heyy can you do a post on writing first chapters/beginnings? i tend to struggle with that a lot. thanks!
Writing Effective Story Beginnings
First Sentence Writing Tips
The MC must be introduced. It can be an “I” or a name.
Introduce (minor) disturbance right away. It can be as simple and cliche as an alarm clock going off - this hints at the readers that something is going to happen.
Consider the tone of the sentence. Dark? Mysterious? Funny? Establish a tone that the reader can follow throughout.
Start with a strange detail. It can be something graphic, like a drop of blood spreading on a fresh patch of snow. It can be a strange fact about your MC that’ll get the reader interested in them.
First Chapter Writing Tips
The first chapter should:
Putting your reader into the world (location/setting/time period)
Posing a question the reader wants to get an answer for
Introducing the main character
Kickstarting the plot development (your inciting incident)
Establish reader-MC bond. Why should we care about this character? Show how the MC is pitiful/ funny/mysterious/likable right away.
If you find yourself describing character backstories often, consider starting the story a little earlier instead. The exciting tension in a novel comes from immediacy, so I recommend that you don’t insert flashbacks in the first chapter.
Jolt your main character out of their ordinary life. This is called the inciting incident, and in my opinion should come as quickly as possible. What’s wrong with the MC/ the world that they are in, and what is the MC required to do?
It helps to have a strong character voice, especially in 1st person POV. Are they cynical? Overly optimistic? Detached from reality to the point they’re delusional? Make sure that the reader knows how interesting your character can be.
Appealing to a universal emotion (sadness of losing a loved one, anger at being cheated on, etc.) helps establish an emotional connection with the reader.
Ingredients For Your First Chapter
Try writing paragraphs which summarize each of these components:
The Problem: Try hinting at the “real” problem at the end of the first chapter to indicate that this will further develop into conflict
In the first chapter of a novel, there are generally two problems:
Our MC’s immediate and apparent problem
Example: the MC’s loneliness
The REAL problem to which our main character is blind, which which the reader can decipher
Example: the MC’s emotional trauma due to childhood abuse
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