Mentor Texts for Writers: First Chapter Makeover by Marcie Flinchum Atkins
By day, I am a teacher who uses mentor texts with students. I also help other teachers utilize mentor texts in their classrooms. By night, I utilize mentor texts myself in an attempt to improve my writing by studying from the best.
One of my favorite books on writing process is CHAPTER AFTER CHAPTER by Heather Sellers. I’ve recommended it many times, but there’s so many useful tips in there. She recommends reading 100 books like the one you want to write before you begin the actual writing.
I’ve read hundreds of middle grade novels as a whole. But as I revised my own middle grade novel, I realized I needed to hyper focus.
With the middle grade novel in revision, I knew the pacing in the first half of the book was off. I needed to cut a lot and readjust some things—including the first chapter. So I gathered some new middle grade titles that are either in the genre I’m writing or in an adjacent genre. I made a list of books I wanted to study.
I selected books that had been recommended by friends or in reviews. Most of these I’d either already read or they were on my to-be-read list.
Then I read chapter one ONLY in each book. I made actual notes about each book. Here is an example of some of my notes:
For each book, I tried to pay attention to:
* Genre
* Point of View
* Style of writing
* Characters introduced
* Actions or plot introduced
* My reactions
* Notes of how I could try this in my own writing
* Did I want to keep reading?
* How much information was revealed in the first chapter?
Taking it to the Next Level
I always encourage teachers and students to not only study and read mentor texts but actually try some of the techniques out on their own. It help to absorb those skills or styles by trying them out.
Once I made notes, I reflected on my own story and I wrote. I wrote several different opening paragraphs. I tried different techniques, and I rewrote the first chapter once again.
Have I nailed that first chapter? I don’t know. But I do know that it’s better now that it was. And I’m one step closer.
