From as long as I can remember, I’ve known the rules of what a first paragraph should be. That it needs to grab the reader and make them want to continue to read the next paragraph, then the next one and so on, and so on… In fact from what teachers have told me I’ve actually done a good job of writing attention grabbing first paragraphs. But that still doesn’t keep me from worrying about the one I’m about to write. And I bet my fellow writing friends feel the same way when they’re about to embark on a new writing project.
I can’t provide examples of those first paragraphs. But I’m sure everyone has read one that made them sit up and take notice, because it was so good it gave you goose bumps. The thing is I could let these challenges cause me to develop writers block if I let myself worry about writing a great first paragraph when I sit down to start writing the first chapter.
But I already have that covered, since I plan on telling my internal editor, critic, and challengers to take a hike while I write the rough draft. It’s what all writers usually have to do to allow the storyteller in them to have full rein to create. I’ve also found in this letting go process and after getting the creative mind warmed up real magic seems to happen.
Yes I want to write a great first paragraph, first chapter and hopefully even a killer first sentence, but I don’t expect it while writing the rough draft of this novel.