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.
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~
