Working on My Novel
By patgalca
@patgalca (18391)
Orangeville, Ontario
January 6, 2020 11:28am CST
I am determined to get this novel finished. An author has offered to read my first chapter. A few other acclaimed authors have read it as did a member of my writing group who read the whole book.
I read the beginning of the first chapter at writing group yesterday. The person who read the whole book, didn't like my opening. She said starting there, then going back to 20 minutes earlier, then back to the situation again wasn't necessarily a good thing. She never mentioned this in her notes when she did her beta read. I disagreed with her saying that I have read many books like that because the hook needs to be right at the beginning.
After sleeping on it I am finding myself changing my mind... AGAIN. I have a different idea as to how to start the first chapter. Since I am sending it to an author to read I need to get it done right away.
This is why I hate editing. So many different ideas for this first chapter have spun through my brain. I hope this change I woke up with this morning will be it.
What do you like to see at the beginning of a book?
9 people like this
9 responses
@mynameiskate (2574)
•
7 Jan 20
I ask myself the question what is this book about. And that doesn't mean a little mystery or something solely catching my interest might not get me keep reading even though I am confused. The starting of a book is so much like categorizing something that I can end it before it is started if I am able to determine that it isn't my thing or continue because it is.
Sometimes, depending! I will go into the book briefly by a random act of page turning to get an idea of how the book might make me feel.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18391)
• Orangeville, Ontario
8 Jan 20
@mynameiskate My friend got back to me with a bit of a rewrite. It makes sense. All the criticisms make sense. It is just depressing and discouraging.
1 person likes this
@mynameiskate (2574)
•
8 Jan 20
@patgalca It depends on if the criticisms are constructive or not. That can be subjective as well as, now get this, if they were well written or not.
Get back to me on this please.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
13 Jan 20
I think that a prologue should have something that will happen later in the book as a hook. However, if it's your first chapter and not the prologue, I tend to agree with the lady who said it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18391)
• Orangeville, Ontario
14 Jan 20
But she didn't say that when she read the whole book a few months back. She is just coming up with this now. I'm not going way back into their past, I'm just explaining what it was like when they arrived at this person's house. It's normal in any book. You want to grab their attention right away, not describe the room as they saw it when they arrived.
@patgalca (18391)
• Orangeville, Ontario
14 Jan 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum No, I don't think she did. She works nights and sleeps days. She read my manuscript while at work. She didn't have anyone to consult. I think maybe once she heard it read out loud it sounded off to her.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
14 Jan 20
@patgalca Maybe she talked to someone else about it? It's odd that she's changing her mind all of a sudden.
1 person likes this
@Kennedy559 (12)
•
19 Jan 20
Ots always nice in the begining of a book or story to get a somewhat outline of what the entire book is going to be about. I don't k ow if that makes any since at all. Lol.good luck
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18391)
• Orangeville, Ontario
6 Jan 20
Thank you. I had a writing coach read the first 5 pages back in October. She had no problem with the way I started the story - in the middle of the event. She just had trouble knowing who the main character was. I have now fixed both those things and sent to this author. Let's see what she has to say.
1 person likes this
@happylife1 (13404)
• Karachi, Pakistan
6 Jan 20
Hope your novel will be awesome
1 person likes this
