by Tessa Shapcott, Executive Editor

TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT FIRST CHAPTER

First things first…

Think about your goals when writing a great Harlequin Presents first chapter.   You want to:

*Grab your reader’s attention
*Get her hooked in
*Keep her turning the pages and wanting more

These three aims might seem very simple, obvious even.  But many new writers fail to consider them when they sit down to start their stories…

Here are the most common writing personalities and their mistakes that our editors see when they’re reading unsolicited submissions while searching for new Presents talent:

• The Free Spirit who has no idea on what her story is or where she’s going when she begins her book.
• The Procrastinator who ‘writes herself in’.  She spends two to three chapters unfolding a long, rambling back-story and setting the scene, and there’s no romance or hero-heroine action in sight.
• Ms No-Man’s-Land who doesn’t introduce the hero until chapter two… or even later!
• She-who-saves-the-best-for-last, and who clings to the assumption that writers (and editors) will be understanding and hang in there until Chapter Four or Five when her romance really gets going…
• Me-Me-Me uses a lot of descriptive narrative, choosing to tell the story and so inserting herself between the readers and the characters, rather than letting characters speak for themselves
• The Party Animal includes loads of minor characters – but who are the hero and heroine?
• The Show-stopper thinks of a great opening line or paragraph and then…her book goes downhill from there!

Let’s be clear about a couple of things.  In terms of word length, these are short books (50, 000 words total).  So you haven’t got time to warm up or wait for the hero to arrive!  And, despite the quickness of the read, every reader expects to have taken a ride on an emotional rollercoaster by the time she finishes your book.

The Presents Editor’s Golden Rules for Packing a Punch from the Very First Page:

*Make the writing of a synopsis of your story your very first task.
*Also be sure of who your hero and heroine are before you start and aim to get them together as soon as possible.
*Keep the focus on the hero and heroine and their developing romance as much as you can.
*Give your reader a tantalising taste of the emotional conflict within the first few pages.
*Give evidence of the sexual attraction between the hero and heroine too.
*Aim to unfold the back-story in bite-sized pieces throughout your book – not immediately, in one long, indigestible chunk!
*Use dialogue – when the characters speak for themselves, readers will be instantly engaged.
*Keep minor characters to an absolutely minimum and use them to support the unfolding romance – don’t start giving them a life of their own!
*Keep an eye on your pace – it should be tight and fast from page one, with the aim of keeping the reader turning the pages.
*Aim to end your first chapter on a climax – and invite the reader to read on.

It may seem like a lot to remember, but actually it’s all about creating a focused emotional environment for your characters and their romance.  Good luck!

Tomorrow we’ll post the writing guidelines.