Fiction Writing Made Easy

#97: First Chapter Analysis: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

06.27.2023 - By Savannah GilboPlay

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In today’s episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the first chapter of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Join me and fellow developmental editor Abigail K. Perry as we talk through the first chapter of this popular fantasy novel. Here’s a preview of what we talk about: [08:20] A very quick summary of the first chapter  [21:00] A micro-analysis of the first chapter to see how many scenes are present within the opening chapter—as well as how and why the scenes work [34:00] Our thoughts on how the opening chapter gives readers plenty of clues re: what this story is going to be about (and how it plays on the global stakes) [47:00] Final thoughts and episode recap

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Links mentioned in this episode:Doors to my Notes to Novel course are officially OPEN! Click here to learn more and enroll before doors close on Wednesday, June 28th at 11:59 PST!Want to join our book club? Click here to learn more!Click here to check out the LitMatch Podcast with Abigail Perry! You can also get in touch with Abigail through her website or on Instagram @abigailkperry. Want to write a novel but not sure where to start? Click here to grab a FREE copy of my Story Starter Kit workbook that'll help you get clarity on your characters, setting, theme, plot, and so much more! Support the Show. If you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show!

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