Re: Chapter One - A False Start

     And first of all, I always like having a title associated with chapters. For me, it helps to look back at the story and get an overview of all the things that happened, and get an idea at the structure of the story. Although, I also hate naming things, so this is a double-edged sword. As for “A False Start,” the name was easy enough to come up with, and I think it’s kind of amusing. When in doubt, kind of amusing will do.

      “A False Start” is actually a very real introduction to the mind of our protagonist, Kennedy Frost, and that’s why it’s Chapter 1 instead of some of the other flashbacks. Kennedy is a guy led by his impulses, but wracked with uncertainty. Here we get a real vivid map of what that looks like through a possibly apocryphal memory. The strict orders and procedures which theoretically govern a battlefield seem but ghostly figments when he is faced with the very real, present, and physical destruction around him. In that way, we get a glimpse into his psyche and the conflict that will wind up defining his journey throughout this adventure.

     Chapter One is also the first and last chapter I worked on. It was the first part of this book that I wrote which survives in one way or another to the final product. It’s also the last because my beta readers were kind enough to point out that some of that surviving original prose was… well, not good. I had indulged a little too much in irrelevant details and symbolism which were distracting and redundant. With a couple of suggestions, I basically re-wrote the entire chapter, which is why it is also substantially the last part of the book I wrote (excluding cleaning up a few phrases or paragraphs throughout the final edit). I am very pleased with the changes, and the chapter came out far stronger as a result.

     So remember, don’t be afraid to gut your precious passages if it will save the story!