arromdee@inetnow.net wrote:

On Thu, 24 Dec 1998 kleppe@execpc.com wrote:

"RANMA! YOU IDIOT!" Akane came charging
at him, a frying pan in her hands.

*Yawn* Cliche opening. Wonder how many readers hit the delete key at
this point?

I disagree.  I think your pro-Akane bias is, well, biasing you.

Think that if you wish -- though I would've said the same thing if the
story opened with, say, Ranma and Genma fighting over breakfast.
Takahashi-sama didn't use these scenes over and over, so why do fanfic
writers?

Usually the purpose of a scene like that in a story where something
unexpected happens is to show that things were normal and everyday up until
the unexpected event happened.  Cliches in this context are perfectly valid.

It's not a question of "valid." It's a question of what's going to grab
and keep readers' attention. Do you think that this opening will do
that?


Gary Kleppe
http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics