<p>The beginning is the most important part of your book. The first chapter?probably even the first page?is what makes agents and editors accept or reject a manuscript, and it's what makes readers decide to buy a book or pick another. But writing a compelling opening is hard because there are so many things a great beginning needs to do and so many mistakes to avoid.<br><br>In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and best-...