Starting Your Story Right
First chapters are always fun for me.
I love setting up the story and creating some juicy conflict.
One thing I try to keep in mind is that I start the story right. There's a lot of advice to start the story with action, which is great, but I also think there's another important aspect to the first chapter and it has to do with character arc.
The first chapter should start with your main character in their ordinary world. This is the world they've been in before the story started. The same problems, the same people, the same moral structure.
Somewhere in chapter one, usually toward the end, something happens or some choice is made which propels the main character into a new world. A new job, a new challenge, or maybe new choices.
This change that occurs should be something that challenges your hero or heroine's character.
Thus, the character arc begins and chapter one ends with your main character in a struggle that will continue throughout the story and at the end of the book, your main character should be somehow different or changed from who he or she was at the beginning of the story.
What happens to your main character in chapter one that will forever change him or her? Who is your favorite hero or heroine and how is he or she different at the end of the story?
I love setting up the story and creating some juicy conflict.
One thing I try to keep in mind is that I start the story right. There's a lot of advice to start the story with action, which is great, but I also think there's another important aspect to the first chapter and it has to do with character arc.
The first chapter should start with your main character in their ordinary world. This is the world they've been in before the story started. The same problems, the same people, the same moral structure.
Somewhere in chapter one, usually toward the end, something happens or some choice is made which propels the main character into a new world. A new job, a new challenge, or maybe new choices.
This change that occurs should be something that challenges your hero or heroine's character.
Thus, the character arc begins and chapter one ends with your main character in a struggle that will continue throughout the story and at the end of the book, your main character should be somehow different or changed from who he or she was at the beginning of the story.
What happens to your main character in chapter one that will forever change him or her? Who is your favorite hero or heroine and how is he or she different at the end of the story?
Comments
Sounds like your character has a strong change.
Katie, love that term "throwing off game". That's exactly what happens!
My character learns something about her sister that will rock her world.
~ Wendy
My genre is futuristic suspense (not Sci-Fi), so the rules are a bit different. I jump into the action within the first couple of pages.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Wendy, I need to go check out Novel Matters then. I'd love to learn more.
Stephanie, I love when that happens!
Susan, I'll bet you have plenty of action in yours!
Great post, Jessie! And from the stories you've written that I've read, you're great at starting in the right place. :-)
I'm so mean:)
What annoys me is when I read a first chapter from an acclaimed author, and I think, "That's it? I'm supposed to be intrigued by Aunt Sophie's loss of her double boiler? How did this book get published?"
I hope I'm not being overly-critical, but I'm baffled by the lack of conflict and story line in some of the novels I read...
Tamika, girl, you're NOT mean, you just know what makes a great story. :-) Your characters will love you by the end of the book. *grin*
Are you on sub yet? I'm dying to catch up with you!
Have missed this place!
Blessings,
Patti
I stripped it apart, then the next chapter and so on. Now I am hoping I have got the right balance.
Good post.
One time I put the "action" first because I thought I "should try it" and my editor asked me to move it and put the leading up to it stuff first - so I guess what I do and how I do it works best for my kind of books ....
I read another great post on this topic yesterday at Kristin Lamb's blog in case you're interested.
This is something I struggle with. I think I've finally got it right for the current book.
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/in-the-beginning-part-one-normal-world/