Imagine the scene. You are sitting at your desk, coffee in hand, staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper. Chapter One blinks back, taunting you to write. You may not even have the characters fully formed but have an idea of the novel you wish to create. And then….you sit and stare as you struggle to draft the opening sentence. And when inspiration comes, the floodgates open and the novel flows. This also applies to each chapter, and what I’ve found which works for me is to mix descriptive or dramatic openings with speech. I have read in so many places that to open a chapter with speech is taboo – well not for me as I feel it works well provided it is used in moderation. It gets the plot moving and engages the reader, so it is one of the mechanisms I use when I have metaphorical pencil chewing moments that can last a while at times! And yes, my latest novel Sweet Redemption which is due for release in November opens with a conversation on a rooftop terrace in Los Angeles. Perhaps I have the confidence to break the rules whatever the rules may be – but for me, if it works, then use it and I would urge fellow authors to follow their gut instinct and do the same!
I am currently working on my fourth contemporary romance novel entitled ‘Finding Our Forever’ with our hero and heroine, Beau and Dana. It is set in the rolling fields and pastures of a Texas ranch and is due for release either late this year or early next year. But in the meantime, Sweet Redemption is due out in November and you can find my first two novels here – Love Song, with Ruby, and Benjamin and Love Is Never Lost, with Ruby and Benjamin.