Scholars and Storytelling: Kate Elliott

How do we enter stories? By what techniques do narratives pull us in? How do the expectations we have influence how we respond? Science fiction and fantasy novelist, Kate Elliott, will break down some narrative techniques used in openings, and then go on to discuss how openings that match expectations can encourage us to keep reading while expectations that aren't fulfilled can sometimes cause us to stop reading. How big a part does familiarity play in how well we can understand and adjust to a story? Finally, how do the things that we think we know but may be wrong about (as in history) make it easier or harder to be drawn into a book if our beliefs aren't met?