Powerful Opening Stories with Yemi Dipeolu

The start of any story is make or break for most readers. Will they keep reading or 'bounce off' to browse something else?

Join us as we dive deep into the makings of a great opening and how to know when you've chosen the right moment where the backstory ends and the forward story begins. Here you'll have a the chance to get feedback on your opening page or two from our guest author too.

The start is often the part of any novel that is reworked the most so we can all struggle to know where our story could start, but, worry not, I've invited a guest to helps us out. Yemi Dipeolu is a copywriter by trade and a novelist by choice. I attended a session with Yemi last year on openings and it was brilliant so I've asked her to come and tell us everything she knows and give her feedback on openings to writers live in the session.

For context, I'm asking all writers who attend to read Yemi's opening of Kiss Marry Kill as we'll be discussing it in the session. It is only a few pages and it won't take very long. You can download her opening via most ebook retailers (Kindle, iBooks, Kobo etc) for free or you can 'read a sample' on desktop via Amazon.

Agenda:
18:50 login, arrival and intros
19:00 Yemi and I in conversation about great openings and her opening for Kiss Marry Kill
19:45 Openings shared by writers with feedback from Yemi
21:15 Ends

You can attend the session but not share any of your own work for feedback. That's completely fine. As we know from the workshops, sometimes you learn more by listening to the writing and feedback of others.

Feedback on your opening pages: As part of this workshop, you'll have the chance to read the first 1,000 words (or less) of your opening to Yemi for constructive feedback on what's working and where it might need more thought.

If you'd like to share your opening in this session, please book your seat then comment 'I'd like to share' below and I will add you to the list of people reading. You will need to send me your opening in a word doucument by email to londonwriterscafe@gmail.com by 5pm on Friday, May 22nd to have feedback from Yemi on your piece in the session. This deadline is final with no exceptions. Any questions, please ask. Any late entries will not be accepted.

Location: This event will be held online to keep it affordable and make it accessible to all writers in our community. I use Google Meet to host our events online. You will be able to see the link to join once you've booked your ticket.

Cost: £15.00 to pay for content, preparation and event organising. Please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Refunds or credits will only be offered if the meetup is cancelled by admin. Please change your RSVP to 'Not Going' if you can no longer attend as we often have people waiting and we'd hate for them to miss out. Download the Meetup app to manage your RSVPs quickly.

Yemi Dipeolu is a British-Nigerian writer from South East London. She studied English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Surrey and has an MFA from Kingston University. By day, Yemi works as a copywriter, using her passion for storytelling to help businesses connect with their customers. In her fiction, she blends crime and romance, her two favourite genres, to create character-driven thrillers with relationships at their heart. Kiss Marry Kill (Faber, 2026) is the first of many novels. Follow her @wordsbyyemi.

Praise for Yemi Dipeolu's Kiss Marry Kill:

‘Fast-paced, wickedly witty, and brimming with Nollywood-level drama. An unforgettable story that pulls you in and refuses to let go.’ LIZZIE DAMILOLA BLACKBURN

‘Rich in character, smart and pacy. Yemi Dipeolu brings a brilliant new voice to the thriller genre.’ L. V. MATTHEWS

‘A deliciously twisty debut thriller that adeptly explores the lethal margins of love, with compelling characters and a fiendish ending.’ ISABELLE GREY