“And on that final day, Cydion, the Lord of Life and Death stood upon the Hill of Kensethir, triumphant over the broken bodies of the last of the Etyni. Yet even as the peoples of the world trembled before his might, broken Itesa took up the Sword of Zaris and plunged it through his heart. Cydion died, Itesa died, and the world shattered beneath them.”
–”The Last Days of the Age that Was” as recorded by Sedryk Imraphel, Chieftain of the Tuenosian Tribes
I’ve always been a fan of quotes at the beginning of chapters. For fiction works, I particularly like it when the quotes are set in the world I’m reading. What I’ve just said is probably no surprise given that my chapters always open with quotes. For this article, I’ll discuss what I believe makes or breaks a chapter quote… and then give some background on one of mine.
I think a good chapter quote requires three things. First, it must be brief. I shoot for somewhere between about one and five sentences, though some are a little longer. This is because chapter quotes are often in a different voice and definitely in a different context than the regular prose. Too long and you risk pulling your reader out of the story. But with a short one, you may get an “ahh” moment or perhaps a “hmm” from a deep thought.
Second, ironically, a quote must be unnecessary. If a quote is foundational to understanding the story, then I believe it is being misused. There are some readers who don’t care for quotes and they must be allowed to read on without them (and the fact that they should be unnecessary is why many with this viewpoint don’t care for them). Likewise, not every reader wants to devote a lot of time to an initial deep thought. But if a quote is unnecessary, why include them? This brings me to my final point.
A quote must be topical. It can fill this role in quite a few ways. For example, I use many of my quotes to provide background and a sense of depth to my story and my world. I’ve talked before (and am sure I will talk again) about how I believe it is important for readers to get the feeling that there is more to the story world than just the people and places filling the pages. I want readers to believe that, beyond the book, a whole world exists with a multitude of people living their lives and those lives all flow into an elaborate tapestry of history. A quote that is topical, but drawn from another time and/or place in the world, can do just that.
Another method for making them topical is by enhancing themes and ideas in the story. This technique can sometimes blend into the above reason because quotes are often historical statements. This provides an opportunity, if done gently enough, for an author to whisper through the fourth wall and speak directly to the reader. But I think it must be done carefully. Too much and it becomes an ungainly and obnoxious hammer.
Some books I’ve read have quotes that fail (and no, I won’t name any names). They usually do so because they don’t follow a combination of the above principles: they are too long, I have no idea what they mean or what they’re talking about, and I don’t want to waste time decoding them.
To finish up this article, I’ll discuss the quote that opened this piece (and also the first chapter of “Tears from Iron”).
I picked this quote to start the book for one very specific reason. It is a bridge from the prologue to the first chapter. The gap between the two is narrow enough that the quote is unnecessary and a reader could easily jump across without reading it. Yet I feel like it gives closure to the long-ago events that are hinted at in the prologue. It also, hopefully, carries with it an energy that will drive the reader into the book proper. Book beginnings are tough. It is a tenuous place where the reader is first being introduced to the characters, the plot, and the world. Push too fast and you may leave their head spinning. Push too slow and you may make them restless. As a means of aiding the reader through the first stages of what, for our protagonist Vistus, is his normal life, I used the prologue to provide and promise that there is an energy, a potency beyond the horizon.
As a final point for a world-builder like myself. I see in quotes a long term opportunity. The reader has no idea who Sedryk Imraphel is and will not learn in “Tears from Iron.” But I do. Someday, if I write long enough, I may have an opportunity to introduce him. Indeed, there are several individuals who are quoted in “Tears from Iron” that actually make an appearance in the sequel. These won’t be meaningful for readers who tackle “Tears” for the first time, but they may be a reward for those who come back to the book again and recognize those links.