Last Thursday, author Laura Drake spoke to us about how to improve the first five pages of your novel to grab an editor's or reader's attention. She very kindly offered listeners a copy of her Checklist for Openings, a document she created to remind herself how to make her book and chapter beginnings the best they can be.

Today I pulled a few items off the list and talked about how they work and why they're important. I discuss the Story/Style Promise, Power Words, Compelling Cadence, and Universal Need and how they help the reader get more involved in your story from the very beginning.

If you haven't listened to my interview with Laura yet, do it today and then contact her and ask for a copy of her checklist. Happy Writing!