Lost On A Page: The Inciting Incident by David E. Sharp

As reading experiences go, this one was magnificent!

Lost On A Page: The Inciting Incident by David E. Sharp is by far one of the most innovative, surprising, intelligent, and playful books I've read in a very long time.

Imagine a moment when characters in a novel (or several) discover their origins. They become sentient, fully aware of who they are, their story purpose, and exactly how they were created. All of which means, they know about their authors and the divisions between the fictional world and the real world.

Now think about the hilarity that might ensue if those same characters decided to break free from the dictated directions of their authors, and blaze their own paths, jumping in and out of other books... all the while fulfilling their specific roles within their character arcs and type. Heroes must act heroically; the Villain is bound by the rules of his evil process; and side quest characters can only find fulfillment to a certain point... unless, of course, they take over and maximize their advantage by using their newly cognizant free will to its full potential.

Now imagine that the authors become aware of their characters' choices and are powerless to stop them (nearly). Together, if they are to save either of their worlds, authors and characters must first find a way to communicate and then work to defeat (or at the very least, control) the chaos created from the fallout. It's a wonderfully wild ride!

Mr. Sharp (if that is indeed his real name) is a master craftsman. He folds the details from one moment into another with tremendous precision; so much so that it seems as if he might actually be relating a true narrative with plausible deniability rather than a designed fabrication with the goal simply to entertain. There are layers to this work that are astonishingly brilliant, and they live inside every chapter.

This is the first in a trilogy. Still, the book wraps up its ending well, with most of the important bows tied. It can easily be read as a stand-alone... but with this much marvelous storytelling, you'll want to indulge in the entire series. I know I did. I bought the second and third right after finishing the first, and they're ready to have their spines cracked!

This is a spectacular book! Just go buy it. If you're an author, you will be mesmerized. If you are a reader, you will be fully entertained. Seriously, no one loses anything by investing some time to go adventuring into these pages. If my son were still a teenager... I'd tell his high school English teacher to make this book mandatory reading. It's a highly entertaining study on the best elements of the writing craft!

To Mr. Sharp,

On the off chance you ever read this review and find yourself in Michigan... I'd love to thank you personally with a full-on fan-girl lunch and much grovelling to learn your process. As an Indie Author and avid reader, I am fascinated by your imagination and acumen. You have now become one of my favorite writers!!

Many Thanks, Diana Kathryn Penn 😊