Take a novel, any novel, and read the first chapter.  Look at how it’s structured.  Think about how the author introduces the characters, the setting, the premise of the story.  Make some notes about what works, and what doesn’t work, for you as a reader.  Notice what the dialogue does, and what the description does, then notice which parts you prefer on the page.

Take these thoughts and read over (or write) a first chapter of your own.  What do you discover?

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.  Mark Twain

I’m not censoring Mr Twain on this site – he’s too good of a writer.  I’ll be thinking about his words this week and appreciating that he took the time to express them.

I’m reading a book called The Artful Edit by Susan Bell as I gear up to edit my third novel.  The book is helpful on all levels.  She writes about the importance of understanding your INTENTION while you’re editing your work.  I keep thinking about this as I reread my own book – what is my intention?  what am I doing with the text?  As I think, I excavate and try to discover what my intention is truly.

Here’s a direct quotation from Susan Bell to think about: ‘… to edit is to listen, above all; to hear past the emotional filters that distort the sound of our all too human words; and to then make choices rather than judgements. As we read our writing, how can we learn to hear ourselves better?’