Julia H Dixon: Author, Writer, Blogger.
Cover by Steve Wells An oldie book with a goldie book cover. It's time to some love to the design of Emily Diamand's Flood Child. This cover is a masterclass in how to show exactly what kind of world the book is inviting you to. A girl in a boat sailing towards a flooded Big … Continue reading Book Cover Appreciation: Flood Child by Emily Diamand
This isn't a book review. I'm not here to gripe about the story, I'm here to appreciate some good design work.
Writing a protagonist isn't always easy. It's something I've had trouble with myself, but one thing I've always tried to do with whatever I write is to make the character likable in some way. For me, that is the number one priority.
I have re-written my first chapter for my dark fantasy WIP In Roots They Quake a few times now, but in the past week I've hit on a version of the opening that is really working for me. Granted, it's impossible for me to know this early whether these chapters will be in the published … Continue reading 4 Ways To Know If Your Opening Chapters Are Working
As a reader, I love a book I can't put down - and yet I've lost count of the books I've put down mid-way, or worse just pages in.
Because first chapters suck.
I embody my worst fear as a writer. If I'm abandoning books, other people are too. But why?
Whenever I buy a book, I look at the blurb first. Point is - they matter. So, please, can you stop with the spoilers?
The first chapter of Tim Bowler's Frozen Fire is pretty good, and with an opening line like "I'm dying." it's hard not to be. That's right, it's time for another opening scene breakdown.
The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis. What makes the first chapter work?
Writer In A Hat 