First Page Phobia

Confession: I am terrified of first pages. 

Like, shiver-till-my-nerve-endings-fail-me terrified. 

That's why I've been rereading books in my WIP's genre. And my favorite books in general. I check for overall tone, flow of words, and characterization. To me, the best first pages/chapters give you a sense of everything that's happening and a sense of what's to come later on. Ever heard how agents refer to that opening line as a guarantee? Well, I think the first page strengthens that guarantee. It reinforces the point the author wants to make with the image they create with the opening line. 

No pressure, huh?

*faints*

I guess my my main concern is cramming too much into one place. To me, nailing that perfect balance takes two things:

1) Practice

 2) Patience 

Oh, and critique partners help A LOT, too :)

So yeah, my advice is simple: work x100000000 on that first line/page/chapter/wholemanuscript. Beat the fear with perseverance. And eat some chocolate while you're at it. 

Okay. That last thing doesn't really do anything for your WIP, but... it's... important?

Now tell me: do you have first page phobia? If so, how do you deal with it? 

Oh, and DON'T FORGET: my Blogoversary Book Giveaway is still in full swing! Enter to win a book or preorder from my to-read pile!  

Oh, oh, AND!!! Today I'm discussing YA Boys and Actors over @ Operation Awesome. Go. Swoon with me. 

Awesome Beginnings: Links On Perfecting Your First Chapter

I'm feeling a little down this week, and couldn't come up with anything to blog about. Luckily, my blogging buddies rock seriously hard and have provided some help!

With what, you ask?

Beginnings. 

They're scary to write, aren't they? Hooking readers in + Me = suckfest. That's why I'm giving you all some super awesome links to help you with that pesky first chapter. I promise to post my personal beef with first chapters later on, so pretty please stay tuned for that. 

Le links:

My Operation Awesome buddy Michelle McLean tutors you on how to create a thesis statement in your opening pages.

The ladies over at Adventures in Children's Publishing share their favorite opening passages.

Bekah talks about the importance of character goals in the first two chapters. 

Natalie Whipple shares the first paragraphs of all her manuscripts and why they suck/rock. 

and

Beth Revis teaches you how to make your readers ask questions and care about the answers. 

There are A TON of other great sites/blogs/forums you can check out (like Janice Hardy's entire freakin' blog: http://storyflip.blogspot.com), but these are just a few of my faves. You won't regret taking a look at them. Pinky swear :D

Now tell me: do you struggle with openings as much as I do???

Opening Lines... and a shout out!

First up, I would like to take a moment to thank the uber-smart and insightful Laura Diamond! Aside from having such a cool blog (and YA manuscript that I'm dying to read!), Miss Diamond kindly featured me on her Up and Coming Blogger Tuesdays. Not sure I deserve it, but don't tell her that...

Also, she posted a picture of Jensen Ackles!!! Fangirl scream!!!

Yes, I know he's engaged to someone else (a very gorgeous and talented someone else...). But still, my heart is his. The end.

Anyway, I wanted to talk a bit about something I've been meaning to discuss. Many writers stress over plot, voice, climax, yadda yadda yadda... Don't get me wrong: all of that is important. But something I really look forward to reading every time I pick up a new book is...

The opening lines.

I love them. Sometimes they decide whether I keep reading with enthusiasm or if I just read to finish what I started. Most newbie writers make the mistake of opening their book with the weather, or with a character waking up and brushing their teeth, or doing something action-packed that ends up being a dream.

Trust me, I've been that newbie writer. I am that newbie writer. *shudders from embarrassment*

So, I'm going to share some examples from the published pros I love. My goal is to feature at least ten of them.

Here's the first:

"You never think it will happen to you." --Ghostgirl, Tonya Hurley.

I don't know about you, but I'm left with a million questions right off the bat. What don't I think will ever happen to me? How does the MC feel about this thing that's supposed to happen to everybody? Is it good or bad? Does the story revolve around this mystery thing?

Needless to say, that opening line does exactly what the author wanted it to: get you to read further. It doesn't have to be mouth-hanging-open shocking to prompt you to flip through those pages. Something simple, yet vague, usually does the trick in a better way.

So there you have it, my first favorite opening line. More are still to come, peeps. Pinky swear.

Now off to write!