The Chapter That Wouldn't DIE
How many times can a writer write the first chapter of a book? According to my experience with Ninth Grade Sucks, about five-hundred-million-bajillion times.
Or four, in layman's terms.
Well...four so far, anyway. Ask me when the book is finished.
I had a difficult night of restless sleep and bizarro dreams last night (including a nightmare where my fabulous agent sold Eighth Grade Bites for $4--he was ecstatic), but this morning has been much better. Not one Lightbulb of Inspiration (we should capitalize that from now on, don't you think, minions?) flickered on over my head, but two.
So now I'm rewriting the first chapter *grumble, spit, swear* and, once I'm done, I'm fixing something that's so big, it can't wait for revisions.
If you're looking for some stranger-than-fiction details to occupy your procrastinating eyeballs, check out the tale of Lisa Kackney on Writer Beware's blog. It's almost impossible to believe, and yet, completely true.
Me? I'm off to write that first chapter...again...
Or four, in layman's terms.
Well...four so far, anyway. Ask me when the book is finished.
I had a difficult night of restless sleep and bizarro dreams last night (including a nightmare where my fabulous agent sold Eighth Grade Bites for $4--he was ecstatic), but this morning has been much better. Not one Lightbulb of Inspiration (we should capitalize that from now on, don't you think, minions?) flickered on over my head, but two.
So now I'm rewriting the first chapter *grumble, spit, swear* and, once I'm done, I'm fixing something that's so big, it can't wait for revisions.
If you're looking for some stranger-than-fiction details to occupy your procrastinating eyeballs, check out the tale of Lisa Kackney on Writer Beware's blog. It's almost impossible to believe, and yet, completely true.
Me? I'm off to write that first chapter...again...
posted by Heather Brewer at 8:20 AM
6 Comments:
Holy crow, don't even get me STARTED on the first friggin' chapter! I SO hear you! For ROAD, I'm officially on "Draft 1B" -- this follows "Draft 1A" and "Draft 1". And I haven't even finished the first damn chapter!!!
ARGH!!!
So...I feel your pain. :)
At least you label yours (you're so organized!). I just call mine "Ah crap, here we go again!" until it becomes "Phew! Glad that's over." :)
Your agent sold "Eighth Grade Bites" for $4? Hmmm. I think several zeros are supposed to follow that 4, my dear!
XO,
Christopher
Well it was a nightmare ;)
My first chapters are rewritten all the time - more than any other part of the book, actually. They're so important; and once you get it exactly right, it sets the tone for the entire book. So don't worry, Heather!
Well, I think I'm finally there--the odd thing is that it's pretty close to what I had originally written! Crazy. :)
Thanks for your thoughts, Melanie--soooo true about this chapter setting the tone.
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