     I think I've developed beginning-phobia. Or maybe I should call it first-chapter-phobia.
     With Daze and Knights, I wrote probably twenty different beginnings. And the funny thing is, I liked them ALL. Seriously. But I was on this quest to find the BEST one, a beginning that would blow people away. I don't think I achieved that goal, but I did finally settle on one.
     With Sway, I just jumped right in, ignoring any kind of beginning. I know that's what you're supposed to do, but by jump right in, I literally mean jump right in. There was no backstory or description WHATSOEVER. I know, I know, too much backstory is a BAAAD thing. But this had NONE.
     Probably mid-way through, I did come up with an idea- two paragraphs- for a start. I really like it, but it still wasn't enough. It wasn't until I'd written "The End" that I went back to the start and tried to connect those two paragraphs with my jump-right-in chapter. It was difficult. Hence- first-chapter-phobia. I did write it, but I'm not altogether happy with it. I feel like I forced it too much and when I force my writing, I'm never happy with what comes out.
     I guess I should remind myself that all those many beginnings for Daze came about during my many edits, NOT during the first draft. So hopefully edits will help me tighten the beginning I've got now or give me inspiration for something completely different, and completely amazing. Hopefully, I really haven't developed first-chapter-phobia. Because that freaks me out! I'll get a phobia of having the stupid phobia!
     How about you? Any writing phobias? (Is it just me, or is phobia a funny word or what?)