Yesterday I blogged my thoughts on how chapter 1 and chapter last are the most important parts of the book. Today I thought I’d give an example of a great chapter 1.

If you’ve read my other blogs, you can probably see this coming, but my favorite Chapter 1 is Silence of the Lambs. Actually it’s my favorite first 3 chapters.

Here’s why:
1) In less than 30 pages we meet all the major characters.
2) All the major conflicts – including the key one between the hero and villain are in play.
3) It’s very dialog driven. I’m way into dialog, especially talking like a particular villain.
4)There’s a ton of subtleties that Harris exploits without overstating that make the villain even creepier.

So, that’s what I strive to do with my first 3 chapters.

Sorry this isn’t very funny. I’m doing taxes this weekend and crying too much to laugh….

Just breached the 35 page mark on novel number two. It’s in much better shape than last week. The search for heads down momentum continues. I’m not sure if it’s the distraction of trying to get the query letter done or if it’s something else.

There’s an old saying that the most important part of any book is the ending. There’s even a movie coming soon starring Johnny Depp based around the notion of a perfect ending, Secret Window. I disagree with that sentiment. The most important part of any book is chapter 1 and chapter last and they’re of equal value.

If chapter 1 bites, it’s hard to read any further. If chapter last sucks, less people will want to read the next book.

Thus I strive for a strong opening and strong finish. Right now the opening of the second book has potential, but I have no idea how this is going to end. Do I know what I want to happen? Yep. Will it turn out like that at all? Probably not.

After a few dozen panic attacks, the query letter to a prospective agent is now in the mail. Walking back from the post office, I had another panic attack and talked myself down ( in my head of course. They were too many old people about to talk to myself ).

Here’s three good things about where I am right now:
1)Even if the prospective agent rejects my query, I’m still ahead, because I’m one step closer to the answer I’m looking for.
2)I queried once. I’ll query again, if necessary.
3)Every writer has done something like this to get published.

Here’s the advice I got from editor person – go blog. So here I am blogging…

There’s another dead tree today and the blood is on my hands, because I printed out a few copies of the book for copyright purposes. I’m not sure why the copyright office shuns electronic submissions. But I guess that’s what the 30 dollar fee they charge covers.

Being in possesion of the brand new hardcopy leads me to the second problem; ever try to find an envelope big enough to hold hundreds of loose pages? If so, have you tried to seal that envelope after inserting those same pages, Form TX and a check for 30 dollars? Really seal it, now, so it doesn’t rip open.

Yeah, me neither. I’m ready for the emergency room thanks to all the papercuts. Also, my cat refuses to speak to me now because he mistook the envelope for a skateboard and tried to use his 21 pound body to scoot it across the glass top coffee table. Let’s just say, the coffee table won and there are fresh claw marks in my leg.