Meredith Mansfield, Author

Not in the data protection sense, although I do that, too.

No, this time I mean backing up as in going back a little for the start of this story (Book 4, currently untitled, of the Dual Magics series). I said in my last post that beginnings are hard. And they are–until you find the right place to enter the story.

In my first stories, I more often had to cut from the beginning, because I’d started the story too early. A couple of times now I’ve had to back up and put the beginning a little earlier. I guess that’s a kind of progress.

Anyway, I backed up to, among other things, start with a little more urgency–and a tiny bit of action. I like this beginning much better. Of course, I won’t really know if it’s the right place to start until I write THE END at the bottom of the first draft.

Meanwhile, I’m also trying to iron out the blurb for Book 3, BEYOND THE PROPHECY, which is much harder.

Blurbs, pitches, and queries are an art form unto themselves. And they take a lot of revision to get right–or close to right.