"Early one June morning in 1872 I murdered my father--an act which made a deep impression on me at the time." Thus begins Ambrose Bierce's short story, "An Imperfect Conflagration." In this book for writers and general readers, Conrad, author of 101 Best Scenes Ever Written, identifies 12 different types of beginnings for novels and stories, and compiles examples from well-known contemporary and classic writers. The examples, and Conrad's comments, will help writers learn to craft compelling beginnings of their own. Conrad is the founder of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Annotation 2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
