Judy's Writing Tip #1

I'm sure many of my readers are also writers (or aspiring writers) so, in the spirit of sharing, I'll be posting a writing tip each week. These are writing strategies I've learned from other writers, from conferences, from books on writing, or things I simply figured out as I wrote my own stories.  Hopefully, you'll find them useful.

Tip #1.

Pay close attention to your first line, your first paragraph, your first scene and your first chapter.  This is where you HOOK the reader and reel her in.  Grab her attention from your very first line, reel her in with the first paragraph, pull her up with your first scene, and drop her into the bottom of the boat with your first chapter.  Once you've got her there, it is highly unlikely that she'll get away from you at that point.  So make sure to end your first chapter on a question, an exciting point or a mystery - make sure she has to read on to find out.

Now let's go fishing!