Writing chapter one of your book is a lot easier said than done. This is your first impression to hook the reader into reading your entire book. If you’re a seasoned writer, you know the feeling of staring at a blank page and stressing about where to begin. That first page could make or break your book! Okay, maybe that’s a bit extra but it’s still crucial nonetheless.
Personally, I am a very picky reader. I like to take my time browsing different books. First I read the description and if that’s good then I’ll proceed to read the first chapter to determine if I want to purchase it or not. (Sometimes I won’t finish the chapter if it’s really not catching my attention.)
Now you’re probably thinking I’m being a bit harsh but the reality is, the average adult’s attention span is only 8.25 seconds, which is less than a goldfish! So if you’re not making an impression right away chances are people won’t want to continue reading.
Fear not! In this blog, we will be going over the do’s and don’ts of writing the first chapter of your book. Also before we begin, just note that rules are meant to be broken especially in writing. If one of these “don’ts” just works well for your story then do it! This is more of a general guide than a set rule book.
Ok with that being said let’s get started with the don’ts
Things you shouldn’t be doing
1. Don’t info dump
Try and avoid giving too much info right off the bat. These info dumps include:
- Backstory: This happens when you provide extensive background information about the characters all in one passage
- Exposition: This happens when you provide extensive background information about the characters all in one passage
- Character: This involves going in-depth into the rules, history, or mechanics of your story’s world in a way that just doesn’t quite feel natural
The reason to avoid info-dumping is because they can be tedious to read making them dull and they can mess up the flow, pulling the readers out of the narrative. Some quick tips to avoid info-dumping are
- Integrate information gradually
- Show don’t tell
- Use Dialogue and Interactions
- Prioritize Relevance
2. Don’t waste time on Pointless Details
When writing the first chapter of your book, it’s a delicate dance of providing descriptive details while not overwhelming your reader with irrelevant information. When I say pointless details I’m referring to the information that doesn’t contribute to the advancement of the plot, the development of the characters, or the establishment of the setting or atmosphere.
Ultimately irrelevant details can make the readers lose interest in the story and it can slow down the pacing of the first chapter which should be drawing them in quickly.
Example 1: If your first chapter describes the interior of a character’s house in excessive detail, including every piece of furniture and decoration, without any narrative significance, it can be considered a pointless detail. Instead, focus on elements that reveal something about the character’s personality or the overall atmosphere of the story.
Example 2: In a murder mystery, the weather may seem like a pointless detail if it doesn’t affect the plot or create a specific mood. However, if the story’s climax takes place during a storm that hinders the investigation, the weather becomes relevant and should be included.
3. Don’t Leave out Conflict or Tension
I get it, you want to save the action and climactic moment for the end but that doesn’t mean you can’t add some in your first chapter as well. As a matter of fact, you should!
Conflict and tension are fundamental parts of a book that keep readers engaged and eager to continue reading, and remember our goal for chapter one is to hook the reader into finishing your book.
Having this conflict will spark your reader’s curiosity because they will want to know how the conflict will be resolved. This can also reveal character traits, motivations, and growth as they respond to challenges which ultimately helps propel the plot forward.
Three common types of conflict include:
- Internal Conflict: This includes a character’s internal fears, dilemmas, inner struggles, and doubts.
- External Conflict: These include things such as societal pressures, an antagonist, or physical obstacles
- Interpersonal Conflict: This is a conflict between more than one character such as personal relationships, different goals, and misunderstandings
You can add conflict to your first chapter by using tools like foreshadowing, conflict in dialogue, and character goals, or starting with an action scene
4. Try To Avoid Clichés
Clichés are ideas, themes, characters, plot twists, or phrases that have been used so much they’ve lost their freshness and can make your work feel unoriginal and predictable if done incorrectly.
Common types of clichés are:
- Character clichés: Things like “The damsel in distress” “The wise old mentor” “The chosen one” and so on
- Plot clichés: This can be “love at first sight” “It was all a dream plot twist” or “A heroes journey”
- Dialogue clichés: These can be things like “It’s not what it looks like” “I have a bad feeling about this” and “You and I aren’t so different after all”
Now this doesn’t mean completely shying away from incorporating clichés into your work (which sounds super contradictive on my part) You can take these clichés and add your own unique twist on them to make it feel fresh and original.
For example:
- Instead of the “chosen one” archetype in a fantasy novel, consider a protagonist who isn’t destined for greatness but must earn their place through hard work and determination.
- In a romance novel, move away from the love-at-first-sight cliché and explore a slow-burning, realistic relationship development.
Okay now that we’ve covered the dont’s, let’s go over the things you should be doing in your first chapter
Things you should be doing
1. Engage the Reader
I know, it sounds simple and rather obvious but it’s an important thing to note because I see so many writers not doing this. Let’s dive into this in more detail.
The opening chapter of your book should serve as the hook, capturing your reader’s attention and making them want, no, need to read more. A hook can be something like a compelling question, a dramatic event, a mysterious statement, or a vivid description. The goal is to create a sense of intrigue mixed with curiosity.
Create Relatable or Intriguing Protagonists: Readers often connect with characters they find relatable and they may be more drawn to the protagonist if they possess unique or intriguing qualities. If you develop your protagonist in a way that makes the reader care about them, then they’ll feel more inclined to continue reading on,
Immediate Conflict or Mystery: As stated earlier, another hook can be introducing a central conflict or mystery early on to create immediate engagement.
Emotion and Empathy: When readers empathize with a character, they become more invested in the story’s outcome. Creating some internal conflict within the character can help build that emotional connection between the reader and the character.
End with a Compelling Cliffhanger or Promise: This can be a fun way to hook your reader into wanting to find out what happens next, thus enticing them to continue the rest of your book
2. Introduce The Story’s Conflict
As mentioned earlier, introducing a conflict is a great way to hook your reader in as it sets the stage for the narrative thus piquing the reader’s interest. Let’s a a more in-depth look at how to introduce conflict:
Define the Central Conflict: The central conflict will be the driving force of your story. It’s the challenge, dilemma, or problem your character must overcome. Make it clear in the first chapter what exactly the conflict is even if you don’t reveal the details or complexities immediately.
Establish the Conflict’s Relevance: Make sure that the conflict introduced directly correlates to the character, their goals, or the story’s overarching theme. Remember, the reader should understand why this conflict is important and why they care about its resolution.
Character Reactions and Motivations: How a character reacts to conflict can reveal more about their motives and personality traits thus creating more dynamic characters overall. Use internal monologue and dialogue to illustrate their response to this conflict.
Show, Don’t Tell: This is a good one to follow throughout your entire book. Instead of overly explaining a conflict, show it through dialogue and actions. This will help keep the reader emotionally invested in your book.
3. Establish The Tone and Style
Establishing your tone and style in the first chapter is crucial for setting the narrative’s mood. This provides the reader with an initial impression of the story and it helps create an engaging reading experience.
Define the tone: The tone of your book refers to the emotional atmosphere or attitude that’s being conveyed. This can range from dark and somber, light-hearted and humorous, suspenseful, romantic, or any other emotion you can evoke. The first chapter should set the tone giving readers a sense of what’s to come.
Create Atmosphere: Use descriptive language, vivid imagery, and sensory details to create the atmosphere of your story. Things like the setting, weather, lighting, and sounds can all contribute to creating the atmosphere. The atmosphere should also link to the tone that your setting. For example, a horror novel might describe the atmosphere as dark and eerie.
Dialogue and Diction: Remember that not everyone talks the same. It’s important to give each character their own tone and style of talking and stick with that throughout your novel. Take into consideration the character’s age, background, education, or overall personality.
4. Use The Right Pacing
This is a hard one for a lot of new writers especially when working on a first draft. (Don’t worry that’s why we have editing!) Pacing is essentially the speed at which your story unfolds. The goal is to hit the sweet spot at just the right speed so it’s not too fast or slow.
Vary Pacing According to the Scene: Different types of scenes will typically require different types of pacing. For example, if you’re writing an action scene the pacing might be faster whereas if you’re writing a romantic scene you may have slower pacing.
Short Sentences and Paragraphs: Again going back to the action scene, using short snappy sentences will speed up a scene and can add urgency making the reader feel like there in the action.
Descriptive Passages: Descriptive passages are good for slower scenes to immerse the reader in the world you’ve created. A romantic scene might use descriptive passages to slow things down, encapsulating the reader.
Dialogue for Momentum: Well-written dialogue can dictate pacing keeping this running smoothly. Make sure you are using a good amount of both dialogue and passages.
Scene Transitions: Scene transitions are essential for pacing. You can use scene transitions to jump timelines progressing the story forward.
Revise and Edit for Pacing: Just like I mentioned earlier, your first draft is just a first draft. When you go through the editing process make sure to pay close attention to your pacing (assuming you’ll do a round of editing yourself) Make any adjustments needed. You may need to add more or take out some things and that’s ok! That’s what editing is for
Ok, that’s it for this blog post. You’re now one step closer to writing that first chapter. And again remember these are just tips on best practices and are not set rules. Writing should be fun and exciting! So get out there and write away. Until next time.