Writers who are serious about their craft work with Robin to elevate their novels and create the stories readers crave. Let her be your novel whisperer.

Learn how to work with Robin and Readerly Book Coaching at http://readerly.net

Subscribe to the Tea Break Newsletter to get monthly notes to your inbox about books and writing.

Submit Your First Page for a Critique on the Podcast Here.

Terry Northcutt is a Writing Coach and book lover! She coaches fiction and nonfiction. You can find her at https://www.terrynorthcutt.com/

On today’s episode, Terry and I will be giving feedback on first pages submitted by writers. Writers who submit receive their first page back with written notes. Comments on the podcast are not the complete feedback, but give an idea of what to expect when you submit a page.

Below are the elements we will be use for evaluating the first pages:

• Orienting the reader to the time and place

• Introducing the main character and providing a key aspect of the main character relevant to the conflict—a strength or the hint of a flaw

• Giving a sense of an initial problem or conflict or introducing the main problem or conflict

• Hinting at the theme—bonus points!

• Hooking/engaging the reader. Readers generally give a book 1-3 pages before they decide to continue reading. It is super important to hook them early.

• Writing style and language use.