June | 2012 | Joanne Guidoccio

At last night’s dinner meeting for Guelph Writers Ink, we discussed a variety of topics, among them the all-important first page of a novel. Opinions varied around the table with most of us agreeing that the first page must introduce the protagonist and include a crisis or conflict of some kind. While it is important to set the scene, it should be done without getting bogged down in too many descriptions.

Those of us who write crime fiction must also consider the following question: Is it necessary to place the dead body on the first page of a novel?

In a recent article, bestselling author Louise Penny offered the following advice: “If you’re writing your first work of crime fiction, place the body near the beginning of your book—preferably on the first page, perhaps the first sentence. In later books this won’t be as necessary, but agents and editors like it established early, so readers know what they’re getting.”

I am a fan of Louise Penny and inclined to follow her advice. She has walked the walk and achieved literary success with her mystery series. Her first novel, Still Life, was turned down by 50 publishers and agents before it found a home with British literary agent Teresa Chris.

In my WIP, I had originally introduced the dead body at the bottom of the second page. But after reading Louise’s article and getting advice from other writers, I reworked the first chapter and placed the dead body in the first sentence.

Any other thoughts out there?

Madonna spent two years researching and writing this film. She immersed herself in the lives of the Duke and Duchess, wallpapering an empty room in her house with their photographs and pictures from auction catalogs. Madonna commented, “I was trying to understand the nature of their love story and trying to figure out for myself if there is such a thing as perfect love.”

But Madonna was not interested in producing another historical movie. Instead, she created a modern-day story using the fictional character, Wally Winthrop, to present a different point of view. Abbie Cornish plays the part of an emotionally fragile woman who is obsessed with the life of Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). While dealing with her husband’s betrayal and struggle to have a child, Wally daydreams about Wallis’ life. Through Wally, we see another side of the Duchess. She appears more vulnerable and conflicted as the king makes that irrevocable decision that changed the course of history. While the king gave up his throne for the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson gave up her freedom to live a life of her own choosing and became the “most despised woman in the world.”

I could feel Madonna’s presence in the lives of both women, especially in the scenes where Wallis and Wally meet. I took note of one telling comment made by Wallis (via Madonna), “They can’t hide you unless you let them.” Truthfully, I would like to have seen more of these encounters and fewer historical clips. Also, I felt that too much of the film centered on Wally’s life and her budding relationship with the Russian immigrant played by Oscar Isaac.

If you love history and/or Madonna, go see the film.