Acknowledgments

My first thanks must go to the many writers who’ve participated in my Scene One: First Ten Pages Boot Camps, which inspired this book. My writing it was Phil Sexton’s idea, and he talked me into it. So, thank you, Phil—and all of my friends at Writers Digest, including my editor Cris Freese, designer Alexis Estoye, Rachel Randall, Alex Rixey, Chuck Sambuchino, Kevin Quinn, Aaron Bauer, Michael Hanna, and Julie Oblander.

I must also thank my sister agents at Talcott Notch Literary, including Rachael Dugas, Saba Sulaiman, and our fearless leader Gina Panettieri, to whom this book is dedicated with my greatest thanks.

My great gratitude to William Martin, New York Times best-selling author, dear friend and mentor, who challenges me to raise the bar—and his generous foreword certainly raised the bar for this book.

Never-ending thanks to my parents for giving my life story a great beginning, my children, for providing the sweetest plot points, and Michael, for rewriting our second act.

A shout-out to my wonderful clients, the many editors and publishers with whom I work, my beloved Scribe Tribe, Hallie Ephron and Hank Phillippi Ryan, Michael Neff of the Algonkian New York Pitch Conference, and all of the wonderful authors whose commitment to craft inspires me every day.

And a final heartfelt thanks to all of the writers who’ve shared their time and work with me over the years and to you, my readers.

I wish you great beginnings and many happy returns.