Where does your book begin? by Jennifer Spiller
It’s looking more and more like I did. In fact, I’m starting to think this is my modus operandi. I think up big stories, BIG BIG BIG stories, and then I try and come up with where the action begins.
I’ve heard that many newbie writers make the mistake of starting too early; they could easily cut the first three chapters. From my experiences judging the Golden Heart Contest for Romance Writer’s of America, this seems to be very true. Many writer’s start well before the story begins.
Me? I start too late. Apparently, whole books late.
This notion had been creeping up on me for a while. Feedback on manuscripts often seemed to want more information in the beginning.
“But, but, but...info-dumping,” I whispered, horrified. “I can’t infodump.”
“Well, you need more character development,” replied beta readers/prospective agents/friends/my mother.
“But I’ve created an amazing character! She’s so messed up it will take books upon books to fix her.” There. Trump that. (FYI, I do so love my anti-heroines).
“Yes. She’s messed up. How did she get that way?” If smart beta reader had been in the room and seen my face, she might have ducked. Luckily, the internet protects betas.
I started to launch into a lengthy explanation of my character’s profound origin story. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work so well on direct messaging.
Then beta reader dropped the bomb. “Are you sure there isn’t another book before this? Like, a whole other book?”
I ignored the cannonball now lodged below my sternum. It was figurative. I probably wasn’t really bleeding internally. “ANOTHER BOOK? Before this one? No. No way.”
We must give beta reader credit. She knew what she was saying. She knew she was right. (She’s always right, darn her good instincts). The equivalent of a shrug winged its way across the internets. “Okay. Well, try writing three chapters at the beginning. Go back, oh, three weeks. What was happening three weeks before the current opening.”
“I can do that,” I assured her, while swinging my head side to side. That’s just going to ruin the pacing.
ONE MONTH LATER…ON TWITTER
Me: @betareaderextraordinaire You were right. There’s another book. DAMMIT.
Betareaderextraordinaire: Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
