Chapter one is both the hardest and the easiest to write thus far. In the past several months I have written my ideas on this particular story using different approaches and techniques. I tried writing as inspiration sparked in the middle of the day, in the shower, you name it. I even tried writing out of order. I sat and thought over a particular scene and dialogue. I mulled over my every word.
I went back to my trusty story notebook and realized I had a chapter outline for several of the chapters except chapter one. What was I thinking when I decided, perhaps subconsciously, to not outline the first chapter? But you see it helped me to realize that by plotting each chapter I was doing a little bit of both: limiting and unleashing a raw form of creativity onto the page. Chapter one is the deal or no deal chapter for many readers. It will determine whether the author has successfully grasped the attention of the reader, and peaked enough interest in the story for the reader to continue until the end. Granted some readers, like myself, do not limit themselves to chapter one before deciding whether they will keep reading.
So I am almost done going over chapter one and adding the finishing touches that are required of a very rough first draft.
Lemmon Avenue 