It’s a new year, so we all get a new start. One we need desperately. Beginnings are important, but they can get overlooked. People often pass judgment on something based on how it ends. Endings are important, yes, but so are beginnings.
This applies to writing as well.
First chapters are memorable. It’s where we meet our new favorite characters and step into their world for the first time. It’s where we enter the early stages of love and adventure. First chapters set the tone of the story and can make or break it.
Think about it: how many books have you started and never finished after only reading the first chapter? You probably stopped because you weren’t engaged enough to continue. You weren’t hooked. And it’s not just readers that do this. Potential agents and editors can decide whether to accept or pass on a book after the first chapter.
Your first chapter needs to draw people in and make them commit to reading the rest of the book. So today we’ll go over everything you need to have a killer first chapter.
1). Have a Great Opening Line
To quote Julie Andrews, let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. Specifically, your opening line.
The first sentence in your story should hook your readers and convince them to keep going. And if you’re trying to publish the traditional way, it’s also what agents and editors use to decide whether they take a look at your manuscript or throw it away. That’s a lot of pressure for one sentence. But it’s not impossible.
Let’s look at the first sentence of A Tale of Two Cities, one of the most iconic opening lines of all time: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Dickens continues to compare and contrast in a way that perfectly describes the French Revolution. While the people were demanding democracy, far too many innocents were sent to the guillotine. Dickens shows that while it was good that the monarchy would be replaced with the voice of the people, it also marked the dawn of a bloody time in history. He sets the tone that the good and bad often go hand in hand.
Use your opening line to hook your reader and set the tone. If it’s romance, hint at future love. If it’s a thriller, add a sense of impending danger. Give them a reason from the start to keep reading, and they will.
2). Introduce Your Characters and Setting
This one is a given. Introducing the main characters and setting the first chapter is as necessary as having to breathe. But the trick is to make your audience connect with the protagonist and feel like the story’s world is just as real as the actual one. And you only have a short amount of time to do that.
In the first chapter of The Hunger Games, we meet Katniss and learn about her close bond with her sister, her strained relationship with her mother, the death of her father, her friendship with Gale, and her prowess with a bow. We know so much about Katniss that she feels three dimensional. We emphasize with her and start to root for her. Then on top of all that, we learn about Panem. How it used to be North America and consists of twelve districts and the Capitol. How the districts rose up in a failed rebellion and how the Hunger Games came to be. By the end of the chapter we have a sympathetic character who’s trying to survive in a dark and dangerous world. That would make anyone want to keep reading.
Introduce your characters and make them relatable early. Have the backdrop come to life. And readers won’t want to leave them.
3). Start In Medias Res
First chapters are the lures that draw us in. It’s what’s used as part of Amazon’s First Look feature so potential readers can decide if they want to pull the trigger. So those pages need to be fast paced and leave you wanting more. And the best way to do that is by starting in medias res.
In medias res is Latin for “in the midst of things.” It’s a writing technique that kicks off the story in the middle of the action. And it’s effective. It quickly draws readers in and engages them. No one wants to start a story with the protagonist’s morning routine. We want to immediately jump into the thick of things.
Hunger Games does not start on any ordinary day. It begins on the day of the reaping, when one boy and one girl from each district are chosen as tributes to compete in the Hunger Games. There’s a sense of dread and looming danger throughout the chapter, and the reader understands what’s at stake for the characters.
Think of how you can start your story with action. Have your character see their love interest for the first time. Have them get in an accident. Or stumble upon some massive conspiracy. Whatever it is, choose to do it in medias res.
4). End with a Cliffhanger
We covered how to start the chapter, now let’s tackle how to end it. Remember Amazon’s First Look feature. Potential readers will decide whether to buy your book and read the whole thing after the first chapter. If you’re publishing traditionally and have hooked an agent or editor enough to get this far, it’s also the point where they’ll decide if they should request the full manuscript or not. In both scenarios you need to leave them wanting more. Like they’re on the precipice of a great adventure or an epic love story that they can’t miss out on.
I know I’ve mentioned it a lot, but let’s look at The Hunger Games one last time. The chapter ends with Katniss’ sister, Prim, being reaped as tribute. It’s a gut punch to the readers. Especially after Katniss explained earlier that tributes as young as Prim had virtually no chance of winning the Games, that it was a death sentence. We have to watch as Katniss is on the verge of losing one of the people she loves most. We’re as shocked as she is and are left reeling. The page practically demands to be turned. Because how could you stop after that?
Putting a nice little bow on the end of the first chapter won’t incentivize anyone to keep reading. That cliffhanger is the last trick up your sleeve to convince people to pick up your book. Ending on a strong note is just as important as starting on one.
First chapters are selling points. They set expectations. They need to be solid and engaging. It doesn’t matter how exciting the middle or end of the book is if readers aren’t convinced to even continue past the beginning. So you have to give them a reason to keep going.
Incorporate these methods in your first chapter, and they’ll be reading the last one in no time.
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