Open Strong: First Chapter Exercises

I’ve been talking about the promise a first chapter makes and how to open strong. Now try these exercises to explore how the first chapter m...

Strong Starts: The Hollywood Touch

I've been talking about getting your books off to a strong start. Now let’s go to Hollywood for some advice. I had the chance to intervi...

Start with a Bang: Strong First Chapters

Last week I talked about the promise a first chapter makes to the reader, and what you should include. This essay from  Advanced Plotting   ...

Strong Starts: Make a Promise with Your First Chapter

Over the last month, I’ve gone through the stages of developing a story. Now let’s take a closer look at some of the parts of creating a str...

Turning an Idea into Story: The Situation

People often ask writers, “Where do you find your ideas?” But for a writer, the more important question is, “What do I do with my idea?” If ...

A Strong Start

Writers spend a lot of time worrying about their first page. You want to draw the reader in immediately, but unless the book is a sequel, th...

Plotting: Fast Starts

Last week I talked about the elements you want to work into your first chapter. The trick is, you can’t take too much time with setup. To st...

First Chapter Challenges

I’m going to spend the next few weeks reviewing tips for opening your novel strong. People often struggle to find an opening scene that is d...