How Crazy Rich Asians hooks readers: building genre and expectations (video essay)

How the opening chapters of the novel CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan build (and subvert) genre expectations to hook and satisfy readers. The novel knows exactly what readers want and expect, and the opening delivers on those expectations with surprise and delight.

0:00 Intro
0:50 Plot summary
3:03 A simple structure
4:28 What is genre?
6:27 Building genre in the text
10:55 Outro

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TRANSCRIPT on Medium: https://howthenovelstarts.medium.com/45de987062fb
FOLLOW AND SHARE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hownovelstarts/status/1464628948030136320

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ADDITIONAL READING AND VIEWING

* Read the opening online: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Rich-Asians-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00AP2VQEM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1637876703&sr=8-2&asin=B00AP2VQEM&revisionId=9b6412c1&format=1&depth=1
* My video on IN MEDIAS RES (starting with action): https://youtu.be/NPDmnBJ5_nI
* CRAZY RICH ASIANS synopsis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Rich_Asians
* THE GURKHA AND THE LORD OF TUESDAY by Saad Z. Hossain https://publishing.tor.com/thegurkhaandthelordoftuesday-saadzhossain/9781250209108/

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ABOUT THIS CHANNEL

What’s the best way to start a story? What makes readers, agents, and publishers take a chance on our book? What holds their attention? There’s plenty of advice out there on how to write a first chapter, but so much of it is generic. So, instead, I went looking for concrete examples in great books. On HOW THE NOVEL STARTS, I explore the opening chapters of popular novels, and figure out what writers can learn from them for their own work.

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IMAGE ATTRIBUTIONS

London map: Google Earth / Landsat / Copernicus, Data SIO, NOAA
New York map: Google Earth / Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy
Singapore map: Google Earth / Maxar Technologies
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Subscribe button - AlfredoCreates: https://www.alfredocreates.com/youtube-subscribe-button-free-download-1/
Blueprint background - Ian Barnard: http://www.ianbarnard.co.uk/free-blueprint-style-background-vector/

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MUSIC AND SOUND ATTRIBUTIONS

“Fake Fan” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
“Pastel Sunshine” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
“Slip n Slide” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
“Alt-F4” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
“Mock Shock” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
“Hot Take” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
“Restart” by Harris Heller / Streambeats.com
Mouse click sound effect by Alexander: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/mouse-click-sound/
Bell ring sound effect by Alexander: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/bell-sound-effect-ding/

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#writing
#crazyrichasians
#NaNoWriMo
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Видео How Crazy Rich Asians hooks readers: building genre and expectations (video essay) канала How The Novel Starts