Sandi Underwood, Guest Author of Middle Grade Fiction

Author Nancy Kelly Allen featured me in her latest blog-

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Sandi Underwood, Guest Author of Middle Grade Fiction

What an exciting day for me! The super-talented author of children’s books and adult novels, 

Sandi Underwood, is my guest.

NKA: Welcome, Sandi. You have exciting news—a new book. Congratulations! Tell us about it.

SU: Thank you, Nancy. It’s good to be a published writer again – especially after the past two years we’ve had! The writing industry, like everything else, was hit hard during the Pandemic, but my new book fits right in there as ‘stranger than strange.’

I received an email from a publisher on New Year’s Day 2020 offering a contract. Now here’s where the strange part comes in: I had only submitted a cover letter and the first three chapters of ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, a coming-of-age story with sinister undertones. The editor provided a phone number and asked me to call at my convenience. Lucky me, it was convenient that very next day, and when I asked if she was sure she wanted my book (I don’t recommend that question to a would-be publisher under normal circumstances!), she gave an emphatic, “yes!”

Never one to be outdone, I argued that I had only submitted the first three chapters. She informed me it was exactly what she was looking for. To sum up, I wound up sending the remainder of the story, along with a signed contract. I doubt that will ever happen again; but if it were to, I will never argue with a Publisher over whether they made a mistake in offering a contract—especially in this topsy-turvy world of publishing that we have come to know.

NKA: This book is a story that touches our emotions on a deep level and is a story that needs to be told, and what a cover. It's beautiful. What gave you the idea for the characters and plot?

SU: I would be less than truthful if I said I had a clear-cut answer to that question. I started out writing a story based on an actual situation, but the final product took wings and veered slightly off-course. ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN is about the painful period of time known as adolescence—a time when insecurities and peer pressure rule the day. Drawing on my own experience as a ‘PK’ (Preacher’s Kid), I identified with my main character in thinking others were born with that proverbial ‘silver spoon’ in their mouths, while I had less…friends, opportunities…stuff. Of course, looking back I realize what a perfect childhood I had and, to be honest, I never missed out on much. In the book’s dedication, I acknowledge my loving home and parents for raising me in a safe environment. Not all children have that. Certainly not one character in my book!

NKA: You have other books, too. What are their titles and for what age groups are they written?

SU: I love all genres. I love to read them, and I love to write them. My first book was a children’s book, a Sci-fi Mystery of sorts about ‘shapeshifters’, of all things. THE SECRET AT ONE BELMONT LANE, was written for my second grandson. He was of the age that enjoyed all things weird and bizarre, and I wanted to write a book he would read.

Next book to be published was the first in The Baker Manor Series, BLOOD MONEY. It’s a paranormal romance-mystery that tells the story of a kindergarten teacher that led a happy life until she became an heiress of a vast fortune. After that, unexplained accidents and broken trusts turned her happy life upside down until that fatal night when she stared evil in the face. The Baker Series continues with books #2 and #3, unpublished as of yet.

My third book MOUNTAIN LAUREL, is the story of my parents’ first date, and the setting is pure Appalachia. I drew on family tales that were passed down from both Mom and Dad with the hopes of preserving them for my grandchildren. I enjoy reading this book over and over as it conjures up memories of hearing them for the first time.

NKA: You’ve been a busy gal. Any new books on the horizon?

SU: Book #2 of The Baker Manor Series is finished, and I’m smack-dab in the middle of the final one. I say that, but I’ve grown so familiar with the Baker family, I can’t bear to say goodbye to them. Who knows where that story will really end??? I also have a book, ON THE BANKS OF THE NOLICHUCKY, a fictional story about the young Davy Crockett that is under contract, but no publication date has been announced. And finally, I am playing with the idea of combining two unfinished manuscripts into one. That remains to be seen or, in this case, written.

NKA: I love your books. You use a wide variety of writing techniques in creating interesting characters and plots that amp up the tension in your stories and snag readers’ attention. Would you share a couple of writing tips with us?

SU: In a nutshell, when a new storyline pops into my head, I begin with my main character (MC) by asking myself: Who, What, Where, When & Why?

My MC needs someone to feed off. A love interest? A BFF? A stalker? Honestly, my mind goes immediately to the stalker because I like edge-of-seat mysteries. Once decided, I have two individuals that allow me to begin character sketches—one or two descriptive words to get started, but by the time I’m well into the story and added several more characters, these can turn into lengthy bios.
At this point, I carve out a rustic outline–sometimes just a beginning, a middle (a thought or two that will move the story forward), and an ending (not everything all tied up with a bow at this point, just whether the MC lives happily ever after…or not.

All this before I write the first paragraph, which is without a doubt the most re-written paragraph in the entire story. But that’s a whole separate blog post!

I truly think the reason I love writing adult fiction is due to something you once said: Chase your main characters up a tree and throw rocks at them. (I believe you were quoting someone else, so I acknowledge the fact you and I both are plagiarizing!) I get the most joy writing what I enjoy reading and when life becomes predictable and humdrum for my characters, it’s time to shake it up a bit. Plotting is a fun pasttime for me. I tend to create two or three different paths for each character and hang onto the one that interests me most. At that point, I become the reader. If I listed one bit of advice to a new writer it would be: Write what you enjoy reading.
 
NKA: Great advice. Keeping readers on the edge of their seats is what holds their attention from the first page through the last. I’m sure people would like to know where can we find your books? 

SU: My latest book, ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, is available on Amazon at:
On A Scale Of One To Ten or as with any of my books, to get a signed copy, email me at www.sandiu.comcast.net or check out my website at www.sandiunderwood.net

NKA: Thanks, Sandi, for telling us about your books and giving us valuable writing tips by sharing your writing process. ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN is one of the best middle-grade books I’ve read, so I highly recommend it. I hope you visit again.

SU: Definitely!

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 50 children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY. Check out her website at www.nancykellyallen.com

 

 

 

 After a scary pandemic and quite a long dry spell of zero blogging, I'm baaaaack! I, like every other writer I know, spent that time wondering if things would ever get back to normal. I am happy to announce my latest book, ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, is available on Amazon and next week I will be interviewed by author Nancy Allen. I hope to post that interview here, so be on the lookout for juicy little details about my new book. But here's a sneak peak at the front & back covers.

 

I was a guest on Nancy Kelly Allen's blog this week to discuss my third book, MOUNTAIN LAUREL. Check it out at https://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com

January 21, 2019: Unto everything, there is a season…and just like that, this season became my writing harvest. After not writing last weekend, I spent a good deal of BIC this past week and churned out some good work. Recently someone told me they are interested in writing and really wanted to pursue it. I asked what stage is your manuscript? She replied, “Oh, I haven’t written anything yet, it’s all in my head.” I replied, “Then you are not a writer…you’re a thinker.” Folks, get it on paper. In any format. In any length. In any stage. Remember the first rule of writing: You need a beginning, a middle, and an end. Start with an outline and build from there. On book three of the Baker Manor Series, it’s in the roughest draft form--basically, three sentences. I have a beginning, a middle (barely) and an ending that consists of seven words. Even that early stage is an outline. It’s minimal, I agree, but I know how the story begins, where it will go, and the big mind-blowing, I didn’t see that coming, ending. All that in three sentences. By the time I finish it, the word count will be closer to eighty thousand, but by that simple outline, I have a manuscript in the making. Whatever works for you, whether it is recording the outline on your phone, jotting down a rough outline with pen and ink, or (like me) creating a Word document, begin with action, end each chapter with a cliff-hanger, and by the end of the story, tell the reader who-what-where-when-and-why. Then, you’ll be a writer!

January 14, 2019: Week two of hearing great reviews from Blood Money, and while I’m enjoying the praise, I’m also feeling the pressure of finishing book number two in the series. Will it deliver? Will people come away feeling book two wasn’t as good as the first? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? But then, I digress…sometimes just to stop fretting over the fact I spent almost the entire weekend NOT writing. So much depends on whether or not Alex and whoever move forward with their lives (and no, I’m NOT answering any of your questions!) while leaving my readers feeling pumped and wanting more. The pressure is real, folks; but I need to take my own advice: BIC and Write The @#$% Book! Here are some hints I hope helps me do just that. The rule of threes: Set aside some specific time each day/week. Be committed to work on a specific number of pages each session. Get the story on paper, revise later. With that in mind, “I hope To Be Half-finished By Friday.” That could be the title of a hit song. Hmmm…maybe I’ll add song writing to my repertoire. (I told you I digress…)

 January 8, 2019:

Happy New Year to all! After a long hiatus, I’m ready to jump back in to writing and revising. My second book, Blood Money, came out December 10^th and I’m hearing great reviews, which is wonderful--what every writer wants. One lady told me she loved every bit of my book except one section…and wouldn’t you know that one section is my least favorite, as well. It’s the bit on PTSD-which is a sad and sorrowful backstory for one of my characters. I struggled over including it, but in the end, I did as a nod to our Veterans who still struggle with PTSD. Sometimes, you just can’t sugarcoat. Sometimes, the truth just needs to be told. Another friend told me she was unhappy with the fiancé. I assured her so was I. I also told her I talked to him several times about his attitude, but didn’t get anywhere. I welcome all comments from my readers, good or bad, and enjoy discussing the writing process. Throwing words on paper doesn’t even begin to describe what is involved in creating a worthy story--worthy of someone’s time to read. Every word is weighed, every scenario is analyzed, and oftentimes, huge chunks never make it to the final revision. My publisher recently asked for a one-liner about Blood Money and after much consideration, I came up with the following: I try very hard to write stories I’m not ashamed for my grandchildren to read. I realize that quote won’t go down in history as profound or life changing, but it is important to me to tell a credible story, to write about real situations that people want to read, without compromising my ethics. There is still an audience who appreciates less graphic language that leaves something to the imagination. I strive to be that author.

November 26, 2018: The Book Signing of Christmas Past−As I approach my second book’s release date (BLOOD MONEY, TWRP) on December 10, 2018, I can only think back to my very first book signing last year for my very first book, and make a list and check it twice for future signings:

·        If outside, the temperature should be ABOVE freezing

·        Portable heaters should be present and nearby, as in under my feet

·        Free hot-chocolate should be plentiful

·        Cute Christmas costumes should include scarves, hats, gloves…and thermal underwear!

·        And last but not least, beg for a backup plan to move the venue inside if the snowflakes threaten

Weather in East Tennessee is unpredictable, to say the least, but wouldn’t you know on that long-anticipated day, the temperature dropped so low that vendors cancelled right and left at our local Christmas street festival. Even the Humane Society thought it too inhumane to bring promised pets for petting. Not me. I was riding a high on the thoughts of autographing my book, and I never considered for one minute that no one would come. Kudos to those few die-hard friends that did, and to one very special lady who drove hours just to support me--that was definitely the highlight of my first book signing; but alas, after three hours, my fingers grew so numb, I barely could sign my name−and those I did mirrored chicken-scratch. I was only too happy to call it quits. I cannot state it enough: book signings in “fowl” weather should be inside…even Santa was cold! www.sandiu.blogspot.com

August 30, 2018: The end of August is in sight. How did that happen? This has definitely been a month of writing for me. I had two revisions due almost at the same time. Deadlines. Isn’t that what life is all about? Writing deadlines are a good thing, though. In most cases, they mean you will soon have a published book. I’ve probably revised my adult mystery more than twelve times. The story has worn me out. The characters words, thoughts, and actions I know almost as well as my own; but each revision has taught me patience and determination. I’ve grown as a writer. I’ve disciplined my time to meet the schedule. I’ve learned to prioritize. One way I do this is to keep a running list. I know what I need to do when. As each task is completed, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Another way is to reward myself. I told myself if I can just make it through August, I’m going to the beach in September where I plan to do little more than lie on the beach during the day and eat seafood at night. “Yeah right,” a little voice inside my head says, “you know in the third book of The Baker Manor Series, the setting is at the beach. You need to jot down exactly how the moonlight strikes the shore, how does it feel to run for your life in the scorching sun on an empty stretch of sand, and what does a killer think as he/she stares out at the horizon?” Welcome to a writer’s world.

August 14, 2018:

#woohooanothercontract #number3- On Friday of last week, I received my third book contract. This one is for Mountain Laurel - the story I began back in 2009 and probably the one I’ve most wanted to see become a book. This is the story about Mom and Dad’s first date. It is chocked full of family lore, with a whole lot of creative liberty thrown in to make a good read, but the stories are basically true, some told by Mom and some by Dad, but each one means something to me. The old sayings, passed down by my Grandparents through my Parents, will live on through me to my grandchildren. The setting is The Smoky Mountains and there’s a nod to many things important to my family: Church homecomings, railroad trains, growing a garden, canning and, with the help of an expert, even burley tobacco (okay, that’s not something we grew, but its history goes way back and was an important crop to East Tennessee). However, I couldn’t write a story about this area without throwing in a chapter about moonshining. This book is near and dear to my heart and I’m excited to see it finally coming to life-due out March 2019. You will know how important it is to me when you read the dedication: 

To my granddaughter, Hannah Elizabeth, named after my mother, the real Mountain Laurel. 

(Onie Elizabeth Bowers, 1918-2011).

 July 30, 2018: Promote, promote and then promote, again! The publisher for my adult novel coming out soon offers lots of advice on how to promote your book. They are big on social media and encourage their authors to get an Instagram account, if they do not already have one. I don’t, so guess I need to look into that soon. Think of it this way…just another means of embarrassing my grandchildren. 

 July 24, 2018: Are you ready for a sequel to THE SECRET AT ONE BELMONT LANE? When a great idea for a new story lands in your lap, what do you do? You jump for joy, that’s what. That happened this past weekend. My daughter-in-law came up with a great idea for a sequel to THE SECRET AT ONE BELMONT LANE. When she told me her idea, it just clicked…and it’s one I had not thought of, but when I heard it, I just knew it was the sequel of all sequels. I’ve been asked by six different people for a sequel. Does that happen to everyone, you ask. I don’t know. I’m new at being a published author. I have made several attempts to write a sequel, but I’ve barely gotten past the first chapter…and to be honest, I wasn’t happy with it. This new idea is super-duper mega-licious and so enticing I can’t wait to read it!  But first, I have to write the story. 😓

July 16, 2018: What to do while waiting to hear from an Editor? Market research. And lots of it. The more submissions you have out there, the higher your chances of a contract. Simple math, right? I try to have ten-twelve active submissions at all times. Now to take that advice one-step farther, be sure to study the submission guidelines or you stand the chance of wasting, not only your time, the publisher’s, as well. Is your story a Picture Book? If so, there’s no need to send it to an editor who clearly states they are closed to Picture Books. Matching your story with the best publisher takes time and effort. Many will clearly state what they’re looking for. Spending a few hours studying their guidelines will up your odds. If your story checks most of their boxes, you stand a greater chance for a contract. And isn’t that what’s it all about?

June 26, 2018: 

Where do you get your ideas for your stories? That’s probably the number one question a writer gets asked. I don’t have a set answer, but I do have an answer for my latest idea--Sunday School class. You never know when an idea might pop up, or in this case, be provided by someone to you. In addition to writing adult romance mysteries, I also enjoying writing children’s books. My latest effort is a picture book about, of all things, field mice. Now I’m not personally acquainted with farm life, so I had to ask a lot of questions about behavior on the farm. One thing that kept tripping me up was where/how to position a baby goat in the barn in order for him to provide transportation for my mice when they jump from the hayloft. Do I tie him up? No, I dislike the notion of tying up any animal. Do I have him a free-roaming goat? Or do I have him in a corral in the barn? I chose to go with the latter. That scenario just worked in my mind for the goat to be the unwilling getaway “car” for my run-for-your-life, it’s them or us, mice who made their home in the hayloft. In Picture Books, where every single word counts, twists and turns often can needle your noodle for days until you come up with the perfect notion. Now let’s see if I can find an editor who will agree.

From contract to publication

June 14, 2018: This weekend I hope to complete the final read-through of BLOOD MONEY (the first book in the Baker Manor Series), and sign off on Monday for release for publication.  If you’re lucky to have a publisher like mine, they will provide helpful tools as you work toward publication. One way is through a weekly online chat for their writers. This week, they suggested I use the next few weeks to prepare for promotion of the book. Here’s my first draft:

•   Blog every week about the upcoming publication of Blood Money
•  When the book publication date is set, notify the local paper and request an interview
•   After publication, visit the local library with a free copy in hand
•   Contact the local book store and request a book signing
•  Ask local shops if you can place a few books in their stores (for commissioned sales)

In the meantime, cue the coffee.

May 29, 2018:  How important is revision? “If the story is good, I will look past the many mistakes,” said no editor ever. So buckle your seat belts, pour another cup of coffee, and hold on because after more revisions that I can possibly count, I’m fixin’ to tell you the truth. Each time I’ve sent Blood Money back, I thought it was the absolute best it could be. Each time I received it back, mistakes jumped off the page. How could there possibly still be mistakes after all these years and revisions? Still, there they were. I’ve read many times, the mind (especially YOUR mind) sees what YOU meant to write. That’s Sandi-lish, not necessary English, but the meaning still holds. So I spent the past two weeks reading though Blood Money for the umpteenth time, and I found more than 25 edits…on the first 100 pages! In addition, this time something new surfaced. I identified a weak area involving an important sub-plot, but for the life of me, I didn’t know how to tie it together. Several days later, viola! The missing piece fell into place. Only a few words were required, but the story melded into a nice little nod to our Veterans. The timing could not have been better, as it preceded Memorial Day by only two days.  No matter how many times I’ve read through Blood Money, I still find something to improve. Are revisions tiring? You bet’cha. Will it be worth it in the end? Absolutely! Don’t be a lazy writer. Don’t fool yourself into thinking somewhere there’s an Editor just chomping at the bit to receive your underdeveloped, error-ridden manuscript. I’ve been subbing for almost ten years and I never found that fairy god-mother. I doubt you will, either. If you do, please email me his/her name!

Blood Money...coming soon!

In Alex Baker’s small world, where she’s in love with Greg, the man of her dreams, everything is perfect. When she inherits Aunt Ria’s vast estate in Boston, Massachusetts−complete with a huge mansion, stables, staff, and more money than Alex could spend in two lifetimes, she finds a new interest in lawyer Kyle Patterson.

After a series of unexplained accidents, Alex fears someone is trying to harm her. Her perfect little world is turned upside down, and she narrowly escapes with her life. Could Greg be responsible?

Needing to sort through her emotions, Alex escapes to Aunt Ria’s beloved cabin in Maine—a decision that could cost her everything.

Stay tuned on release date and how to get your signed copy!

April 30, 2018: How Important Is The Title? My adult mystery, Blood Money, went through three titles before I settled on the final one. It started out “The Love of Money,” then became “Root of All Evil,” and finally, “Blood Money.” All three depict the essence of the plot--greed leads to evil thoughts, evil thoughts lead to evil actions, evil actions lead to death.

In my middle-grade time-warp fiction on the life of young Davy Crockett, the title started out as “Creepy Caves” and wounded up “On The Banks of The Nolichucky.”  In that particular story, the tale is more about young Davy and his early life near Limestone, Tennessee--about 15 miles from where I live. Yes, my story began when the two MCs went cave exploring, but the story happens when they came out (up) on the other side--in 1795! Oftentimes, the story must evolve before the title surfaces, but here are some things to consider:

1.      Descriptive - “On The Banks of The Nolichucky” doesn’t exactly roll right off the tongue, but it definitely points to the gist of the story.

2.      Easy to remember - For local people, at least, the birthplace of Davy Crockett and the existing site for the State Park is located in East Tennessee, a place rich in history. It’s also near the capital of The Lost State of Franklin--the pre-runner of Tennessee. This allowed an opportunity to bring more history into the plot--facts studied in Tennessee history. I also wanted to clarify Disney’s “Born On A Mountain Top In Tennessee”--it’s more like on a riverbank in Tennessee.

3.      Easy to Repeat. Be prepared to say the title many times. Think of it as naming your unborn child. Make sure it rolls off your tongue, at least; and that you can string the order of words correctly. Nothing worse than having to google your own book to see what the title is.  I doubt that will ever happen to me, though. J

  April 23, 2018: The End …and a contest!

The End. Two words that sounds so final, indicating there is no more to come. Two small words, but what a huge responsibility. When I reach that point in my story, I feel like doing the happy dance. It means I did it, no matter how long and bumpy the journey was, I have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The importance of every ending centers around the emotional attachment the reader has once the book is closed. Did you wind up feeling ‘meh’; sad and weepy; or warm and fuzzy? That goal should be determined before the first keystroke−doesn’t always happen to me, though. The second-most important thing is to tie-up all loose strings. There is nothing worse than closing the book and saying, “hey…what about Marla? What happened between her and Nick?”

I’ve mentioned before I’m not big on outlining. I do have a beginning, a middle, and an end; however, sometimes my characters go off on a journey of their own and leave me panting to catch up. Basically, I do know the ending−but oh the twists and turns my characters often take on their way to it can be mind-boggling.

In my story coming out this year (Blood Money), I always knew with whom Alex would wind up. I always knew the bad guy, the actual crime, and the hero. My characters filled in the blanks as the story evolved. However, it wasn’t until after I wrote the first draft of the sequel (Blood Moon) that I knew who was really behind the whole devious plot. In that book, the final scene identifies the culprit to the reader, but not to Alex. The reader must wait for the third and last in the series, yet to be named, to have the bad guy’s crimes catch up with him. That book is only briefly outlined with the beginning (I know the location), the middle (I know the horrendous crime he will commit−my fingers are scorching to write it…THE CAD!), and the one loose string that will blow his cover and seal his fate.

Contest: Anybody have a good suggestion for the title of the last book in the series? It must be two words, the first one Blood, and the last word must begin with an “M”. A free copy of Blood Money to the winner!

April 9, 2018:  The Middle

I will get to the middle section of a story after I share the good news about BLOOD MONEY. I received the .pdf version and the correction sheet, which according to my editor means it is nearing the last stage before going into production. Whoo hoo! With each revision this story gets stronger, better, and tighter. Yes, it’s hard work, but the benefits will be worth it; and I have to confess that even at this late date, I’m seeing mistakes: a period here, a comma there…a stronger word, and even an entire sentence that needed to be flipped. I cannot stress enough the importance of revision. It’s so important NOT to submit to an editor before the manuscript is ready. If after so many revisions, one tends to STILL miss some boo boos (and it’s almost certain you will), then submitting before the work is ready will almost guarantee rejection. I've even seen a rejection that said, "love the story line, but we feel the manuscript is not ready." If I were a publisher, I’d consider the stronger submissions over all others−no matter how good the plot is. Does it matter that much? You darn tootin’. Revise, revise, and repeat!

As for the Middle section of a story, sometimes this is where I, personally, get off-track. I have been known to chase too far and too long down the rabbit hole on a plot. Readers lose interest, back-story overpowers, and the plot stagnates.

Some questions I ask during this phase include:

•         Are the secondary story lines critical to the overall plot or have I twisted and turned too many times?
•         Do these chapters move the story forward or are they just taking up space?
•         Do my characters grow and evolve or have I created one too many example of their bad behavior or wonderful charity work that leaves the reader falling asleep?
•         Have I built enough tension into the plot that forces the reader to turn the page?

A couple of things to avoid in the middle section are:

•         Lengthy long chapters that repeat the same thing three different ways in order to add to my word count. You only need to tell it once, no matter how interesting it may be. Build off the idea, solve the conundrum, but don’t fall into the trap of retelling the same situation using different words.
•         Floppy, ho-hum middle unable to make good on the mind-blowing first paragraph’s promise of a good read

If the beginning is geared to grab a reader’s interest to make them want more and the ending ties up all the unanswered questions and leaves the reader a better, happier person for having spent time there; then the middle must be the conflict, the shock and awe, the ‘boy I didn’t see that coming’ section. The middle is where your characters live on the edge, every minute cheating death, losing hope and suffering crushing blows at every turn. I also call that Monday.

 April 2, 2018:  So now, you’ve written a story…

When I finally got serious about writing, I started reading everything I could find on the subject and was surprised to learn there’s actually a right and a wrong way to write. One of the first things I remember reading was all stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It didn’t take me long to realize there’s more to that simple statement than meets the eye. Soon, I began to outline all my stories using this simple structure: the beginning needs to introduce the main character and state a brief summary of what the story is about, using very little backstory until chapters two or three. One thing to focus on: grab your readers and draw them in from the beginning or no matter how good the middle and ending are, if they aren’t committed from the get-go, they won’t make it to the good parts. I enjoy opening the story with action, when possible; using dialog vs. prose; and showing the personalities rather than telling about them. Take my first book, THE SECRET AT ONE BELMONT LANE. The main protagonist is on her way home from school. I could have begun the story by: Twelve-year old Erin hopscotched down the sidewalk, dodging puddles left from the morning rain when she became aware Elwood, her nerdy neighbor was in hot pursuit. (Ho-hum!)

Instead, I began with action:

“Splash the puddle, skip the crack. Skip the puddle, break my back," I chanted. My fancy footwork sounded out a splat, tap, tap as I hopscotched across the wet sidewalk. I tossed a glance over my shoulder at Elwood, my nerdy neighbor who thinks he’s my shadow.

By beginning with action, it’s easy to identify both the age of my main character and her nemesis, Elwood. In the next few paragraphs, I introduce the phenomenal twist when the kindly school guard disappears and a monster-dog arrives in his place. By setting the pace of the story and introducing a mystery on the first few pages, you’ve hooked your reader. Think of the beginning of the story as the appetizer--just enough to tantalize the reader into wanting more. As always, the first goal is to write the story, from beginning to end, and then go back and revise. After the first chapter, ask yourself these three questions: Who, What, and Where? Those answers should fall into place in the beginning.

Stay tuned for the middle and end in the following weeks.