Nothing is more powerful in fiction than unputdownable writing. And crafting a compelling first chapter is its own artform. Today I’ll be sharing the secret of how great writers do it. Let’s start with what readers want—and even expect—to see in a first chapter. What… Read More »The secret to an unputdownable first chapter

Some call it a hook, others call it an opener—I call it the most important sentence in your story. Every time I edit a book, I look most closely at the first sentence. Here’s why. Imagine yourself as a reader. You begin reading a novel… Read More »Crafting the hook: why your novel’s first line is crucial