Try topping and tailing, even when that means a little re-writing. Very often, we try to set a scene when the real story doesn't start until two or three sentences in. By deleting the unnecessary opening, we can draw the reader straight into the world we're creating.
At the end, too, there is a temptation to round things off and spell out the message or moral when our reader is quite capable of doing that for him or herself. In fact, he or she will be secretly flattered that we've assumed that degree of intelligence - and may feel more than slightly insulted if we seem to have assumed otherwise. Also, there are few sins for a writer greater than that of making the reader weary of the tale.
I followed my advice with this piece. Here's my original opening:
As a writer, you will often be striving to create a gripping or enticing opening sentence or paragraph to your piece, whether that's a short story, a novel or a non-fiction article. You'll have seen how this can often lead to an artificial-seeming start, even from the most skilled of writers.
A whole paragraph deleted!
And I deleted this closing sentence, too:
Better by far, to stop while the story still has some energy than to dribble on and on...
Point proved, I think.
Oops!
Roy
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