With my private writing coaching, what do I see writers battling with? Finding a way INTO their Chapter. Ideally, each and every chapter starts with something fresh, engaging, something that compels the reader to move on. Absolutely the end of the chapter is super important too because it should also induce our readers to keep turning the page.
But starting a fresh chapter can be even more important.
This battle to find a great ‘way into’ your Chapter is where many writers lose confidence. It’s that moment when you’re staring at a blank screen thinking, ‘How do I start this bit? What’s the first line? Where do I jump in?’ This kind of indecision can stall us for days as we hang our heads in despair.
So many people talk about finding a way into your story. But finding the perfect chapter opening over and over again is hard!
Here’s the thing: a good ‘way in’ doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be alive. And you can always redraft and revise later while your ideas ping.
Why Beginnings Matter
When we open a new chapter, we’re inviting the reader back into the room. You want to make sure they don’t hesitate at the doorway. You want them to step right in, thank you very much. You want your readers curious, intrigued. That can mean starting with:
- A moment of action (drop us right in).
- A sharp line of dialogue (can appear overdone and annoying but it’s good to keep up your sleeve).
- A sensory detail that immediately paints the scene (love!).
- A surprising or emotional thought from your narrator (my personal favourite).
It can work well too if your ‘in’ feels like we’ve missed half a beat, as though we’re arriving just after something happened, and now we have to know what’s going on.
TIP:
When you finish writing a chapter, don’t just celebrate with a chocolate biscuit and a cup of tea (though I’m all for that). While you’re still in the flow, write the first sentence of the next chapter. Just one sentence. It doesn’t have to be brilliant but getting this down immediately gives your brain a springboard so that when you sit down next time, you’re not starting from zero.
This keeps your momentum going and makes starting the next chapter less intimidating.
EXERCISE
Take three of your chapters (or even just three scenes). For each one, write three different opening lines:
- One that starts with action.
- One that starts with dialogue.
- One that starts with a sensory detail or emotional reflection.
Then read them out loud and see which one pulls you in most. You’ll be amazed at how different each chapter feels just by shifting the way you enter it.
Ideally, this ‘finding a great way in’ stands for the beginning of fragments too. I call fragments those bits or sections that break or cut up your chapters. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if you could do that with each paragraph too? Because then your reader never drifts. You keep them hooked not just chapter to chapter, but line to line.
Try this the next time you’re staring at that blank page. Find your doorway and invite us in.
In other news:
November 11 Zoom Session: Dialogue That Does More Than Talk!
Ever feel like your characters are just standing around talking? Or worse, that every conversation sounds the same?
Join me on Monday, November 11 for a lively, practical session all about writing dialogue that dances, sings, and crackles with life.
Distinct voices matter.
In this session, we’ll explore:
How to make dialogue sound natural without copying real-life chit-chat.
When to cut, when to keep, and when to let silence speak.
Easy fixes for ‘info-dump’ conversations that slow your story down.
Workshop Details
- Date: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
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Time:
Sydney: 7:00 PM (AEDT)
London: 8:00 AM (GMT)
Central Europe: 9:00 AM (CET) - Location: Live on Zoom (link provided after booking)
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Cost: $120 AUD per participant
Early Bird: $99 AUD if booked two weeks in advance - Bonus: Downloadable checklist “10 Dialogue Traps to Avoid” (sent 24 hours before our session)
Workshops are capped at 20 participants to ensure maximum interaction and personal attention.
Register here!
This will be a hands-on session, so bring a scene you’re working on. We’ll play with exercises that loosen up your dialogue and make it sparkle.
A little bit extra:
If you’d like to read more by me, you can buy the e-book of The Promise here
Or Death in the Mountains here.
And something else:
Calling all Art of Writing writers — Art of Writing Showcase
Do you have a piece of writing you are excited about? A scene or a passage that captures you and your voice? We would love to share your words in our upcoming Art of Writing blogs. Send me a few paragraphs of your work. Your excerpt can be anything you are working on.
We celebrate all genres:
Memoir and/or creative non-fiction
Fiction or short story excerpts
Personal reflections on your writing journey
This is your chance to showcase your voice, inspire fellow writers, feel heard and published, as well as celebrate your story. Your excerpts are going out with all your spelling and grammatical mistakes and repetitions. I am not editing. It is your reputation on the line, not mine. So make sure you edit well yourself before publication. We cannot wait to read your words. And thank you to those writers who have already submitted.
This week – yay! Thank you, Catherine Shrubsole, for your piece!
The Oneness She Called Love
Little Cat knew about dying. They told her Mum had died. Little Cat's terror guilt, held close and furry quiet, was Mum was not dead.
She padded around the emptiness, nosing for tell-tales of Mum. Acid odours of toenails and underarm prickled Little Cat. She followed each ethereal strand of Mum to its dead-end. No Mum.
Mum had lived, falling and soaring, capturing Little Cat in the roar and rapture. Mum tucked a winter mind blanket around them. Mum's sharp delight cut Little Cat’s soft places.
Little Cat was one with Mum. She called it love.
Yet dead Mum would never again hold Little Cat over the precipice. Little Cat would not be bleak-mired with Mum, or lifted on Mum’s wax wings.
Little Cat could ground her living in ordinary joys. Her soul space could be her own.
Little Cat pawed the nylon quilting of Mum’s purple gown still hanging on the back of the bathroom door. The ruffling folds floated over her. Warm scents of lily of the valley, hairspray and milk coffee crowded her. A tingling of excited dread pressed on Little Cat. The sense of Mum washed through her, merging.
‘I love you, Little Cat.’
The gentle curve of Little Cat’s imagined future erupted. Her life re-made itself into the ridges and crevasses, deserts and swamps of Mum’s lifescape. The deep was all despair, the light, scintillating. Little Cat would reach Mum’s heights. In her dark times, Little Cat would find Mum waiting.
Mum was not dead at all.
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Warmly,
Lisa Clifford
The Art of Writing