I love writing First Chapters! I really really do! It's a good thing too, since I'm on version 5 of this particular first chapter. They are so fun to write and so difficult to get right.
After getting feedback from wonderful, amazing betas (you guys are the best!!!), and taking a hard look at ye olde Chapter One in context of my manuscript, I realized I was making several newbie mistakes. Even after a couple re-writes, I was still including too much backstory and flowery description, and was taking far too long to get to the inciting incident. So, yesterday it was back to the drawing board for me for my WIP's first chapter. As I got ready to rewrite, I decided to collect my notes and make sure I brushed up on the key problems new authors often have with Chapter One. After scouring the web, here's what I found:
Common First Chapter Mistakes
More Resources -- Dos and Don'ts for Chapter One:
Here are some links if you're interested in reading further!
Agent Pet Peeves I, II || Writer's Digest 5 Star Chapter 1 || First Chapter Mistakes || Jody Hedlund's Potential 1st Chapter Problems || Valerie Kemp - First Chapter || Hilari Bell - What You Should and Shouldn't do || Beth Revis - How to Hook Readers || Pub Rants - Why Prologues Often Don't Work || Seven Deadly Sins of Prologues || Got Prologue? Why readers skip it, editors hate it and writers need it || First Five Frenzy - What Agents Want to See in the First 5 Pages ||
After getting feedback from wonderful, amazing betas (you guys are the best!!!), and taking a hard look at ye olde Chapter One in context of my manuscript, I realized I was making several newbie mistakes. Even after a couple re-writes, I was still including too much backstory and flowery description, and was taking far too long to get to the inciting incident. So, yesterday it was back to the drawing board for me for my WIP's first chapter. As I got ready to rewrite, I decided to collect my notes and make sure I brushed up on the key problems new authors often have with Chapter One. After scouring the web, here's what I found:Common First Chapter Mistakes
- Not enough action
- Too much backstory
- Too much description of setting and/or characters
- Too many characters introduced
- Starting with a dream, or killing off what appears to be the main character
- A weak first sentence, weak first paragraph.
- Using cliched phrases, reactions, characters.
- Starting with a prologue
More Resources -- Dos and Don'ts for Chapter One:
Here are some links if you're interested in reading further!
Agent Pet Peeves I, II || Writer's Digest 5 Star Chapter 1 || First Chapter Mistakes || Jody Hedlund's Potential 1st Chapter Problems || Valerie Kemp - First Chapter || Hilari Bell - What You Should and Shouldn't do || Beth Revis - How to Hook Readers || Pub Rants - Why Prologues Often Don't Work || Seven Deadly Sins of Prologues || Got Prologue? Why readers skip it, editors hate it and writers need it || First Five Frenzy - What Agents Want to See in the First 5 Pages ||
What about you? What are your experiences with writing/rewriting chapter one? Do you have any first chapter weaknesses? Does it take a few tries to pin it down, or do you ace it the first time through?
Post a Comment