How to write the first chapter
I have been studying all kinds of advice and tips on writing (books, websites and blogs) over the last few years, so I thought I would share this with you. This is a summary of tips about writing first chapters I find the most helpful.
The first chapter contains:
The basic setting
The point of view
Introduction of the protagonist
The goal of the protagonist
The voice
The mood and tone of the story
The beginning needs to have a reason to be the beginning
Introduction of the main character's daily life
A sense of something missing or out of place in the main character's life
Highlight what's special about the main character
Foreshadows what the conflict will be about / teases the plot of the story so the readers can decide if it's for them or not
But also leaves questions that will have the reader wondering what will happen next in concrete
The protagonist in action doing and wanting something, not sitting and thinking.
Basically = character, conflict and setting
Masterlist of my writing tips