First Chapter Dropout

Once long ago I jokingly said to a friend who finaled in RWA’s Golden Heart, like, 10 times and won 3 or 4 times, that I aspired to be her when I grew up. She replied, very sadly, that no, I did NOT want to be her. Yeah, put that way, I could see her point.

Here in Seekerville we’ve talked about getting up the nerve just to ENTER a contest, entering simply for feedback, then getting to the stage of entering because we’ve been consistently finaling and we’re pretty sure our current WIP can make the cut and land in front of an agent or editor.

All of that is well and good, but what’s the ultimate POINT of entering contests geared toward unpublished authors? I mean, past the point of getting your work in front of an editor or an agent? The point is to become ineligible to enter those contests. Right? Right!

And, we don’t get to that point by working and reworking chapter one of a manuscript (or even multiple manuscripts) just for the sake of entering contests. I could have easily become a first chapter dropout because I was a contest junk … uh … queen, as many of the Seekers were. They were more like princesses; I was fanatical!

I know of more than one aspiring author who fell by the wayside because they could never stop tweaking that first chapter and entering it in the next contest to see if it would final. I distinctly remember the first aspiring author I ever met. It was so much fun to have a like-minded person to brainstorm with, to ride to chapter meetings together and talk writing nonstop.  And the fact that she lived fairly close to me at the time made it all the more sweeter!

After two or three years of rewriting the first chapter of her story and getting more and varied feedback from contests, she lost her zeal and couldn’t even remember where she was headed with it in the first place. It was a hodgepodge of contest feedback and she completely gave up writing. And here’s the kicker: She was a good writer and had great ideas!

I’ve had my share of doing the same thing, so I know what I’m talking about! But I saw what happened to a few of my friends, and I didn’t want to be a first chapter dropout. I made myself finish a manuscript, then another, and another.

Don’t be a first chapter dropout: Finish the manuscript.

And you know what? If you’ve never actually finished a manuscript, you’ll be surprised at all the things that will happen during the course of writing the story that will change the opening scene or make the goals and motivations of your characters that much clearer as you write the closing scenes. It can be a real eye-opener, even if you had a detailed synopsis to go by.

At some point you’ll know you need to “retire” your current award winning manuscript from the contest circuit. Only you can decide when to do this, but I would say that if it’s been in front of most of the editors and agents who are judging, and if it’s won every major contest running, then it’s probably time to retire it. If you spot an editor or agent who’s judging that has never seen the manuscript, by all means enter it in that particular contest, but don’t just keep sending the first same chapter to the same final round judges over and over and over. After an editor has seen it in contests 2 or 3 times, unless there’s a major overhaul, that’s probably enough. That’s not to say that they won’t buy it later on. Far from it. They just might. And… for the record, that manuscript might not be your first sale. But with work, it might become a sale.

I imagine at that point they’re ready to see something else from you, so write something else. Write the first chapter and a clear synopsis of the sequel to your first book or something totally new and enter that in a contest and get back to FINISHING your first award winning manuscript.

So, the goal is to start your manuscript, enter a few contests, FINISH the manuscript, and start something new. All this time keep entering contests, making connections, submitting to agents and editors, and somewhere down the road, something will click, and you’ll move one more step up the publishing ladder.

Keep working, keep moving forward to the goal, and publishing will happen.

Now, having said ALL that, I’m a BIG believer in writing contests. I love them all, from the first line ones, to the synopsis ones, to the first chapter ones, and the ones that require a full manuscript. As a published author, I sort of MISS being able to enter those contests anonymously. So, don’t take today’s post as reason NOT to enter contests. Take it as a reason to enter them all (like someone who shall remain nameless… ahem), but always remember the goal….

Don’t be a first chapter dropout. Finish the manuscript!

But while you're writing toward the finish line, check out ACFW's First Impressions Contest. It's for unpublished authors, and all you need to enter is the first 5 pages of your manuscript and a 200 word blurb. Deadline to enter is October 15th!

A Checklist for First Chapters

By Debby Giusti

First chapters make or break a book.  Start with an opening that grabs the reader. 

Luckily, first lines do not have to be written first.  Discern where the story’s going and how you want it to unfold.  Launch the characters on their journey then go back and rework the opening. 

Still stuck on the first line?  Shorten, chop, cut.  Pare down to a word or phrase.  Turn it into a question or place it in quotes.  Have the lead character whisper a warning, tell a secret, make a promise. Add action or introspection or a universal truth the protagonist will grapple with and eventually come to accept.

Too wordy?  Kill prose that keeps the focus on the writing instead of the story.  The opening should be straightforward, not a series of convoluted twists that confuse the reader or make her dizzy.  Cut weak modifiers.  Choose verbs that pack a punch.

Still not satisfied?  Work on something else.  Give your internal muse time to sift through your mental database.  Often when you return to the opening, the perfect line will bubble up from the depths of your subconscious. 

Start the story as the action begins…or even a tad bit later.  Christopher Vogler, in THE HERO’S JOURNEY, writes about beginning in the protagonist’s ordinary world where he receives the call to adventure.  Once committed, he crosses the first threshold and can’t turn back.  The shorter the book, the faster the hero accepts the call and is propelled into the story.          

Set the tone and pace and don’t detour off track.  Keep descriptions true to the genre.  A dark Victorian cottage bathed in shadow is quite different from a warm and inviting bungalow where children romp on the front porch. 

Anchor the story in time and place as soon as possible.  Again, don’t go overboard.  A line or phrase will usually suffice.          

Write the initial scene in the lead character’s point of view.  Provide clues as to what drives the hero, why he must move forward or what’s at stake if he doesn’t succeed.  Hint at his fatal flaw or greatest fear, his Achilles heel or the one facet of his personality he needs to keep hidden.  Again less is more.  Wet the reader’s appetite; don’t shove the information down her throat.  Remember flawed characters are sympathetic characters.  Everyone cheers for the underdog.

Introduce the various story arcs within the beginning pages.  (What’s a story arc?  Inspirational romantic suspense has three arcs or story threads:  the romance, suspense and faith.)  Where does the protagonist stand initially as far as his relationships with others?  What obstacles or threats place him in danger?  Does he believe in a higher power or has he turned his back on God?         

In a romance, get the hero and heroine together as close to the beginning as possible.  Capture their initial reactions and never make falling in love easy.  The more unlikely the relationship, the more satisfying the happily ever after. 

(Tip:  If a female secondary character enters the story before the heroine, make the other woman unsympathetic so the reader knows she’s not the love interest.  The converse holds true if a male is introduced before the hero.)         

Tease the reader with a hint as to where the story’s going so she can accept or reject the invitation to tag along.  Her decision depends on the clues provided in the first chapter.  End with a hook that forces her to turn the next page and then another and another.  Snag the reader at the beginning, and she’ll stay with you until the end.

 Happy writing!

 Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

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A Checklist for First Chapters

By Debby Giusti

First chapters make or break a book so start with an opening that grabs the reader.

Luckily, first lines do not have to be written first. Discern where the story’s going and how you want it to unfold. Launch the characters on their journey then go back and rework the opening.

Still stuck on the first line? Shorten, chop, cut. Pare down to a word or phrase. Turn the opening into a question or place it in quotes. Have the lead character whisper a warning, tell a secret, make a promise. Add action or introspection or a universal truth the protagonist will grapple with and eventually come to accept.

Too wordy? Kill prose that keeps the focus on the writing instead of the story. The opening should be straightforward, not a series of convoluted twists that confuse the reader or make her dizzy. Cut weak modifiers. Choose verbs that pack a punch.

Still not satisfied? Work on something else. Give your internal muse time to sift through your mental database. Often when you return to the opening, the perfect line will bubble up from the depths of your subconscious.

Start the story as the action begins…or even a tad bit later. Christopher Vogler, in THE HERO’S JOURNEY, writes about beginning in the protagonist’s ordinary world where he receives the call to adventure. Once committed, he crosses the first threshold and can’t turn back. The shorter the book, the faster the hero accepts the call and is propelled into the story.

Set the tone and pace and don’t detour off track. Keep descriptions true to the genre. A dark Victorian cottage bathed in shadow is quite different from a warm and inviting bungalow where children romp on the front porch.

Anchor the story in time and place as soon as possible. Again, don’t go overboard. A line or phrase will usually suffice.

Write the initial scene in the lead character’s point of view. Provide clues as to what drives the hero, why he must move forward or what’s at stake if he doesn’t succeed. Hint at his fatal flaw or greatest fear, his Achilles heel or the one facet of his personality he needs to keep hidden. Again less is more. Wet the reader’s appetite; don’t shove the information down her throat. Remember flawed characters are sympathetic characters. Everyone cheers for the underdog.

Introduce the various story arcs within the beginning pages. (What’s a story arc? Inspirational romantic suspense has three arcs or story threads: the romance, suspense and faith.) Where does the protagonist stand initially as far as his relationship with others? What obstacles or threats place him in danger? Does he believe in a higher power or has he turned his back on God?

In a romance, get the hero and heroine together as close to the beginning as possible. Capture their initial reactions and never make falling in love easy. The more unlikely the relationship, the more satisfying the happily ever after.

(Tip: If a female secondary character enters the story before the heroine, make the other woman unsympathetic so the reader knows she’s not the love interest. The converse holds true if a male is introduced before the hero.)

Tease the reader with a hint as to where the story’s going so she can accept or reject the invitation to tag along. Her decision depends on the clues provided in the first chapter. End with a hook that forces her to turn the next page and then another and another. Snag the reader at the beginning, and she’ll stay with you until the end.

What would you add to my checklist? Leave a comment to be included in a drawing for a copy of my Publishers Weekly Bestseller, AMISH SAFE HOUSE!

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/

AMISH SAFE HOUSE

By Debby Giusti

Hiding in Plain Sight

The second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel

After Julia Bradford’s son witnesses a gang shooting, hiding in witness protection on Abraham King’s Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julia is drawn to the community’s peaceful ways—and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family…and possibly have a future by her side?

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This blog post first appeared in Seekerville on April 15, 2009.