First Pages: A Checklist

For this post, I'd like you to grab the first page of whatever story you're currently working on.

Just the first page.

Go on. I'll wait here.

*whistles*

Got it?

Read it.

All done?

Now answer the following questions based on this single page.

1) Is it clear who is telling this story, or who the story is about?
2) Is something happening?
3) Is there a conflict present in what's happening?
4) Is something clearly at stake for this character?

If the answer to any of these is "no," revise accordingly until that "no" becomes a "yes."

Your first page is important. It's the foundation for reader interest (that is, it determines if the reader will continue reading).

The traditional rule of thumb says that if you haven't grabbed the editor's attention in the first five pages of your manuscript, they'll likely pass. Why take the risk?

Set the stage on page one for everything that will follow, giving your reader no choice but to keep reading all the way to The End.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

Story Deconstructed

What is a story?

According to Lisa Cron, "a story is how what happens affects someone who is trying to achieve what turns out to be a difficult goal, and how he or she changes as a result."

Broken down: a story is how what happens [plot] affects someone [protagonist] who is trying to achieve a difficult goal [story question], and how he or she changes because of it.

I've written about the story question before.

The takeaway here, though, is that a story isn't just something that happens, or something that happens to someone, or even something dramatic that happens to someone. More structure is required if the reader is going to close your book with a sigh of satisfaction.

But there's a formula, and if you can keep these key elements in mind, you'll be in a better position to write a successful story.

Story = plot + protagonist + resolved question/problem.

For further reading on this, I highly recommend Cron's Wired for Story.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

On Failure

I love this idea from Brene Brown (which Liz Gilbert echoes) about trying and failing creatively. 

The old adage is:

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

The question that should be asked is: 

What's worth doing, even if you fail?

"The only unique contribution we will make 

in this world will be born of creativity."

~Brene Brown~

In Full Disclosure

Warning: Honesty Ahead

Release weeks stress me out. 

Promotion stresses me out. 

Tweeting "buy my books!" stresses me out. 

Why? It feels too much like a whistle in a hurricane. A shout into the void. There's so much *white noise* that I don't even know where to begin to make myself stand out in the crowd. 

I get that it's a necessary part of #indie authoring, but I hate begging. I feel like I'm bothering people. (Buy! Share! Re-Tweet! Review!) I feel like *that* author, and I don't want to be. I also don't have the marketing budget or audience to gain any kind of traction in such a saturated marketplace, though I'm *so* thankful for the few cheerleaders I do have and can always count on to help spread the word. 

In full disclosure, this is what my indie career looks like (according to Amazon, at least):

this image is not available

*sigh*

I miss August 2012 the most, where I sold over 4,500 units . . . but some things in this world are just beyond my control.

What do I have control of?

Writing.

So . . . I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go after ALL I NEVER WANTED.

I've slowly come to realize that I'm not as passionate about YA literature today as I was in the past, and I wondered if this meant it was time to spread my wings and try something new. 

I still don't know, actually. 

But I do know that on Friday I opened up a file on a story I'd plotted a couple of years ago. I know the characters, the setting, what's going to happen--it's all there laid out for me.

I just went in to take a look, but I saw in one document that I'd already written a first line.

The wheels began turning, and almost immediately I had a first paragraph. Then I had a first page. 

I don't quite recognize this voice. It's still me, but different. More grown up, maybe? 

I don't know. I don't know how this book is going to turn out or where it's going to fit into the market or if I should even care about the market at all. 

I'm writing again.

And it feels so, so good.

At the end of the day, I love what I do--it still brings me joy. Sure, my audience isn't as big today as it was in the past. The truth is that I might have "peaked" with CROSS MY HEART. But there are a few of you out there, and you've not hesitated to tell me that my stories still bring you joy (and move you to tears). 

A small difference, but a difference nonetheless.

Someone out there, when asked who their favorite author is, just might say "Katie Klein."

And, in this industry, it seems selfish to ask for anything more than that.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~