Volume I

Yesterday I had a friend visit the office - this poor friend is trying to re-write her first book in order to send out queries in hopes of getting published (I say poor because I am somewhat in the same boat, or at least next to it, and I feel like pulling my hair out most days, so I sympathize!). While I definitely think we'll see her book in bookstores before too much longer (It's great!! I love it!), I'm having a TIME with my book because:

1. I have been putting off working on it
2. I was unsure how to get it to match the other two books in the series
3. I didn't know how to start it

Luckily, having someone here to talk to helps A LOT and I finally figured out how to begin the first novel: with fear.

Now, it's not going to be a horror series. *Shudder* I can't even watch horror movies.

But I was talking to Stu the other day (I always learn something new!) and we were discussing how great stories have a theme that can often be boiled down to one word. It may be a "common" word (there are lots of great stories with the theme of "love" or "sacrifice" or "faith" or what have you), but it's the overarching theme that ties your story together.

The one word for Violet's Monster: Volumes I, II, & III is fear.

Each book deals with common fears I (and most people) had/have:

Fear of failure, fear of fate, fear of losing family, fear of intimacy, fear of forgetting/being forgotten, etc.

So, it only makes sense that instead of writing a cute prologue that intrigues the reader...the prologue should be scary - what does Violet fear? The first thing that people read should introduce them to what the series is about.

So today I'm going to attempt a different prologue. It starts with Violet getting ready for bed, and introduces you to the fact that Violet is very much afraid (read: terrified) of monsters. Not because that's what kids are scared of; but because she KNOWS they exist.

*shiver*

Wish me luck.