We’re going to take a little break from the overall discussion of the book!
This week we’re going to discuss the first chapter of Defy: Chapter 1 “Shh…”
Let’s go!
Let’s start at the beginning! Well, sort of…
Some of you might’ve realized that the first chapter takes place about halfway through the war. Oops. So, why begin there? Good question! The whole idea was to not give anything away, yet still be able to describe almost everything that was happening.
I didn’t want to spend a long time explaining my character and doing some boring introduction. Who really wants to read that? People want something that draws their attention, not make them yawn.
Did it go according to plan? Maybe, depending on where you’re sitting. The whole idea was to give you a little snippet of Annabelle’s life, holding off on introductions for now. You’re not supposed to know who Annabelle is exactly just yet. All I really wanted to do was establish a basic knowledge of the setting. I had the whole rest of the book to make you aware of who Annabelle is and her ambitions.
This first chapter had to catch the attention of the reader within the first few paragraphs. If it didn’t, no one would want to read more.
It’s like a first impression – if you don’t present yourself in a good light within the first few minutes, you’re toast.
“She Grabbed an Umbrella and Walked Out the Door.”
This is where it all began. This simple sentence. What a mesmerizing first-line… not. Thank the Lord it gets better!
Following the first sentence of “She grabbed an umbrella and walked out the door,” comes one of my favorite details. “The rain was falling with the power of bullets.” This one line causes the reader to wonder why. Why bullets? Why is that right? Where is she? Now, it may not be as attractive as “Once upon a time”, but it certainly does the job. After that one line, the reader has to keep reading to find out why. You have to keep reading to understand the comparison. You have to keep reading to know where she is. The important thing is that you have to keep reading.
Okay, so I’ve got them hooked. Now, how do I keep them interested?
Panic. That’s how. Or at least that’s what I did when I originally wrote it. I guess so did Annabelle. (Hahaha, get it?… Just me? Ok…)
The whole purpose of the ID and papers was just a small detail to create suspense. I’ve seen in several works of literature and film scenes where characters carry papers (like travel papers or other permissions to do certain things) and ID on them. There would be checkpoints within the city to check people’s IDs and papers to make sure they weren’t where they weren’t supposed to be and such. It was also added in to create just a little moment of suspense. I’m not sure if it was common practice exactly in France, but there is certainly evidence it happened elsewhere.
Ok, back to the story!
Following Annabelle’s moment of panic, I decided the logical course of action would be an intro. Since I’ve got the reader’s attention, I can slowly ease into the story and everything I want them to know about. Still, however, I wanted to keep a sense of curiosity about the main character and setting. So, the next paragraph had a mix of answers and things that left you wanting to know more.
A little sprinkling of hints towards the resistance here. A little bit about her collaborator status there. And some stuff about the war here… and… Ta-da! We’re already a page or so in – halfway there! Now comes the good part!
Music!
“Click-plunck-click-plunck… The rain made a rather eerie symphony with the help of her heels. The thunder began to join in at random beats giving it a complex structure. Boom. Crack. Boom. Crack. In the distance, the faint sound of a whistle could be heard followed closely behind with a boom of its own.” (Grabins 1)
Ooo! How exciting! What better way to describe the sound of rain mixing in with other sounds of the night? Drawing from my music experience, I wanted to create an interesting way to describe what was happening in Annabelle’s world. Initially, this musical description lasted about three sentences (not the same ones you read) and did a poor job at describing what was happening. Therefore, the addition of more instruments was necessary. The “instruments” within this symphony are the heels, rain, thunder, and the bombing in the distance. Mixing all of these unique sounds into one beautiful composition. Describing the sounds of her world allows the reader to hear the same things as Annabelle is, drawing them into the story.
Alright, let’s skip just a little ahead…
FIGHT!
To finish out the chapter, I wanted there to be some excitement, something big. This whole mysterious chapter had been building up to its own climax. I also wanted to finally reveal the setting (Effiel tower moments prior) and finally explain who exactly she’s walking with. But how?
Why not a fight? That could be fun (for me, not Annabelle)!
After doing some research into fight scene elements, I was able to formulate a feasible fight scene between Annabelle, the Nazis, and the Resistance Members. As the chaos begins to wind down, I finally reveal the approximate time and setting of the story through small details.
TA-DA! Chapter 1 – DONE!
Obviously, I did not talk about the entire first chapter- there are definitely some parts left out. This is mainly due to the fact I didn’t want to get to in-depth with my breakdown of this chapter. Maybe I’ll make another post later on about some other elements, but for now, let’s leave it here!
What did you think? Comment below your favorite part of “Shh…”?
Next week, we’ll move onto Chapter Two – “Truth”! See you then!
L.A.