We all know how important the first chapter is, the first scene, first paragraph, that powerful first line. We know because we are readers. We know when we open the first page of a fresh new book we expect things.
The first chapter of your book needs to do a lot of hard work, including capture the reader’s attention and draw them into the story. Immediately. So how do we do that?
5 things your first chapter needs to do
Introduce your character
The first paragraph in your first chapter needs to introduce your main character. This is the character that readers are going to attach themselves to. The reason they will keep reading because they want to know what happens to the character.
You need to make sure they can identify your character, by name preferably, and also understand the type of person they are, which will be shown by the scene you are dropping them into. How your character is reacting to what is happening in this very first scene is a powerful way for the reader to understand who the character is and is so important to get your reader to connect in some way with the character and make them want to read on.
Introduce the character’s world
Whether you’re writing an epic fantasy, an out of this world sci-fi, or an everyday women’s fiction novel world building needs to be a key factor. And setting the scene of the character’s ordinary world at the start of the book is essential.
This is where that old nugget ‘show don’t tell’ really comes into play.
Get creative with where you’re starting your story and make the most of that very first scene, particularly the first paragraph, as you introduce your character and really show the reader where they are and who they are.
Introduce the character’s problem
This is sometimes easier said than done. As we know all characters need a goal - both an internal and external goal. The external goal is the plot of the story and the internal goal is the lesson the character is going to learn by the end of the story. (See our thread on characters for more on this which starts here.)
The first chapter is the place where the reader needs to get an inkling of what lesson they’re going to learn or the overarching theme holding the book up. You also need to show the character facing a problem. This can be reflected in their goal for the first scene, or be referenced by showing them in their current world which may be challenging them in some way.
Both goals - scene and story - will give a sense of what the character is trying to achieve (or avoid) and hint at the complications they may encounter along the way.
Introduce the inciting incident
Gone are the days where we can start with our character slipping into their day at a leisurely pace. No more waking slowly, having breakfast and moseying off to work without any drama.
Thanks to the evolution of the media we consume and the way we consume it, readers too now want to get to the action fast. This means within the first chapter - definitely the first scene, if not the first page - we need to see the inciting incident.
The inciting incident is where your story kicks off. It’s the catalyst for your character needing to sit up and take notice. Where they’re world changes and they can’t go forward with their normal day to day life, as hard as they may try.
It’s this inciting incident along with who your character is and how they respond to it which will hook your reader, making them want to turn the page. So get it in early, and make it pack a powerful punch.
Pose a question or three
The number one way to hook your reader is to make them curious. This can be done through a couple of subtle easter eggs that you drop to make the reader curious, or with one big powder keg of an explosion. What genre you’re writing in and what your story is about will guide you as to what will work best.
Your goal here is to make the reader curious, to make their mind start wandering off with your story. Make them unable to not turn the page because they’re so intrigued and they want to know what’s going to happen next.
Not only are they invested in the character because they are getting a sense of who they are, where they are and what they want and possibly need, but because of this nugget of a question that you’re posing they want to read on.
A tip for your first chapter
Of course when you sit down to write, whether your a plotter or a pantser, your first chapter will be the first words you put on the page. But, by the time you get to the end of your first draft, it’s likely that your first chapter is going to need to change.
Maybe it’s not posing the right questions, maybe you’re not showing your character how they need to be shown, or maybe you simply haven’t started the story in the right place.
The first chapter, will and should be the very last thing you revise in each draft that you do. And it’s in the final draft after the structural edit and redrafting is done, where you’ll put the final polishing touches on the chapter to make sure it’s the best way for your reader to start the story and ticks all of the boxes.
So while you might be tempted to polish that first chapter over and over again during the redrafting, don’t spend too much time on it until the end. It’s when your story is structurally sound and redrafted that you can spend the effort getting the first chapter in shape to make sure it’s doing the best job it can for your story and the reader.
First Chapter Checklist
The final polish
Have you introduced your main character (and possibly the antagonist if it fits the story?)
Does it provide a vivid sense of place for the reader?
Does it show what type of person your character is?
Does it hint at theme?
Is the goal of the main character clear for the scene and possibly the story to come?
Have you introduced the inciting incident as early as possible?
Is there conflict on the page - both external and internal?
What questions are you posing for the reader? And what stakes do they have for the character?
Does your first chapter fit the reader expectations for the genre?
A word on prologues
Using a prologue in your novel is perfectly okay if it fits the genre and works for the story. However, your prologue is not your first chapter in the sense of a first chapter. It’s a separate entity with an entirely different purpose focusing on a gripping premise and question at the forefront of the story. Prologues require a specific setting in a moment in time. We can talk more about prologues in a future Thursday Thread. For now though, your first chapter is your first chapter, prologue or not.
Do you love or hate writing the first chapter? Let me know in the comments.
And if you’re ready for feedback on your opening chapter please check out my opening chapter feedback service which is now available. More details here.
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The dreaded first chapter…😂 Always good to have a refresher like this for the next book!