Beginnings and Endings in Fiction

Every novel needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. Elementary, my dear Watson! But what are the functions of each of these components, and how do you make them work best for you?

The beginning of your story or novel is crucial. You must catch your reader’s attention, do it well and do it quickly, or he or she will just put the book down. There are three standard methods authors use to catch the…