Let's say you have a great idea for a novel. Yours is fresh perspective that you just know will make your book stand out from the rest. What now?

A lot of writers start writing from the beginning, chapter one, page one. There is nothing wrong with this unless, like me, you get hung up on a perfect opening. That first sentence has to do so much: entice, suggest, set the stage for the world the book will inhabit. And then, ugh, if that first chapter falters the rest of it is so hard to write.

It doesn't matter that we know we will have to revise and that it's okay to let the first draft just hang out there, warts and all. For some of us, working with the ugly, tangled mess of a first draft can be enough to stop us writing altogether. It's discouraging.

If any of this is familiar to you, here's something to try. Get out a notebook or open a blank document and get ready to dig deep. Write the name of your book—a working title is fine. Your byline and the genre. Now, roll up your sleeves.

• What is the main character's arc of change? Who is your protagonist before the story starts and what do they want? Write down the external desires: Money, a new job, a friend. Write down the internal desires: Success, love, a sense of belonging, revenge. Consider (and write down): When the story is over, how have they changed? Did they get what they wanted? Did it make them feel the way they expected it would?
• What is the main conflict? What is keeping your protagonist from getting what they want? Be specific about both the external and internal roadblocks.
• What is the story's timeline? Over what amount of time does your story take place? (Days, months, years?)
• What is the plot? In five sentences or less, sketch out what happens in your story.

This is an abbreviated version of a much more detailed blueprint exercise (developed by Jennie Nash at Author Accelerator) that I work on with writing clients. The magic of this blueprint is that it helps you see the 30,000-foot view of your novel. This exercise gives you a true north, something to aim for when you realize your first chapter is, for example, all scene with no hint of conflict.

Try it and let me know how it goes! Even if you are into second or third revisions, this exercise can be helpful, especially if you haven't considered these questions before. And if you want to go deeper into the blueprint, reply to this email and we'll talk.

Read.

I just finished reading the delightful The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. The novel is about PJ Halliday, a man in his sixties, who finds himself in charge of two young children who have lost their parents in a murder-suicide. They set out on a roadtrip so PJ can declare his undying love to his recently widowed high school sweetheart. Adventures ensue.

Yes, there is tough subject matter here but the characters are so funny and vulnerable that it makes the difficult parts easier to handle. I can just see a movie adaptation with PJ Halliday played by Jeff Bridges. The only bone I have to pick with the book is that I felt it drove home the emotional parts of the book too hard, even repeating some of the same internal wrestlings several times. (If you're a distracted reader you might not notice this!)

Overall, though, I liked this one a bunch. It's just the kind of thing to read during troubling times.

Other recommended reading/viewing:

• Agent Carly Watters on why you should not go public about your book being out on submission. (Instagram)
• My literary fiction is more literary than yours: Attempting to sort out what "literary fiction" is and why we keep arguing about it (Substack)
• Choosing the right developmental editor for your writing (Brevity Blog)

Keep writing,