AmyMaidaWadsworth

Ever been hooked? It tugs at first—a niggling, intriguing irritation you can’t ignore. With a splash and a surge, suddenly you’re racing along, gasping for breath, and barely aware you’ve taken the bait. You’re dragged, compelled, forced to flip the page, consuming the story as if you’re starved. When it’s all over, it’s four in the morning and you aren’t the person you were before.  You’ve been on the ride of your life. It’s a difficult task to reel in readers this way, especially in our fast-paced digital world. The first 500 words (roughly the first page and a half) should be a sample of your absolute best writing, because they’ve got to get hooked before you can reel them in. (See the points below and try to tackle them all in the first 500 words of your next book. Even if you don’t leave them all in, challenge yourself to think creatively, to explore how it could be done subtly.) If your reader puts your book down, there’s a chance he may never pick it up again. On the

As a freelance editor, I often place bids on projects through Eschler Editing, a full service editing house that aids authors in their journey toward publication.  Now, you can take advantage of an amazing offer--a free first page critique.  The first 500 words--roughly the first page--can make or break your novel.  Check out Angela's offers and sign up for her newsletter today!  She was my editor back when I was publishing, and she's thorough, helpful, and encouraging.    http://www.eschlerediting.com/

Something happened to me when I graduated from college.  Perhaps it reveals all of the deep, dark feelings I've had about myself and my inability to accomplish my personal goals through the years, but somehow I felt more... legitimate after my graduation.  Amazing how such a small--but expensive--piece of paper can change so many things. So, I've separated my "professional" blog and my "personal" blog.  This web address will now contain blogs about my writing, and editing adventures.  For more personal posts--about my family, my faith, and my educational pursuits--you will have to go to amymaysmusings.blogspot.com