Comments on: Your first five pages.

By: dystophil

dystophil — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:58:10 +0000

Thanks for this excellent post and as I have just rewritten and edited the first chapter of my novel again and probably will again and again and again before I even think about querying, I couldn’t agree more. Even though all the things and tiny details you have to keep in mind when writing your first chapter may seem overwhelming and you find yourself stuck rewriting them, they are your initial hook and once you have a great foundation for your novel the rest will usually flow easier too.

By: Friday Forum: Grab Their Attention « Girl Meets Word

Friday Forum: Grab Their Attention « Girl Meets Word — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:55:12 +0000

[...] great advice about going beyond that first paragraph and keeping the reader’s attention in Your First Five Pages. There are tips and strategies here you may not have considered. It’s important to treat the [...]

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:42:55 +0000

Great advice! As you say, grammar is important–and too often overlooked. It’s so annoying to read writing that has bad grammar. Find a grammar geek to tell you what errors you are making, and work on fixing those errors.

By: Steena

Steena — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:18:36 +0000

Excellent advice!

By: Ceylan

Ceylan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:11:38 +0000

I think that if the writer is going self-publishing route, then that author absolutely has to be able to be professional. If the author is giving a pitch to an agent or editor, then that person needs to be able to package his or her work and put a pretty ribbon on it. Don’t worry about labeling while writing. Focus on is as a product after.

Ceylan

By: Eden

Eden — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:30:40 +0000

I want to be the first to comment just to say that this is strictly advice from someone who is trying to help authors get published.
If you write just to write, don’t worry about these things.
And, most importantly, don’t even think about worrying about such things until your work is completed and you are seriously, truly ready to query.
This blog was written solely for the purpose of helping writers be as professional as possible and to not let their work slip through the cracks.

Keep the passion while you’re writing. Love what you’re doing! This in itself will give you the confidence to get through the difficult end part before publication.

Good luck, and I hope even one tip helps an author who is already at this stage!! =)

-e*