Find your hook, find your genre, raise your voice
Find your hook,
find your genre, raise your voice
Samantha Vérant
Samantha Vérant is the author of two bestselling memoirs, SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS (Sourcebooks 2014), HOW TO MAKE A FRENCH FAMILY (Sourcebooks 2016), a middle-grade novel, KING OF THE MUTANTS (Month9Books, 2014), and, more recently, women’s fiction/contemporary romance with THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX (Penguin Random House–Berkley, September 2020) and the sequel, SOPHIE VALROUX’S PARIS STARS (October 2021).
FPP: Hi Samantha, thanks for sharing your #firstpagestips. You’ve written both fiction and creative nonfiction. How did that evolve?
SV: Hey there! Nice to talk with you. When I first started writing in 1997, I wasn’t sure of the path I wanted to take. What genre was my voice suited for? What did I want to write? How did I connect with other authors? Grow? I started out writing middle-grade novels and young adult and connected with other writers on absolutewrite.com/forums. I pushed myself to learn everything about the publishing business, namely how to polish up my manuscript and, at the very least, get my foot into the door.
I had beta readers comb through my novels, some of the more established writers brutal with their thoughts, which I will always be appreciative of. I posted my query letters on public sites for critiques. I put myself out there.
Yes, I’m a bit of a renaissance woman, but after dabbling with young adult and middle-grade concepts, I finally found my voice within the words of women-centric books. I ended up writing my memoirs because the story was happening to me.
How do you approach your first pages? Just start typing and revise later?
I’m a bit of an odd writer. Some writerly advice tells us to keep writing, keep going—to get the first draft written even if it’s crappy. I can’t function like that. I need my first chapter, my first pages, and my first lines to be perfect in my own eyes before I continue on with the story–albeit memoir, women’s fiction, or even middle grade. The first pages establish your voice, a glimpse into hook, the time and place, the protagonist…and maybe your character’s dreams and desires. Some writers like to dive right in with an inciting incident. I prefer to let the reader get to know my characters a little bit first so they care about them and want to read more.
In my memoir, I started with a prologue that comes with a hint of things to come. “Tonight I’m cooking from the heart, choosing self-belief over fear.”
In Sophie’s story, the first line is: “A zucchini flew over my head, missing it by a few centimeters.”
And, for fun, the first few lines of Mutants are: “Most people call me a freak. Or a mutant. Or a monster. Believe me – and I’m not making excuses for my messed up looks when I say this – but when it all comes down to it, most people are just scared of things they can’t explain.”
For me, the first lines/pages carve out the heart of the story, where it’s going to go, and will (hopefully) engage the reader. After writing (and rewriting) that first line over and over again until the words pull on my heartstrings, I move on to the first pages and then the first chapter, making sure the characters and the world are developed, working the hook in. Finally, once I’m happy with the first chapter and can’t edit it anymore, I’m able to continue on writing the rest of the story with focused and structured goals.
We all know the first pages are the most important, whether trying to land an agent, on submission to an editor, or capturing an audience. With all that said, it’s important to find a process that works for you to make those first pages sparkle.
Your new book, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux shifts to contemporary fiction. Did your first pages change much in the publishing process?
My agent(s) Jessica Mileo and Kimberly Witherspoon are very editorial. I’ve recently been turned from a complete pantser into more of a plotter. THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX went through significant changes after I signed on as a client. Although some of my plot threads toward the end needed to be cut or reworked, my first pages/chapters offered the proof I could write, that I had a distinct hook/voice, and the concept was marketable. Before I tackled any re-writes, my agents spoke with me and urged me to write an outline. The rest is herstory!
Ultimately, it’s important for any author—no matter where they are in their career– to be able to handle criticism and to adapt to change. Of course, if you aren’t inline with suggestions, it’s okay to voice your opinion and fight for things you truly believe in. As for me, I was onboard with my agent’s thoughts/ideas–– we turned Sophie’s story into a sellable submission. In regards to timing, I did two rounds of extensive revisions before we approached publishers. So, yes, you also need to be patient and to remember that everybody has the same end goal: making your book the best it can possibly be.
Any tips on writing fiction as opposed to memoir?
No matter the genre, my writing process doesn’t differ all too much. Memoir follows the same rules of fiction (voice, character development, arc, plot, etc.) – the only difference being that it’s a true story. I do tend to “write what I know” and when I’m stumped writing women’s fiction, I embark on the road of research. For example, I’ve never been a chef at a Michelin restaurant like Sophie, but I attended a cooking demonstration at a Michelin 2-star restaurant in France, among other fun and inspiring excursions. It did help that I love cooking–experimenting a lot with my meals–and I live in France. I also had a steamy romance with a sexy Frenchman.
You're a voracious reader and champion of fellow authors' books. What draws you in the most about others’ first pages?
This is a tricky question because it depends on the genre. If I’m reading a rom-com or contemporary romance, I want to at least smile or laugh when I read the first page. With historical fiction, I want to know where I am and I want to be swept away into this world, the time and the place. As for mystery/thriller, I want to feel like I’m going to be taken on a wild ride. For women’s fiction, I want to feel some kind of connection, something I can relate to. Again, with all genres, it all comes down to the voice of the characters, the setting, and the dialogue. I want to become excited and invested in the story I’m about to read. I want to learn. I want to be transported.
Can you think of a 'forever first page'? An opening that sticks with you?
I’d have to go with the opening lines/pages of THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls. Here’s the opening paragraph to whet your whistle.
“I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster. It was just after dark. A blustery March wind whipped the steam coming out of the manholes, and people hurried along the sidewalks with their collars turned up. I was stuck in traffic two blocks from the party where I was heading.”
Yep. So we’re already questioning why Jeanette’s mother is dumpster diving and know that Jeanette is well off. Intriguing, yes?
Your new project, a follow-up with Sophie Valroux, launches this year. Where are you at with it?
The sequel to Sophie’s first book, SOPHIE VALROUX’S PARIS STARS, will be released in October of this year. I’m waiting for the final cover design and the first pass pages, where I can incorporate any final edits if needed. (I always find something). Currently, I’m toying around with a few new concepts– both of which focus on the relationship between an American woman and a Frenchman. Hey, write what you know!
Be sure to enter the First Pages Prize by February 7th (regular deadline) or February 21st (extended). For more about me, my novels can be found wherever fine books are sold and I’m all over the Internet!
Best wishes and bisous.
FPP: Thank you, Samantha! Readers, be sure to check out Samantha’s books. She has a gift for drawing the reader straight into her story’s world and heart.
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