Candace Kade's Blog, page 2

ENHANCED Pre-order Giveaway!

Have you already pre-ordered your copy of ENHANCED? Submit your receipt of purchase to be entered into an epic giveaway! This is for US purchases only. Sorry international friends. But stay tuned for an exclusive international giveaway later!

Enter giveaway HERE

Haven’t ordered it yet?

Pre-order ENHANCED via BookPeople!

You can also order ENHANCED via…

AmazonBarnes & Noble

So. What’s the prize?

Oh you know, just this EPIC swag! Which includes…

Some stuff from ENHANCED! A DNA helix ring because my book is all about genetic enhancements and DNA. As well as a temporary tattoo that looks very much like the tatts everyone uses to communicate within the Asian Federation.

This gorgeous tea set and paper cut, featured in the book.

Three super cool Hybrid Series decals designed by the incredible Daniela Liang. As well as a Starbucks gift card! Because who doesn’t want their favorite drink while reading a book?

And last but not least, two beautifully simplistic notebooks. Just because.

That’s it! May the odds be in your favor!

And if you haven’t already, would you do this newbie author a HUGE favor and…

Add ENHANCED to your GoodReads TBR pile!

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Fall Read Roundup

You know what time it is?

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE TIME!

Okay so that’s my one basic vice coming out… And let’s be real, for those of us living in Texas, fall is a cruel joke. I still buy my annual pumpkin spice latte, don’t get me wrong. Inevitably it always ends up making me break into a sweat–unless I order it iced. But totally worth it!

Now, onto the fall fun!! Below are two of my TOP autumn reads. You can find the full list by signing up for my newsletter below. By singing up, you’ll also get access to giveaways, more seasonal book recommendations,and sneak peaks into the backstory for my Hybrid Series.

Sign up for Candace’s newsletter!

Without further ado, here are some of the books I’ve been reading and loving. Starting with…

Fire and Ash by Gillian Bronte Adams

The Scorpio Races meets The Last Namsara.

If you’re a horse-lover you will devour this novel with elemental horses! Even if you’re not, you’ll still love this book! As is evident by the fact that Fire and Ash won the Book of the Year award in 2021 from Realm Awards.

I am still blown away by how Gillian managed to spin a fast-paced epic fantasy story with THREE points of view where I am on the edge of my seat for each POV. The rich world building, gorgeous prose, plot twists, and danger at every corner, will have you finishing this book in days.

**Attention Gillian, if you’re reading this, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT BOOK TWO??**

The Shadow of What was Lost by James Islington

Epic fantasy you’ll actually finish.

I tried to be a Wheel of Time fan, I really did. But when Audible messed up my spot and I couldn’t find it again amidst the MANY chapters I just gave up.

If you’re looking for an epic fantasy novel that’s manageable (just three books) that will keep you engaged from start to finish, I recommend you start here. I will warn you, each book is still large enough to use as a stepping stool for reaching those back pantry shelves. But don’t be alarmed! The story is so good you will actually finish!

Hopefully you can take time to curl up with a hot drink, soft blanket, and do some reading this fall.

– Candace signing off to crank down the AC and pretend its cold enough to justify a fire…

The post Fall Read Roundup appeared first on Candace Kade.

Leaving Good for Great

As of today, my book is available for pre-order!!!

Get ENHANCED here!

If you like free books and swag sign up for my newsletter! I’ll be giving away advance reader copies, hardback first editions, signed copies, and other awesome book swag over the coming months.

Sing up for Candace’s newsletter!

Almost two years ago today, I quit my job at Dell. It’s hard to believe that back then, I was getting on conference calls, worrying about Gantt charts, figuring out reorgs, and spending all my time in Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. Don’t get me wrong, there were seasons when I absolutely loved what I did. But ultimately, it came down to a choice:

Would I leave the good for the great?

I knew I was made to be a writer. I’ve known it since I was sixteen. But after so many years slipping by with little progress being made toward that dream, I started to lose hope.

When I finally had the chance to leave Dell, I almost didn’t pull the trigger. I loved my mentors, mentees, and friends. I loved the stability of a 9-5 job with clear performance metrics and revenue goals to hit. And let’s be real…I loved the pay.

Leaving all of that behind to pursue publishing felt like moving to the Wild West where anything was possible but nothing was certain.

My last day at Dell was surreal. It also scared me to death. I was finally making progress towards this dream I’d had for so many years. But there was no guarantee that dream would become a reality. The publishing industry is more competitive than two sisters fighting over the bathroom. At least, I assume it is. I grew up with all brothers so I wouldn’t know.

Despite the risks, I took that cannonball leap of faith. Now, here I am two years later sharing my gorgeous cover!

Interested in hearing more? Here’s a little bit about my debut YA sci-fi novel ENHANCED:

Lee Urban is living a lie.

In a society where everyone’s DNA determines their destiny, being a Natural means automatic relegation to the gritty and dangerous Outskirts. With the harnessed power of gene-editing, the ability to create a super-human race has transformed the world and offered the opportunity of a genetically enhanced life. But only to those who can afford it.

Born a Natural, Lee Urban was adopted into the Enhanced high society of the Asian Federation and forced to conceal her genetic roots. When her dream of attending Peking University becomes a reality, she is determined to go despite a warning from a mysterious source.  

Targeted by a hacker bent on exposing her true DNA, Urban faces off with an Artificial Intelligence Game that puts her—and her lies—to the test. What was supposed to be a dream come true turns into a lethal gamble of hide-and-seek with her genetics. Can Urban continue the act, or will the cracks in her story expose her and endanger her family?

Here’s what others have to say about ENHANCED…

“Full of action and high stakes, debut author Candace Kade spins an imaginative and futuristic tale of mystery, DNA and danger—don’t miss out!” – Nova McBee, award-winning author of the Calculated series

“Enhanced thrusts you into an impossible world that somehow feels all too familiar. Peppered with resonating truths about the direction of our society, this fascinating and imaginative story makes you rethink what could be feasible in the not so-distant-future. A must read for fans of young adult literature and science fiction!” – Lorie Langdon, author of the Disney Happily Never After Series 

“Pulling from her unique upbringing in Asia, Candace Kade brings to life diverse cultural and creative influences to craft a stunning urban sci-fi novel with a pulse-pounding story you won’t be able to put down.” – Kara Swanson, award-winning author of Dust and Shadow and co-founder of the Author Conservatory

Sound interesting? Pre-order ENHANCED here!

What is the great thing in your life you are called to? Are you pursuing it with every fiber in your being? Or are you settling for the good instead?

Leave the good for the great!

Candace signing off to celebrate this major milestone by making sourdough bread and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

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Giveaway and 6 Summer Reads You WON’T Want to Miss!

To celebrate the start of summer I wanted to do a round up of some epic reads and do a giveaway!

One reader will win their choice of one of the below books. All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter HERE for instructions on how to win. If you’re already subscribed, check your inbox for a message from me.

For those of you going on vacation or planning on turning that Casper-like complexion into a golden bronze, here’s a list of epic summer reads to take with you:

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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinderella retelling set in near future Beijing.

You know how people always say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well…I may have done that to Cinder. For a long time.

I’m embarrassed to admit that despite many people telling me I HAD to read this novel, I passed on it because the cover looked boring. But seriously! Who can blame me? It was a picture of a red high heel with some weird screws in it.

Then they did a cover refresh and it was a chick carrying a bazooka and with a robotic arm and I was like, “Heck yes! I’ll read this!” 

So…yeah. That happened.

Anyhow, I love this series so much! Even if you’re not a big fan of fairytale retellings, like me, you’ll love it! Each character is so loveable and relatable and the plot had me staying up waaaay too late reading. 

Disorder on the Court by Tamara Girardi

Sports lover’s dream!

I had the privilege of reading an advance reader copy and fell in love with this story! FYI this book isn’t available to the public until June but you can preorder it now!!

Let me preface this by saying I’m extremely competitive and hate any sport I lose. This means I absolutely loath mini golf and volleyball and you’ll be hard pressed to get me to play either one. 

When I found out this book was all about a volleyball player, I wasn’t sure if I’d get through it. Turns out, I loved it! Tamara not only made it simple for us non-volleyball folks to understand, she made it super interesting!

As an athlete, I could relate SO much to the main protagonist! But even if you’re not a sports lover, this book has it all; romance, family tension, and all the ups and downs of growing up.

Dust by Kara Swanson

Peter Pan retelling.

What if Peter Pan doomed Neverland and then got stuck in London growing old? This is the fascinating premise for Dust. If you aren’t able to travel this summer but wished you could, open this book and find yourself whisked away to London! Who says we have to grow up??

The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes

The Bachelor meets Hunger Games.

Hard to imagine? I thought so. This thrilling read is everything you want and more! Rich world building, lovable characters, and a desperate plot that will keep you devouring the pages.

I picked it up on a plane ride to Sweden and didn’t put it down until we landed. Even though I was super sleep deprived! I had to find out the fate of the princess and if she would be the one chosen by the eligible prince or if she’d be sacrificed to the gods!

Also, on a personal note, before her battle with cancer, I had the chance to meet the author, Lani Forbes. I cannot say enough good things about her. She was an incredible woman and stood strong and kept a positive attitude to the end. Buying this book is a great way to support the family she’s left behind.

Calculated by Nova McBee

The Count of Monte Cristo mixed with Mission Impossible and set-in modern-day Shanghai.

I might be a little biased since I grew up in China and have known the author, Nova McBee for years, but this is a MUST read!! A math prodigy who can see numbers and uses this gift like a super power, is one of the most unique and original premises I’ve read in a while.

Unlike most action stories, there are no cheap gun and explosion tactics used to garner action. There are however, LOTS of epic fight scenes and battle of wits. It’s no surprise this series is being turned into a movie! With the screen play writer Ann Peacock (Narnia) helping with the film, I simply cannot wait to see it in the theater!! 

Legend by Marie Lu

Les Misérables with dystopian vibes.

If you’re a fan of Les Misérables you’ll love this retelling with Day and June! The two main characters are brilliant and pitted against each other on opposite sides of the revolution. So much heart burn!!! I tore through this book and instantly bought the next in the series. Now, I buy pretty anything by Marie Lu. 

I hope you’ll love these books just as much as I do and find some time to go on new adventures this summer!

Stay in touch by using the hashtag #MisfitsTBRpile on Instagram so we can connect! Also, add me on GoodReads HERE if you want to see some of the other books I’ll be reading this summer!

Signing off to take in the sunset, Candace

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The End of the Book Scavenger Hunt

You made it to the end—congrats! If you’ve just arrived via LinkedIn, feel free to work your way backwards. Start HERE for a chance to win 11 other books I’m giving away!

Today’s final prize is 6 sci-fi/fiction books and 1 short story (see picture below) all by Enclave Authors! To win, head over to my Instagram and follow the authors listed in the post. For additional entries, tag a friend! Each additional tag is an extra entry to win!

For those of you completing the scavenger hunt, BE SURE TO ALSO ANSWER THIS QUESTION IN THE COMMENTS:

“How many books do you typically read in one year?”

This question will NOT be posted on Instagram until AFTER someone has answered the question and thus won the early bird prize.

The FIRST person to have completed all three sections of the scavenger hunt will also receive a notebook, honey, and tea! Here’s what I’ll be looking for. Did you…

Sign up for Nova, Lauren, and my newsletters ?Follow the authors on today’s Instagram post ?Answer the question above on today’s Instagram post ?

That’s it! May the odds be in your favor!

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Celebrate with Candace Kade!

Today I have BIG news… I’m getting published! Ahhhh! I signed a three-book deal with Enclave for my sci-fi trilogy!

To celebrate, I want to give back to my community. You all have helped me so much and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. So, whether you’re an old friend, critique partner, beta reader, or just stumbled across my name today, thank you for supporting this newbie author.

Now for the good stuff! To celebrate I’m giving away a TON of epic books over the next three days! It’s like a book giveaway scavenger hunt of sorts. See the hint at the bottom of this post for the clue to tomorrow’s giveaway.

For today’s giveaway of 9 SIGNED BOOKS, sign up for my newsletter and you’ll be entered for a chance to win!

Two lucky winners will win a whole bookshelf worth of novels:

The Story Peddler: The Weaver Trilogy book 1 by Lindsay A. FranklinMortal Sight: The Colliding Line book 1 by Sandra Fernandez RhoadsDust: Heirs of Neverland book 1 by Kara SwansonThe Storyteller’s Daughter by Victoria McCombsOf Fire and Ash: The Fireborn Epic book 1 by Gillian Bronte AdamsSecrets in the Mist: Skyworld book 1 by Morgan L. BusseWolf Soldier: Lightraider Academy book 1 by James R. HannibalCoral by Sara EllaThe Vault Between Spaces by Chawna Schroeder

The cool thing is, each of these books are written by other amazing Enclave authors! So regardless of whether you win or not, if you enjoy clean sci-fi and/or fantasy, I encourage you to check them out!

The path to publishing is often long, lonely, and hard. When I set out on it in high school, I promised myself I’d never give up. There were definitely many times along the way I wanted to quit, the rejections nearly got to me, I doubted myself, or never thought this dream would be a reality. 

But I’m living proof that perseverance can get you there. It may have taken me fifteen years of blood, sweat, and tears but I made it. And yes, literally blood. Who knew fight scenes would be so hard to write and would require training in martial arts?? After six incredible years of krav maga I may have gotten a little carried away…

Now, I can’t wait for my book to come out next year and for you to read it! For all of you out there still grinding away at your own passion projects—don’t give up. One day you’ll reach that goal. You’ll look back and it will all be worth it!

HINT for the next giveaway… go to The Spinning Pen on Feb. 23rd and read that day’s post!

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Who Believes In You?

“Someone must have really believed in you.”

I was at a family reunion this summer when one of my relatives said this to me.

We were talking about writing and how ten months ago, I quit my stable career at a Fortune 500 company to become a full-time writer.

A fellow creative, my relative said he understood how hard of a decision that must have been and how, in order to make it, someone must have had a lot of confidence in my writing abilities.

I thought back to on my choice and realized he was absolutely right.

A year ago, when I was struggling to find time to write amidst 12–14-hour work days, I called my writing mentor. I was talking to her about the constant struggle to find time to work on my novels and she asked me a shocking question: “Why don’t you quit your job and write full time?”

After a stunned moment of silence, I responded. “I don’t know.”

Up until that point in my career, it wasn’t financially viable for me to quit. But now…

“Do you think I should?” I asked. Aka, am I crazy, am I good enough, is it worth my time, do you think this will go anywhere?

My mentor responded: “Yes. Do it.”

So I prayed about it. I talked to my husband, other mentors, family and friends about it. Almost everyone said the same thing—now is the time, go for it. As one of my brother’s said;

“You can try it, and if it’s not for you, corporate America will always be there. But if you don’t try it, you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what would have happened.”

Because I don’t want to live with regrets, or let fear stop me, and because becoming an author has been my passion and dream since high school, I made my decision. One month later, I was meeting with HR and signing my resignation paperwork with shaky hands.

If it hadn’t been for my mentor who had the faith in me to even suggest I leave my job, I probably wouldn’t have ever thought to do it. And if it hadn’t been for the confidence of my family and friends, I probably wouldn’t have followed through with it. The writing life is hard, I won’t sugar coat it. We need people to come around us and encourage us.

In my corporate experience, I’ve worked some insane hours, sometimes in my second language. I’ve had to give last minute presentations to top executives, run meetings where zoom wasn’t cooperating, and take over jobs for three individuals and do them–all at once. I’ve even worked immediately after major surgery and had to cut back on all my pain meds so I’d be lucid enough to function. That was painful. And those are just a few of my roles.

Basically, I’ve done some really hard things over my six years of work in corporate. But none of it compares to writing. Writing is by far the hardest job I’ve ever done.

It’s hard because there are no milestones, key performance indicators, quarterly check ins, or clear ROIs. Metrics are hard to set and harder to track. There is no objective standard of good for a book. What one reader might think is a brilliant story, the next person might hate.

It’s so subjective. And when you’re working on a book and it just isn’t quite working, you can’t just google the answer, form a project plan, task force, or talk to industry expert to get the answer. Often times, you’re on your own.

Creative endeavors are hard.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re also a blast. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to spend every day writing. But that doesn’t make it easy. Writing is not for the faint of heart.

It took my mentor and the people around me having faith in me for me to even consider doing it full time.

Thank you Nova McBee, Robinson clan, James, and Hilary. Thank you for believing in me.

Who do you have in your life who believes in you?

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Do What Scares You

Above is the Chinese word for crisis. The first character, 危 or wei, means “dangerous.” The second, 機 or ji, means “opportunity.” Put those two words together and you have crisis.

I learned this word while I was living in Beijing last year. It was risky moving to Beijing to work in an all-Chinese office using my second language, taking on a completely new role, while in the middle of a serious relationship, and with zero friends or network there to support me. When my health failed, my long-distance relationship wavered, and the program that sent me was dissolved, I arrived at a crisis. 

If you look at the Chinese character for “crisis,” there’s two ways of thinking about interpreting it. One, a crisis is something dangerous, to be feared, and to run away from. Two, a crisis is an opportunity to embrace. In reality though, a crisis is usually a bit of both.

The crisis I faced in Beijing led to some incredible things in my life. Because of it, I ended up moving to a new part of the business I probably wouldn’t otherwise have moved to (shout out to all my friends in SB!). My relationship (with my now husband) became deeper. I grew on a personal level in so many ways. My time in Beijing was a time you could not pay me to relive. It’s also a time I wouldn’t trade for the world.

2020 is another one of those years. A crisis year.

So, I’ve started searching for the opportunities. I started thinking about the possibility of using this year to step back from the frantic pace of life and pursue my dream of writing full time. The possibility of this new life is terrifying but I once heard someone say:

 

“Do what scares you most.”

 

I agree. If what you’re chasing after doesn’t scare you, you’re not reaching high enough.

Seeing a crisis as an opportunity involves a great deal of risk. It’s a scary thing. If I avoided the things that scared me, I never would have gone to graduate school, taken half the roles I did at Dell, moved overseas, dated, gotten married, learned Krav Maga, and done many other things that ended up being some of the best experiences of my life.

Quitting a great corporate job, with a steady paycheck, in the middle of a pandemic when people are losing their jobs is a scary thing.

 

It’s also an opportunity.

 

It’s all a matter of how you look at the crisis. For me, I’d rather give my dream everything I have and fall flat on my face than walk through life with a constant “what if?” in the back of my mind.

We all face a crisis in life. The question is, will we let the fear of danger cow us into taking the path of least resistance? Or will we be true to ourselves, take calculated risks, and pursue the things we know we were made for?

For me, I’m choosing the latter.

In this time when many are in a crisis, I encourage you to think of this:

“What are you afraid of?”

 

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Candace, signing off to start day one of her writing career.

 

 

 

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I’m Back and with Big News!

Why have I been MIA for a little while and what have I been up to?

Oh you know, I just changed jobs EIGHT times (reorgs, not my fault!), moved six times, traveled to nine countries, picked up Jiu-jitsu, moved to China for nine months, and got married (during COVID I might add-which is a post for a whole other time)!

All minor changes.

In the book world, I also have some exciting news. I started a totally new series and genre. I never thought I’d write this but well, it just kind of came out! My new genre is….

SCI-FI!!!

Sci-fi set in the futuristic equivalent of Beijing I might add. Why the shift?

Well, since I grew up in China, I’ve always wanted to write a story set in Asia. So when I moved to Beijing a year and a half ago, I knew the timing was right. There was inspiration lurking at every street corner and tea shop. I knew I would be in China for only about a year and wanted to use that time to write the story.

So I did!

Here’s the synopsis to my latest novel, titled ENHANCED:

Urban Lee lives in the United Provinces of Asia in 2121. She’s heading to Peking University soon, where she’ll be surrounded by her genetically enhanced peers. Hoping to find answers about her past and blend in with society, what she finds instead is a killer workload and troubling discoveries about her origins.

I’m currently working fast and furiously to get it cleaned up enough to submit to Pitch Wars. If I’m MIA for the rest of the summer, now you know why.

Candace signing off to hopefully get some sleep after a long week of starting yet another new job.

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How to Make Your Book’s Beginning Stand Out

What do Harry Potter, Princess Bride, Game of Thrones, and Leap Year all have in common?

No, only two of them have cult like followings…

The correct answer is they were all filmed in Ireland! Never been there? Its dizzying 300 foot cliffs, ancient fortresses, battle worn castles, and stunning green pastures were incredible!

Why was I there? In search of the leprechauns of course. That, and with the high hopes of improving my accent…

I went for a week long writing conference hosted by the Ireland Write Tours. This year’s conference speakers were none other than the fantastic Lori Langdon and Heather Webb.

I’ve just spent the past few days drinking from the fire hydrant of writing knowledge. Having survived that, I wanted to pass on what I learned to any other writers embarking upon the most amazing and frustrating adventure of a lifetime.

Today’s post is about the advice Heather and Lori had on the art of the start.

Why does this matter?

Society has no patience.

Everyone wants not instant gratification, but simultaneous gratification. They want to watch that show right now on TV, while ordering something on Amazon Prime that will arrive within the hour, all while skyping a friend on their iPad, reviewing their Fitbit steps, and bossing Alexa around.

Heaven forbid the wifi go down because everyone’s multi-tasking lives would be in shambles. (I can attest to the level of devastation that ensues as this happened to me at work yesterday. I now have an apocalypse plan set in place).

Your readers have no patience either.

You have to hook them immediately or else, I fear, you’ve lost them to the interwebs forever.

Just like most things in life, first impressions count. You have to impress your reader from the get go. I love how Heather framed our task as writers:

“Think of it like a resume. You’re showing the good stuff right up front.” – Heather

This is the time to pull out all the stops! You may have a fantastic scene you are in love with on page 245 but if you haven’t shown your reader from the start you’re worth reading, no one will ever see it.

So, how to do that? Start with…

The hook

No, no, not that kind. Sorry, martial arts fanatic here.

Fun (but mostly scary) fact: your hook starts in the first sentence.

Or at least it should. In your very first sentence, your reader needs a compelling reason to keep going instead of picking up their phone and scrolling through TikTok or checking Facebook.

If you’re starting with a mundane activity, dialog, or something else otherwise boring, may the odds be in your favor! But I wouldn’t count on people sticking around…

One of my new awesome writing friends explained her book selecting process to me. If the cover is awesome, she’ll open it. Next, she’ll read just the first sentence. If she likes that, she’ll keep going. If not…

It’s over.

She’s not the only one. Within the first few sentences you need to hook your reader. They have to crave more. If you’re going to compete (and win) against major social media giants you have to beat them at their own game.

Social media platforms “hook” their readers by creating a sense of FOMO or in other words Fear Of Missing Out. “If I don’t scroll down a little bit further I might miss a life changing dog meme!”

So, can you do the same in your book?

Improving your first sentence

The first sentence is where you start showing the magic. Modest is NOT hottest when it comes to books. Don’t be afraid to show off a little!

The most important thing to remember here is don’t get too attached to whatever you write for that killer opening line.

I know. You spent a full hour on it and all your friends told you it was great. But here’s the thing, many times you won’t be able to write a worthy opening line until you’ve finished your first draft.

Why? Because it needs to be reflective of your tone and story and those come after the first draft.

In the meantime, what else can you do?

Use vivid language. This doesn’t mean you need to be the next Tolkien nor does it mean you should write page long paragraphs of prose. This is also genre specific but even if you’re writing middle grade fiction, use some colorful imagery.

Keep it snappy. Look out for overly complex sentences in the first paragraph. Make your first liner brief and memorable.

Most importantly, use the hook. We already talked about this. Enough said.

Set the stage

Ever had someone take a quick pass at your first chapter and totally miss the genre? “What? This is sci-fi? I totally thought it was romance novel.” Womp. Womp. No one wants that.

Only you can prevent this from happening. Your first chapter is critical in setting the stage for what type of book it is.

Here’s a quick checklist of things you need to have answered in the first few pages:

Who’s the protagonist and what are they like? What’s their gender? Age?Why should the reader care about the protagonist? What’s their goal/motivation?Where is the story taking place?What’s the time period?What’s the tone? Is this light-hearted and funny? Suspenseful?

Did you answer those questions in your first few pages? Great! Now, let’s take a look at a few things not to do.

What not to do…

In your first few pages please spare the reader from:

Long clunky sentencesHeavy slang, dialect, or fantasy elementsInformation dumpDream sequencesFalse sense of suspense

I think those should all be pretty self-explanatory except perhaps the last two techniques.

Lori and Heather suggested shying away from using dream sequences since they have been worn thin. Countless writer’s already use them and if you’re goal is to impress and stand out to your reader, you’ve already failed them with a dream sequence.

False suspense is never good and you shouldn’t be using it. What I mean by this, is withholding information that’s actually quite critical to understanding the story. Remember, you want to create FOMO, not an anxiety disorder.

Hopefully, these tips can help you as you work to craft a powerful start to your book. Thanks Lori and Heather for imparting upon us your wisdom!

*Sigh* Well, as all good things must, my time in Ireland has come to an end. I’m now back to the daily sauna treatment I call my car.

Until next time, Candace.

Exercise

Because I’m a huge fan of practicing what you preach, I’m going to start adding in a section at the end of my blogs where you (and I) can practice some of these things I talked about. So, courtesy of Heather and Lori, here’s today’s exercise.

Answer the following questions for your book:

What’s gripping about your first line?Does it leave us with a question?Does your first paragraph leave us with a question?What’s the hook in your first scene?What’s your protagonist’s goal in the first scene?What clues do you use to indicate there is more to come for this character?Can you identify the opposing force of the antagonist in the opening scene?

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