I recently finished my first book, The Lighthouse Legacy. I mean, really finished it. I thought it was finished about two years ago, but I was never happy with the opening. Convincing myself that it was fine, I began sending a few query letters out to agents. It was then that it hit me. If an agent requested my first 50 pages, those first 50 pages just weren’t good enough to get a manuscript request. I had to do something. So . . . I sat on it. You know, I did nothing. I knew it needed work, but I didn’t know what to do with it.
A few weeks ago I participated in a beach glass jewelry making class offered at the local public library. A day later it dawned on me that my character could do the same, and it would set up the rest of my story perfectly! So like Joyce Carol Oates said, “The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.” Apparently that was true for me, at least for this book. The final sentence was written long before the beginning scene took shape. You never know when or where inspiration will hit. If you are a writer and are struggling with your beginning, hopefully you’ll find it without waiting as long as I did.
We all like happy endings, but I’m happy I’ve found my beginning!
Happy writing and reading,
Robin