When I started writing the first chapter of my novel, I was kind of lost… and when I say ‘kind of’, I mean 100% lost. I knew that I wanted to write, I knew I wanted to create and had a few ideas to include in the plot, but I didn’t know where to start…
For the first few weeks, that first chapter was a real mess, it was only meh… and I wanted it to be oh damn! this is the greatest chapter ever… you get the point.
After deeply studying the crafting process and analyzing the possibilities of my story, I was able to improve it. Maybe it’s not the greatest chapter ever, but it does the job pretty well: it has good structure, and my beta readers love it and are asking for more.
Now, I bring to you the most effective tips and tricks I used to make that first chapter glow and hook my readers instantaneously.
So, if you have been writing the first chapter of that novel over and over again, and nothing seems to work and you are not sure if what you’ve written is the right way to go, worry no more.
Today, I’m going to show you how to write a first chapter that will get all the doors open.
1. Understanding the eternal opposites…
Writing first chapters can get tricky, especially, because it is crucial to balance perfect opposites:
- That first chapter needs to represent the uniqueness of your story, but at the same time, it needs to hit certain points that are universal to all good stories.
- As the entrance to your world, your reader will have to understand the basics of how it works, but if you turn that into an infodump, readers will lose interest.
- You have to make your hero so unique, he/she/it can stand out in front of other books of the same genre, but you also have to give them characteristics that people, aka readers, can identify with.
Sometimes it feels like an act out of a cirque’s playbook. Balance is the key.
2. Do not start your first chapter with a dream! and I mean it.
Dreams make very weak beginnings:
- You waste time you could have used developing the real story and characters
- You lose the confidence of the reader
- It so common in first-time writers, agents are tired of seeing it
Many newbie writers think that starting a story with a dream is a cool, fresh idea, but guess what? It’s not.
When someone picks up a book to read, they are giving this book and author an opportunity, and the most valuable thing someone can offer: their time, and trust me, they don’t want that to go to waste.
Picture this: you start reading a new book, you think: “this might be good, I’ll give it a go”, you are invested in the situation and when you are on page ten… the protagonist wakes up. It’s all been a dream…!! and all that time and energy spent go down the drain.
Now, you are back at the starting point and once again need to concentrate and make an effort to try to understand the story. Can you see where I’m going with this? Starting with a dream is a bad idea!!!
Readers will feel betrayed by the author and are likely to put the book down. Plus, it’s been done so many times by newbie writers, it will be an eye-roller for any agent or editor.
3. Don’t start your first chapter with common tasks
Do you know how many books out there start with the protagonist waking up? Don’t do the math, I’ll answer it for you: Too many. Avoid anything that is common. Think of this: Is this something any character from any book could do? If the answer is YES, then avoid it completely.
The clasification “common tasks” includes, but is not limited to:
- waking up
- drinking water
- a common day in school
- looking out the window (unless the view is something we have never seen before)
Start with what makes your character / your story unique! That’s a way of creating intrigue in your readers. Let them ask themselves: why?
If you combine the uniqueness of your story with good delivery of the information that is relevant (and no more), you’ll create an unavoidable hook.
4. Introduce your hero in the ordinary world
The most salient characteristic of first chapters is that they introduce this new world you created to complete strangers. It is the first plot point in many story structures.
Click here if you want to know about the Three-Act Story Structure.
4.1 Exposition
Even if you are writing a contemporary novel and the book reflects life in the current times, your reader needs to be clear about the ‘when’ and ‘where‘ of your story. Also, and more importantly, they need to know the ‘who‘.
Sometimes, as writers, we think the reader needs to know every little detail and we end up info-dumping our brains out on the page. Infodumps will make your reader get bored easily while dragging your pace… and that’s not what we want.
How to avoid infodumps
Avoiding infodumps is totally possible if you follow these tricks:
Show, don’t tell (I bet you saw that one coming)
Instead of writing pages and pages with descriptions and every little detail you think is important, try to show it through the interaction between the characters.
For example, let’s say it’s cold and snowy. Instead of saying those exact words, try to show your characters shivering or complaining about having to wear three layers of clothing. Get the idea?
Let your world be another character in the story. Consider these options:
- a post-apocalyptic world covered with snow and ruled by dangerous mutants. (dips)
- the city of New York, 2025
- the city of New York, 2025 ruled by dangerous mutants
Do you think characters in your book will act the same way in each of these cases? will their challenges be the same? their everyday life?
No, no, and yes… I mean, No.
Show how the world they live in affects their daily lives. Your story is your story, in great part, because of the world in which it develops, so try to show that, to normalize that in your character’s speech.
Don’t explain everything!!
I know… it’s the first chapter and you think that for people to get your story, they need to know everything.
Think of this: How would you talk to a person that already lives in that world you created. Would you have to explain everything to them?
Again, No. They already know, because their daily lives are plagued with the world. So, it would only feel unnatural if the characters are providing old news as if it were old information.
Trust me, readers are smart. Don’t feel the need to explain every little detail to them. Let them figure it out.
4.2 Introducing your hero: Make him likable
Readers need to like your hero. Period. End of this section.
That’s actually all you need. If your readers don’t like your hero, they won’t continue reading. End of the story. End of your story for them, literally. Your readers need to care about your reader. If they don’t like him, if they don’t care about him, there’s no reason for them to read the story.
Show some characteristics of your hero, people can identify with. This could be: your hero helping someone else, maybe defending some other character. Show him being vulnerable, caring (even if that’s not his most salient trait).
You can (and should) include a daily, ordinary problem in the life of your character and then show him dealing with it. This serves two purposes:
- Showing your protagonist’s characteristics (making him likable)
- Showing a little bit of your world
5. Relating Chapter 1 to the Inciting Incident
The Inciting Incident is what sets your plot in motion, what sends your hero towards his adventure. It should never be included in the first chapter. Why? Well, because (once again) your readers need to care about your hero… and that doesn’t happen until they have some information.
Give your readers the chance of getting to like him and know him a little bit, so they can know what to expect from him in the future.
However something, you can and should do in your first chapter is making it about the inciting incident. The inciting incident marks the beginning of your hero’s adventure. He will leave the world that he knows to chase his final goal. But why?
When the inciting incident comes, your reader needs to know why it affects your character the way it does, why he is willing to leave everything behind for this… and that’s the sort of information you need to have your reader figuring out in your first chapter.
A good idea is to introduce the inciting incident at the end of the chapter. This will make a perfect cliff hanger and an absolute page turner.
A great illustration of this is The Hunger Games. In the first chapter, we know Katniss is a tough girl that deeply cares about her sister. She spends the whole day getting ready for the choosing ceremony. At the end of the first chapter… Boom! Primrose Everdeen…
you got my point there?
Summing up…
The first chapter of your novel is a huge challenge. It’s the door to your reader’s attention, a door that you want to keep permanently open. It’s the first impression agents will have of your book and it’s important to get it right because that’s what is going to determine if they want to keep reading or not… no pressure.
So, it goes without saying how important it is to write a first chapter that can act as a permanent hook.
Well, essentially, a first chapter needs to introduce your hero in (his/her) ordinary world. You need to create “exposition”, show your hero dealing with a common situation, this will expose your world and what kind of character your reader is.
Make sure that the first chapter serves as an introduction to the inciting incident. Please, do NOT start with a dream or any common tasks. Showcase the uniqueness of your world from the very beginning.
That’s all for this post. I think you are all set now!
See you guys soon!
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