3. Martha and mothballs
Why an opening scene with no dialogue is not ideal – and why I did it anyway
In my first draft, this extract sits behind Josephine and Angela’s opening scenes. It is our first glimpse of Urania Cottage, of Martha, who is the first housemate, Mrs Holdsworth, the matron or superintendent of the cottage (I went with matron because superintendent made her sound like a police officer) and Polly, a secondary character.
We’re still in the set-up of the story, and a lot of world-building must happen in the first chapters. In subsequent drafts, the first part of this scene – Martha alone at the house – is the opening to the novel. This was to establish Martha as the leading character, but the difference between the three protagonists is marginal. I made this decision at the end of the first draft because I finished the novel with her, and so it made sense to open with her. I then elevated her story slightly over the others throughout the plot, spending more time with her and connecting with her more.
Here is my unedited introduction to Urania Cottage, the key setting in the book:
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