CONTEST! Back to beginnings.

Since we started this whole thing talking about beginnings, let's remain on that subject for a little longer. The opening paragraph of your novel is one of the most important pieces of writing you'll ever do. Even the first sentence must be carefully crafted to attract, intrigue, or otherwise hook the reader so they have to know more.

With that in mind, why don't we have a little contest. I'll think of a great prize in the next couple of days. Since this is a brand new (two days old) blog, we need to get some followers before we host a contest, but once we have, say, ten followers, we'll go ahead and get that under way.

Here's the game plan. After we get ten followers, I'll post a call for entries for your opening paragraph of your novel. You'll need to include a screen name and a genre, and email me your entry so I can enter it as a separate post (which will allow other readers to offer suggestions, what they like, what they don't like, how it could be improved, etc. — all with the goal of making better writers of each of us.

So, if that sounds interesting and you'd like to participate, there's no better way to start than to click on that "followers" thingy and add yourself to the group. It may take a day, a week, or a month before we get ten followers. But hopefully, it will be soon. Feel free to pass this blog address on to your writer friends, too. That's going to speed things up so we can get this show on the road.

Keep writing. Polish up those opening paragraphs and get ready for a good feedback session and a great prize at the end.

Feel free to leave a comment with any other suggestions on this subject.

Write on.