The Rough Draft Is Done! Want a Sneak Preview?

Now It's Time to Revise and I Need Your Help!

 

Here's What to Look For in a Successful Chapter One:


It must describe the setting
Introduce the major characters
Sketch the situation they face (the conflict)
And most importantly hook the reader into coming along for the ride.

The first chapter of a sequel has its own special challenges.

All the above must be present, but the backstory of the first book must also be

woven in.

 It must be done sparingly and logically, because no one likes to have huge junks of backstory clumsily dumped on them.

It must give the backstory without annoying the reader who hasn’t read the first book.
Even though the sequel is an extension of the first book, it must be able to stand alone as a complete story.

 

Please take a sneak peak of chapter one and then let me know if I have achieved the goals above.  Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you.
Download HONOR AT STAKE ch 1

 

Please discuss it in the comment section below this post. Here are some questions to get you started, but feel free to comment about anything you like.

Have I left out any important factors from Time and Again that readers will need to know?
Does chapter one of Honor at Stake make sense without having read the first book?
Does it bog down or annoy you with excessive explanations about the first book?
Does it make you want to read the first book?
Are there any unclear sentences?
Any word choices that you find jarring?
Any passages that drag?
Any characters who don’t seem realistic or believable?
The contemporary part of the story has four plot threads, three of which are presented in chapter one. Does chapter one clearly hint at them?
The romantic subplot of Abby and John’s relationship
Merri and her dysfunctional family situation
Convincing John the computer program really does allow for virtual time travel