Revising
Opening Page Magic: How to Hook Readers
Your opening page needs to make opening page irresistible. Here’s how.
January 7, 2026
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You've been living with this story for a while now. Maybe it's stalled halfway through. Maybe you've finished a draft, but something's off and you can't quite name what. Maybe you're rewriting the same chapter again, wondering if the whole thing is broken or if you are.
It's neither. You just need someone who knows how to see what's there and what's missing.
Hi, I'm Karmen H. Spiljak, a certified book coach, developmental editor, and award-winning author with four decades of experience in storytelling. I work with writers of genre fiction who want their stories to get under the reader's skin: writers who care about character as much as plot, emotional truth as much as pacing, and the kind of ending that stays with someone long after they close the book.
We work on three levels together: your story, your writing process, and your craft. So when you finally type the end, you'll have a manuscript worth publishing and the confidence to know it.
And you'll get some extra support from my cats, who occasionally make cameos on my calls (brownie points if you can spot one in the video).
“It took me almost five grueling years to write my first book and I often said that my one wish was completing another novel before I died as if this was akin to climbing Mount Everest. But now, I’ve completed a first draft in six joy-filled months with another already brewing in my mind. She taught me how to write with depth of character, completely shifting the way I think about plot and story. My writing is richer and more engaging because of her. She has truly changed my life <3. I can’t recommend Karmen enough.”
“Karmen’s Mini Manuscript Evaluation blew me away. With her deep grasp of genre and storytelling craft, she quickly spotted where my scenes lacked tension, my dialogue slipped into “as you know, Bob,” and my characters needed more interiority to connect with readers. Her feedback was both kind and incisive, the exact insight I needed to strengthen my writing. She also pointed out where tension sagged in my scenes and gave me clear, actionable suggestions for strengthening those moments. Even though I know the craft, I was reminded how essential it is to have another set of expert eyes on my work. Karmen brought the keen insight, knowledge, and experience I needed to take my writing to the next level. “
“Karmen is an excellent book coach. I had been struggling with my first novel for five years and was close to abandoning it as a ‘practice novel.’ Karmen deployed just the right blend of insightful critical analysis and encouragement to show me I had a story worth telling and how to fix it.
Receiving any kind of editor’s report is always daunting, but Karmen broke down the next steps I needed to take into manageable chunks and renewed my confidence in not only my story but my writing ability.”
“I had the perfect idea for a crime novel—or so I thought. Working with my book coach, Karmen, showed me the strengths and weaknesses of my story idea. With her guidance, I developed a much stronger foundation for writing forward. I’ve never done so much work before actually starting to write a story, but I’m glad I did.
Being coached by Karmen has significantly enhanced my understanding of this particular story (made it deeper and fuller) and improved my writing skills.”
“Meeting Karmen was the best thing that could have happened to my writing at a critical moment. I had finished a manuscript and didn’t know what to do next. Karmen assessed it, highlighted its strengths, pinpointed the exact weaknesses, offered concrete solutions, all the while expanding my writer’s toolbox.
What I really loved was that her feedback was based on a genuinely invested and highly nuanced understanding of the themes that my writing explores. With her help, I feel like I’ve dramatically improved my manuscript and I’ve taken the next step in my goal to become a published writer. For anyone who takes fiction writing seriously and needs help developing their writing, I highly and warmly recommend working with Karmen.”
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