CeCe Lyra

I created this course after studying hundreds of books.

I've mapped out elements that are present in the beginning of all successful novels and memoirs.

And I've designed checklists, actual checklists, that you can use to ensure that your story's beginning is seducing your reader.

we'll cover how to write a great first line different types of beginnings and how you can choose the best one the best place to start and the best way to start yes these are totally different things when it makes sense to add a prologue and when it doesn't how to frame your inciting incident in an appealing way

how to balance exposition and mystery, how to include context but not weigh it down with too much backstory, and what to do if your story has more than one POV or timeline.

Most of all, I'm going to show you how to make readers want to turn to chapter two.

Join me for this multi-day course designed to help you break through the noise.

You'll leave with a clear, actionable breakdown of exactly what goes into a terrific beginning.

If you've already signed up, come prepared to take lots of notes.

We're talking hundreds of slides with real-world examples and specific techniques, plus a super fun surprise that I can't wait to share.

I hope to see you there.

Let's do it.

Dear Cece, I am delighted to submit to you my satirical body horror debut, Mouthpiece, complete at 65,000 words based on your interest in acquiring fiction with morally ambiguous protagonists.

Mouthpiece is like the weird girl lit fic love child of R.F.

Quang's Yellowface and Rachel Yoder's Night Bitch.

But with Sheena Patel's I'm a Fan as an older sister.

Blanca Moore, quickly nearing 30 and stuck in a soul-sucking job to afford her even more soul-crushing debt, wants to be an influencer.

When her long-term boyfriend dumps her for not paying enough attention to him, I guess the male loneliness epidemic is real, she's determined to enter her 30s as a new woman.

Being a hashtag-certified corporate girly, she creates a detailed plan to achieve all of her goals.

Start dating again, get an Ozempic, and hold the party of the year, a funeral for her 20s.