I asked myself why I was stalling in re-writing my first chapter. The answer is, amongst other things, I'm having a hard time deciding on the hard-and-fast rules of the world I want to create. This is critical, of course. Having a world that makes sense, that seems like it is lived in and has its own internal logic lets people concentrate on your heroes and their struggles and not get distracted by some outlandish elements of the world that don't seem to go together.
The simplest way to do this is by being SURE about a few key things in your world. Remember, you are the creator of everything in your story. "I don't know," about ANYTHING in this world, is not a good answer. There's no need to think of the name of every town, every street, or every member of your world's government, but knowing in broad terms how the systems of government, religion and so on work and interact is key to giving your world the lived-in quality so important to readers believing what you're telling them. Doing a little extra brain-work when you get started can pay of heftily down the road.
SONG OF THE POST
Your Hands (Together) by New Pornographers
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