Would you read a novel that started off like this?

[DameIfYouDo]

The pain was excruciating but the humiliation was worse. My brother had told on me. I guess it took the heat off him if he could focus it on me.

I sat sobbing quietly at the table when Dad arrived home from work. I hadn't been allowed to move from the table since the beating. I knew better than to tell him why I was crying as she was hovering; listening - all powerful, totally in control. I guess he knew why I was crying.

I knew I wouldn't be allowed to sit on his knee that day, so I choked down my dinner. I don't recall what dinner was. It might have been nice.

The following day I woke up and was driven to school by my mother. Every stride up to the school gates was painful and a reminder that I was different.

I had been doing handstands the previous day with a short pleated skirt. In front of the boys. That was the mortal sin. I had done it in front of the boys. Showing off my knickers apparently. I was 8. I still remember what the items of clothing were but not what that dinner had been. I hid those clothes in my wardrobe and they were never worn again. In my innocence I thought they were at fault. They were now the reason for the beating; my clothes.

Already decided to Jolly.

1. I tried. I failed. But I tried. How many of you have? Everyone is an expert as they say.
Probably a lot of us, at one point or another. But we are not so self indulgent as to assume we are naturally gifted storytellers who don't need to research the mechanics, practice constantly, or take constructive criticism with good grace when asking for it.

2. I stated I was not going to write anymore to shut people up as there is only so much shit a very timid first time writer can take.

Ppl making constructively critical comments are not 'shit'. Why don't you take some classes (online) and read the genre extensively? You seem fixated on thinking you can write, without changing things or researching when the vast majority have said your opening was unappealing, for various reasons. (Sorry)

3. I have no idea why a piece of awful writing could get anyone's back up. Nor why if I had thought it brilliant and now realised how shit is was might get anyone's back up.

The writing isn't what got ppls back up. It was the attitude that you already know you can write, and are not taking ppls freely given advice on board. You are being very dismissive.

4. It's my writing and I asked one question. People then decided they were all editors. That's cool. I don't give a shit. As I said, everyone is an expert. But I certainly reserve the right to say 'blah, thanks for the feedback, I'm crap, blah thanks'. There is no need to stick the fucking boot in. This is not AIBU.

You asked, ppl answered and tried to give advice. I don't see anyone sticking the boot in. Until you started getting arsey, that is. If you ask for advice and ignore it, then belittle those ppl (everyone decides their an editor, etc), they're not going to respond kindly, are they?

I hope you do find the motivation to take a class. You might enjoy it, and I'm sure it will help with structure and flow. You have a decent idea, but obviously need a bit of work and knowledge to flesh it out in a more captivating way.

They say everyone has at least one book inside them, this could be yours!

No, it's too miserable and I don't enjoy misery memoirs

Yes, I would continue reading. But agree with others that it's not an introductory chapter.
It was fairly obvious to me that the mother was the one who did the beating, but I'd suggest maybe changing your last sentence. Without the prior knowledge that the mother was abusive, I would have assumed that if an 8-year-old girl were bullied for her clothes it would be by other girls who disliked her style. It's not very logical for the mother to make fun of her daughter for wearing clothes that she had brought her... unless maybe her Dad bought these clothes behind the mum's back, which would be a very interesting add-on to the plot.

. I stated I was not going to write anymore to shut people up as there is only so much shit a very timid first time writer can take.

You also started to write to shut people up. Maybe it's time to do things for yourself and because you want to,rather than shutting people up.

But they're not purporting to be fiction authors. hmm

But you don't have to leave bitchy, snarky comments, do you Taima?? Not helpful.

Timid lol

Ok you need to take a step back. Firstly, if you ever were to become a published writer, you can’t make everyone like your work so you need to be prepared for that. Secondly, there has almost certainly never been a book in the history of literature in which the first draft was the final version so you should be prepared to take on board feedback, adjust, rework and revise many, many times.

Are you a great writer? No. Are you even a decent writer? Not at present. Could you be? Writing is like everything else - it needs PRACTICE. And you can’t go into it because you want to be a great writer, you have to go into it because you have a story to tell.

Goodness.

I hope you've had a rethink and this hadn't put you off OP

Dame - rather than starting with a novel which is hard - very hard - why not free yourself from the constraints of structure, narrative and characters and just write a journal. What did you do yesterday? What did you eat/who did you talk to and how did you feel about it? Be specific. Don't say someone is 'beautiful' - WHY are they beautiful? Peachy skin? Glossy hair in a river down their back? A filthy laugh? That way your own natural voice will emerge. You don't have to do special classes, you just have to 'read a lot and write a lot'. (That's not me, it's Stephen King) I used to teach cw at the Open Uni and would tell my students I wanted to hear their own voice, not the one they thought they had to put on to be taken seriously.

The only writing rule at the moment you need to take on board is this: Don't tell me what it feels like - SHOW me what it feels like. That's what makes good children's authors. They don't remember what it was like to be nine or ten but they can remember what it FELT like. So try remembering what it was like when you were the age of your main character and if you write in the present tense, it feels more immediate.

Yes! I remember in a chat on MN Lee Child said don't write what you know, write what you FEEL.