The First Chapter

The first chapter sets the stage for the rest of your novel. 

It introduces the key character and at least hints at the conflict to come, but it also lets readers know what genre they're working with (pay attention to those conventions and reader expectations!) and sets the tone.

It presents the character's world just before everything goes wrong.

The first chapter also includes the story hook.

A story hook is what captures the reader's attention. It's also where the writer makes a promise to the reader.  

What will happen next?

This is what drives readers to turn the page.

This is why the first few pages of your manuscript are some of the most important. 

Whether you're a pantser or a plotter or fall somewhere in between, it's nearly impossible to write a first chapter that's going to accomplish everything you need it to before the story is written.

My advice?

Skip the first chapter (or else write a "placeholder" chapter or jot down a few key notes or descriptions) then move on to the rest of the story. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Since beginnings and endings often mirror one another (with the end highlighting how the character has changed), it's easier to think critically about the first pages after the story has unfolded. 

Why? Because...

• You know how the character will evolve, so you can set up a nice opposition. 
• You'll be in a better place to (subtly) present the theme. 
• You'll be in a better position to hook the reader based on what's to come. 

Writing is magical, and we can plot all we want, but our characters are likely to steer us in new and unexpected directions, affecting our story in all kinds of ways.

So don't worry about Chapter One just yet. You don't know where the story is going.

Jump into the action, write to the end, then come back to it later. 

And always...

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

Three Tips for More Effective Dialogue Tags

How many times have you lost yourself in a passage of dialogue in a book, then had to stop and go back a few lines because suddenly you had no idea who was talking?

Without proper dialogue tags, it can be easy to lose track of who is speaking, especially if three or more characters are in conversation.

To help, here are my three best tips for incorporating dialogue tags into your scenes. 

1) Keep them simple.

He said. She said. Margaret said. Tom said.

That's all you need. 

Beginning writers who want to spruce up their writing sometimes err in amplifying their dialogue tags. Suddenly Margaret is chortling or arguing or remarking or coaxing and Tom is commanding or imploring or quipping or jeering.

Are any of these descriptors "bad" in and of themselves? No. They are actually effective at painting a more specific image in the reader's mind.

The problem lies in turning every tag into one of these. Do this, and you're going to wear your reader out. Save these tags for special occasions, and limit them to a few per chapter.

This also applies to adding adverb qualifiers to your tags. 

She said hastily. He said menacingly. Margaret implored questioningly. Tom admonished very hatefully. 

Bottom line: Don't overdo your tags.

2) Vary their location.

"I'm hot," Margaret said.

"Go sit in front of the fan," Tom said.

"I tried that already," Margaret said.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you then. We're all hot," Tom said.  

When you use a dialogue tag in the same place in every sentence, the conversation begins to sound repetitious, and readers notice the pattern. Writers use "said" as the key tag because it tends to disappear on the page, but the ones used in the above example call attention to themselves so that we're focused on who is saying rather than what they're saying. 

3. Use descriptions as tags.

If you play your phrasing right, you'll reduce the number of dialogue tags you actually need. Telling us what your character is doing is a great way to signal who's speaking.

Here's an example from All I Never Needed. 

Three people are in conversation: Mac, River, and Harley, and there's a mix of "said" and other variations, descriptions as tags, and locations of the tags.

But before she could even answer there was Mac, striding toward us. 

“Hey, Harley, some of us are about to head to my place. My parents are gone for the weekend and my sister is at a concert in Hamilton with some friends. You should totally come with.”

“Oh. Thanks, but my dad is expecting me home by eleven, so. . . .” She trailed off, allowing him to make the appropriate connections.

“You don’t have to stay the whole time. Just a quick drop-in,” he said. “I can give you directions. It’s not far from here.”

Harley scratched an itch on her ankle. “Thanks, but I really do have to get home soon.”

He smiled his million-dollar smile—his “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer” smile, an “I always get what I want” smile. Harley picked up on this, too, and the spell of the alcohol snapped—the transition from relaxed to “on full alert” almost immediate.

“Come on. We have the whole basement set up. Pool table, ping pong, darts, a full bar. It’ll blow your mind.”

I forced my eyes not to roll. “Jesus,” I muttered. “She’s saying no, Mac.”

“No way. We’re having a blast,” he said. “And it’s not even eleven.”

“That’s not the point,” I said.

He turned to me. “What, are you her mouthpiece or something? You speak for her now?”

“I speak for her when you’re too obtuse to recognize that she’s politely refused you twice already.” 

He laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, River. I didn’t realize you’d already laid claim.”

Something burned beneath my skin, my face growing hotter as I climbed off the picnic table and stood to look him in the eye. “Again, not the point, MacKenzie.”

“Look, I get it. If you two are going on just say so. Otherwise, back the *&#$ off.” 

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So there you are: three ways to fix your dialogue tags. This isn't something I recommend worrying too much about during the drafting stage--it's important to get the words on the paper as quickly as possible--but during an early editing round. 

If you're like me and tend toward distraction when you're editing, use the "find" feature to highlight the word "said." This may help you stay focused on the conversation, what tags are being used, where tags are being used, and if there's enough activity taking place between the snippets of dialogue.

As always:

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

Creating Unique Characters

When it comes to character, the goal is to create someone who is going to capture the reader's attention.

If you're writing a novel, you'll likely have several key players, and they will all need to sound different from the next. Otherwise, you're at risk of confusing the reader.

When brainstorming your character list, think about the key characteristics of each one. What is their gender? What is their age? Where are they from? How educated are they? What is their general attitude toward the world? What's their attitude toward the other characters?

All of these are going to affect them profoundly.

Photo by Ron Lach

Character One is a woman in her fifties. She is a literature instructor at the local university, and her husband has just left her for a younger woman. Both of her children are out of the house. An elderly neighbor drops by Saturday mornings with items from her garden or newspaper clippings of interest, and the woman can't decide if this annoys her or if she appreciates the companionship. 

Photo by Khairul Leon

Character Two is a male in his early twenties. He dropped out of high school to move to the beach. He loves his job at the local dive bar and that he has time to surf during the day. He's never met a stranger.

Think about how differently these two are going to interact with the world and the people in it. 

These differences need to come across on the page: in their dialogue, in their reactions, in everything they notice. 

Why? Because the more specific and varied your cast of characters, the more real they will seem. The more real they seem, the more memorable your story will be for the reader.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~