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On writing a first chapter

kathmcgurl's avatarKathleen McGurl

The first chapter of a novel is so important – it’s the first thing a reader, editor or agent sees, and if they don’t like it they won’t read on. And these days with Amazon offering the Look Inside feature, potential readers can read the start of your book from the comfort of their armchair. Get it wrong and it’s all they’ll ever read. Get it right and you’ll make a sale.

One of my novels has had so many first chapters it’s amazing it knows its own identity. For your amusement, here’s its history, to date. What I needed to happen in the first chapter was for amateur genealogist Katie to visit a house where her ancestors used to live, get a look inside, and have the current owners hint to her at mysteries in its past. In chapter 2 the historical part of the story begins; from then…

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About The Owl Lady

Unknown's avatar
Viv Drewa is a Michigan native who has enjoyed reading and writing since 1963. Though she studied medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan, her passion has always been writing. She had been awarded third place for her nonfiction short story about her grandfather's escape from Poland. Later, she rewrote this story and was published in the "Polish American Journal" as "From the Pages of Grandfather's Life" and has republished it on Amazon.com as a short story. Viv took creative and journalism courses to help in her transition to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. She worked as an intern for Port Huron's 'The Times Herald", and also wrote, edited and did the layout or the Blue Water Multiple Sclerosis newsletter "Thumb Prints." She also has a business promoting authors. Owl and Pussycat Book Promotions. Viv, her husband Bob and their cat Princess, live in Port Huron, Michigan.

2 comments on “On writing a first chapter

  1. Thanks for the reblog!

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