My writing group told me to cut my whole first chapter

I shared a 4,000-word opening for my fantasy novel last month. One member, a published author named Carla, bluntly said it was all backstory and the real plot started in chapter two. I was defensive but tried her advice, cutting it down to a single 500-word scene. She was right. The draft is way tighter and starts with action now. Has anyone else had a piece of advice that felt wrong but totally fixed a draft?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephl6711d ago

That "shift in how you see your own work" is the real key. You see it in cooking, where you learn to leave out an ingredient. It's not about losing something, it's about seeing the dish for what it actually needs.

susana6618d ago

Ouch, that's a tough pill to swallow. It's amazing how a cut that hurts can be the exact right medicine for a story. Good on you for being open to it.

hernandez.emma18d ago

I see what you mean about a cut being the right medicine, but I'd say it's more like a bandage being ripped off. The cut itself is just painful. The medicine is realizing the story works better without that part, even if it stings to lose it. That shift in how you see your own work is what actually helps. The pain is just a side effect of getting there.