Writing and rewriting

It's a constant process. You may get all the way through your writing project and realize some portion needs a total rewrite. Maybe the opening isn't working for you or something just doesn't match up to the character. Either way, rewriting is a necessity in all writers' lives.

Currently, thanks to having a couple people to read and critique, I've discovered that the opening to the Chessmen, just doesn't work. It doesn't have enough of a hook to keep the reader into it. The idea was sound and makes sense, but I've likely just chosen the wrong place for it. So, it's back to the drawing board for the opening. Not too much trouble really. I know what I'm going to do.

What I did, was explain what Chess means to the planet Chyssia. As I've discovered, explanations as openers just don't cut it. Not enough action and not enough of any hint to what's coming in the real story.

What your writing has to grab a reader from page one. The very first sentence can make or break you. Well, maybe more like the first paragraph or page, but you get the point. Of course you have to consider your audience and what they may be looking for. People who want romances aren't necessarily looking for an opener with someone fleeing down a hallway in stark terror (unless that's what the story involves, of course).

That's the bottom line, what is your story and what emotions do you want to convey? How can you stir up your reader and keep them interested? So that's where my rewriting is. I am about to go through my book again to look for derailments and fix the opener. That's the process of writing. You tweak it until you get it right.

Soon, I'm going to go into another series of characters that deserve attention to explain how interaction gave birth to many new characters. I also want to do something interactive with my universe to get people involved. The idea for this came from that other group of characters.

Till then, be sure to visit the fan page for Galaxy Zento! New art posted there daily! And, as always, support autism education and awareness.