I host a free webinar free webinar series called Fifty First Chapters: Make Yours Stand Out. Come learn to advertise early your most interesting characters, your coolest action scenes, and the deepest irony of your premise.

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When your reader scopes your first chapter, imagine it like he’s trying to get a date.  Does he pick the cute girl studying in the corner, or the gal who announces she’s new in town, has tickets to a hockey game, and is dying to try the local food rave?  You know the answer. He goes for the girl who’s ready to live a new story, and yes, he goes for a first chapter that promises the same.

Is it depressing to invent all that coolness and figure out how to show it off in the first 12-20 pages AND set up a story arc, theme, and inner conflict at the same time?

Heck, no! I love first chapters!

First chapters are so full of promise that sometimes readers cheat on their existing books just to ride the first-chapter wave all over again with a new one.  Not me.  I break-up first.

All of the previous sessions are available on YouTube. The links are below.

This seminar is hosted by a former grand prize winner of the LDStorymakers First Chapter contest.  (That’s me.)  But listen to how cool this is.  Heather, my typical co-host, is also a grand prize winner. She happens to be my best friend. Coincidence, in this case, rocks.  Two!  Two grand prize winners!

Session 1: Make Yours Stand Out; Handout for Session 1

Session 2: Theme and Inner Conflict; Handout for Session 2

Session 3: The Right Opening Scene; Handout for Session 3

Session 4: Depth; Handout for Session 4

Session 5: Humor; Handout for Session 5

Session 6: Emotional Beats; Handout for Session 6

Session 7: Final Checklist; Handout for Session 7

Session 8: Pitching to an Agent; (No handout for Session 8)

Session 9: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Logline; Handout for Sessions 9-11

Session 10: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Beats; Handout for Sessions 9-11

Session 11: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Theme Part 1

Session 11: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Theme Part 2

Session 11: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Theme Part 3

Session 11: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Theme Part 4

Session 11: Plan Your Novel in 3 Weeks: Theme Part  5; Handout for Sessions 9-11

Session 12: Show Don’t Tell Part 1; Handout for Session 12

Session 12: Show Don’t Tell Part 2

Special Session 13, sponsered by Romance Writers of America, Utah Chapter: Emotional Beats in Romance; Handout for Session 13

Special Session 14, sponsered by Romance Writers of America, Utah Chapter: Story Progression through Emotional Beats; Handout for Session 14