Crafting the Perfect Opening Chapter

When it comes to writing, nothing creates a first impression like the first pages of your book. There are multiple elements which should be carefully examined before assuming you will capture your readers' attention.

Does your opening sentence captivate?
Does the character you introduce bring your reader to want to know more about that character?
How well are your words distributed?
Does your vocabulary overwhelm or underwhelm?
Are your descriptions over-descriptive or under-descriptive?
Does your opening chapter leave the reader wanting to read the next one right away? (cliffhanger, etc.)

These are a few questions to ask yourself about every opening piece of each chapter. Especially the first and the last ones. Never oversell or undersell your abilities. Always write for a wide audience with varying vocabularies and reading prowess. (or at least try) Never begin all or even most of your sentences with the same words. This is because the page itself becomes dull to look at. Let alone to read.

Appreciate the curvature and flow of the words themselves and how the architecture of the page appears. Does it look like a child wrote it or does it coalesce with the rest of the movement of your words. Each question should be addressed and every detail looked at thoroughly.



Here is an example of a solid opening page...

                                                             Hard Summer Rain

                    "The deepest of passions run through the purest states of being."

Alexs’ mind was lit up by the veins of lightning travelling across the veil. Karina’s body was set ablaze by his passions which ran so deep for the storms’ awe that Karina’s heart was magnetically pulled to Alex’s proverbial ship of dreams. Her only defense was one so simple, yet so poignant, that he could but venture forth toward his own private destinations of feeling.

No matter how hard they both fought it; sooner or later their powderkeg would explode into an inferno of primal desire. Both were trying to do the right thing. They had rolled into the hotel, sideways and barely kicking. Now, only a few weeks had gone by and their dim light from the past had become a beacon of the now, so powerful and pure that their bodies sought shelter from each other.

 

In the confines of a small suite at a mid-scale hotel in the heart of Miami, Florida; the couple shared numerous heartfelt moments containing all range of emotions and of feelings.

The sky wore bleak, like an ominous call to the darkest of lands. Thunder rumbled across the mid-day skyline. Nothing but the cry of free spirits rolled through the density of the winding, sun scorched backdrop of clouds, reflecting all manner of forms. A whirlwind of gusty rain arrowed its way down from the heavens and pelted the soil with a voracious appetite.

The point gets across. Words are not minced. They describe vividly whats going. Who it involves, what they are feeling and what their intentions are. It sets the stage to keep reading. Great books keep this pace the entire book. Instead of trying to be perfect. Get your point across in a full book first. Then go back and re-write again and again until you are happy. Say what is going on and cover the main points. The rest will bubble forth after you get the frame written.

If you have any questions dont hesitate to ask me. Follow me on Twitter @chrisstormbooks and also at @reach_storm. Facebook.com/AuthorChristopherStorm

The Heart Of Fiction: How To Be One Of The Authors That Sells Over 500 Copies

I've spoken about what makes a good book. I've spoken about what it takes to be a good writer. I've also spoken about the importance of brand awareness. The best writers out there have failed numerous times. It is important to remember that a minute number of writers survive making a career as a full time author. It is a fact that out of the almost one million books published worldwide each year, only 10% of them sell over five hundred copies. Even if you self publish and incur all costs yourself and receive all the profit then you will likely make no more than three dollars per copy. Fifteen hundred dollars for a huge chunk of your time and effort is a resounding disappointment to say the very least.

Sure, you can go with the traditional publishers, if they are willing to the risk. You might get a 10,000 dollar advance if you've got something decent. Hardly a living wage. More than that if your skill and marketing and brand all line up in the right way. My point is that if you want to be a full time writer, which at least half of the authors out there desire to be, then having thick skin and a hell of a bag of creative tricks up your sleeve is essential to building that career of your dreams.

The future of writing lies in self published geniuses with endless writing endurance and boundless creativity. Not to mention a solid online presence and multi-layered advertising skills. In my opinion, the overall number of authors in the world will eventually diminish greatly. I believe that time will begin to show just how difficult it is to thrive as an author in a world of visual engagement. They will exist but the backdrop will be far different than today. I can only guess what the world of writing will look like in another fifty years.

Getting back on track, I am here to break you down and build you back up into a lean, mean, creative writing machine. I will go another extreme step further and say that half of the books written are garbage. Yes. I said it. Poorly written, devoid of creative substance, and full of wasted banter and fire pit worthy plots and characters. Movies over the years have had to push the limits that were once looked at as edgy. What makes books any different. The entire psychology of the minds of readers is changing.

There will always be a place for romance and smut in our world stuffed to the brim with sin and desires. But for those who yearn to be thrilled, horrified, mystified, and enthralled in their diet of paper dreamscapes; It is our duty as writers to bring it to the next level. There are writers who only do it part time just to be able to say they have their name on a cover and don't care about the money(or lack thereof). But, there are those, like myself, who live for being able to spin and twist our imagination matrix into myriads of musings for all the world to read. Getting paid some big bucks one day is certainly a goal of mine. I have been waiting all my life to be able to set myself loose in the writing world. I will NOT squander my shot at success. I talk a big game but as my books are released, that game will be backed up in big ways.

In closing, for those who have read all my posts thus far, take them all to heart. And place in the fore of your mind that all of the topics discussed in my blog are required in order to make your books a success. That number is articulated at between 5,000 and 10,000 copies or more. Another important fact to remember is that quality over quantity will create a life for a skilled writer that is far easier than someone who spits out ten books a year filled with dribble that each sell next to nothing. Like an old friend of mine always told me, "Work smarter, not harder." So goes in the writing world. Except the smart part equates the amount of imaginative energy you can output as your fingers glance the keys.

By Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"


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