Peter Sellers
- Rachel Howzell Hall
- Rebecca Cantrell
- Robert Lopresti
- Robert Mangeot
- Robert S. Levinson
- Russel D. McLean
- S.J. Rozan
- Sarah Weinman
- Shelley Costa
- Shelly Dickson Carr
- SJI Holliday
- Steve Hockensmith
- Steve Liskow
- Steven Gore
- Steven Torres
- Susan Breen
- Susan Oleksiw
- Susan Thibadeau
- Tara Laskowski
- Terence Faherty
- Terrie Farley Moran
- Thomas K. Carpenter
- Tim Chapman
- Tom Larsen
- Tom Savage
- Tony Richards
- William Burton McCormick
- William Dylan Powell
- Wouter Boonstra
- Zandra Renwick
Trace Evidence 
Thanks for alerting people to The First Two Pages blog. I thought it would be interesting to have a blog where writers can share ideas about how they’ve handled those crucial opening pages, and where readers can see just how hard we struggle to try to get them interested. Several AHMM authors have contributed posts already, including Terrie Moran and John Floyd; Rob Lopresti is writing the August 18 post. I’d love to have more AHMM authors participate, and to hear from more AHMM readers.