REORDERING EVENTS
I've always known that the first four chapters of my first novel were the weakest. Despite all the time and effort I'd put in to editing this material, the story never seemed to take off until the beginning of Chapter 6.
I was on the verge of scrapping the first four chapters, and doing a complete rewrite, when I had a eureka moment. I realised that by reordering some of the events in the story, I could make the early chapters much stronger.
The first chapter only required minor editing.
I was on the verge of scrapping the first four chapters, and doing a complete rewrite, when I had a eureka moment. I realised that by reordering some of the events in the story, I could make the early chapters much stronger.
The first chapter only required minor editing.
Chapter 2 contained elements which I didn't like, and so I decided to keep the first two scenes and take out the rest.
I then removed a scene from Chapter 3, and added what was left to the first two scenes from Chapter 2.
I renumbered Chapter 4 as Chapter 3, and kept the first half. The second half of this chapter was replaced by material from the second half of Chapter 6.
I discarded the whole of Chapter 5, and the first half of Chapter 6.
My new Chapter 4 now consists of the second half of Chapter 7, which has a sufficient page count to stand alone, although it is now my shortest chapter.
I then renumbered all of the remaining chapters accordingly.
The result of the exercise has made the first part of the story much more exciting than it was. Some of the material I took out has been reworked into other parts of the MS in appropriate places.
I
I then removed a scene from Chapter 3, and added what was left to the first two scenes from Chapter 2.
I renumbered Chapter 4 as Chapter 3, and kept the first half. The second half of this chapter was replaced by material from the second half of Chapter 6.
I discarded the whole of Chapter 5, and the first half of Chapter 6.
My new Chapter 4 now consists of the second half of Chapter 7, which has a sufficient page count to stand alone, although it is now my shortest chapter.
I then renumbered all of the remaining chapters accordingly.
The result of the exercise has made the first part of the story much more exciting than it was. Some of the material I took out has been reworked into other parts of the MS in appropriate places.
I
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