The First Chapter

I’ve been going over my notes from the SCBWI-LA conference. So much to digest after days of intense sessions. Covered during these sessions: visual imagery, dialect, voice, characterization, mystery, drama, external/internal dialogue, interior growth, and so much more. 

 

San Francisco Wharf

“The first chapter is the hardest part of the book,” one of the instructors said. I totally agree with that. In that first chapter, you, the writer, are making a promise to the reader that you will take him/her on a journey with you. You must deliver on that promise with the rest of the book. You must invite, entice, and encourage the reader to stay with you, is what the instructor said. So remember that. Chapter one carries more weight. It almost exists as its own.

 

Enjoy the writing journey. Have fun! And this is just for more fun. Here’s a link to create a “heart” bookmark.

“I want to write a book that will be read from beginning to end with a mounting sense of anticipation and discovery—read willingly, with a feeling of genuine pleasure.” – Russell Freedman