The Great American Novel…or something like it

For several years now I’ve thought about writing a book. I’ve had a plot in my head for at least 10 years, and everytime I’ve sat down with paper and pen (or keyboard and monitor, as it were) to write the book, I’ve stalled after writing what I consider to be an atrocious first chapter.

I’ve come at it from several angles. I have written out entire backgrounds for characters. I’ve written out lists of scenes I want to include. I’ve written chapter one at least a dozen times, every time deleting the file after re-reading it a few times.

But yesterday on the way home the idea hit me again – WRITE THE BOOK – and when I got home I promptly got on the computer and typed up Chapter One in about 20-30 minutes. This time the words just flowed and when I was done I was completely satisfied with what I had managed to pull out of my brain. Late last night I got back on the computer and re-read the chapter and I’m still very happy with it.

I emailed Melanie Lynne Hauser about getting some feedback from her, and she wrote back pretty quickly and recommended a website for me to go for critiques and criticism advice from writers, both pro and amateur. I immediately signed up and posted my first chapter. So far I’ve gotten decent marks for the chapter, with only a couple small nits which are totally understandable and already things I planned to address in the editing process. So I’m pretty pleased and encouraged!

So who knows, maybe someday I’ll actually get this thing written. One chapter down – many many more to go!! And heck, it only took me 10+ years to write the first chapter. Should go smoothly now that’s done, right?