• Home
  • About
    • What is WriteOnCon?
    • Our Team
      • Previous Organizers
    • F.A.Q.
    • Harassment and Accessibility Policies
    • Contact
  • All Things WriteOnCon
    • Register
    • Conference 2021
      • All Events
      • Live Events
      • Schedule 2021
      • Speakers 2021
      • Forums 2021
      • Discord Community 2021
      • User Dashboard
    • Archive Access
    • Swag Shop
    • Bookshop
  • Critique Boutique
  • Critique Partner Match (CP Match)
  • News
  • Register
  • Log In

WriteOnCon is LIVE February 19-21, 2021!

[email protected]
WriteOnConWriteOnCon
  • Home
  • About
    • What is WriteOnCon?
    • Our Team
      • Previous Organizers
    • F.A.Q.
    • Harassment and Accessibility Policies
    • Contact
  • All Things WriteOnCon
    • Register
    • Conference 2021
      • All Events
      • Live Events
      • Schedule 2021
      • Speakers 2021
      • Forums 2021
      • Discord Community 2021
      • User Dashboard
    • Archive Access
    • Swag Shop
    • Bookshop
  • Critique Boutique
  • Critique Partner Match (CP Match)
  • News
  • Register
  • Log In
LIVE: Components of a Strong First Chapter

LIVE: Components of a Strong First Chapter

February 21, 2021 Conference 2021, Live 2021 49 Comments

You are unauthorized to view this page.

 
 
Forgot Password
Tags: brainstormingwriting craft
49 Comments
0
Share
5 2 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
49 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Monica Hay
Monica Hay
9 days ago

How do I develop a good “opening image” (Save the Cat language) that isn’t cliche? (AKA not showing common tropes like waking up, being bullied, looking in the mirror). My character in my YA fantasy struggles majorly with bullies, but I don’t want to have a boring opening. Any advice?

0
Reply
Monica Hay
Monica Hay
9 days ago

What are your favorite craft books on writing, and do you have a recommendation on blogs/craft books that talk about first chapters?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Monica Hay
8 days ago

I have a list of resources on Kidlit that I recommend as a good starting place! https://kidlit.com/resources-for-writers/

0
Reply
Monica Hay
Monica Hay
9 days ago

What are the main things you recommend having in the first chapter?

0
Reply
Monica Hay
Monica Hay
9 days ago

How do you recommend writing a good first opening when having two POVs?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Monica Hay
8 days ago

Separate the POVs with new chapters or section breaks. As I mentioned in the video, you’ll want to showcase your two voices in the first 10 pages if possible, but make sure you separate them from one another.

0
Reply
Monica Hay
Monica Hay
9 days ago

How do we hook young readers without starting with too much action?

0
Reply
Monica Hay
Monica Hay
9 days ago

What do your favorite openings incorporate?

0
Reply
Sarah Brubaker
Sarah Brubaker
9 days ago

My first drafts often start with the inciting incident in the first chapter, so then in revisions I have to try to back up to set up that inciting incident batter. This can feel like I have to put in filler until I can “get to the good stuff.” How can my setup feel as exciting as my inciting incident?

0
Reply
Alyssa
Alyssa
9 days ago

What can you portray with your main character in the opening chapter that will make a reader fall in love with them right away?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Alyssa
8 days ago

Authenticity, vulnerability, and yearning. What do they want? Why? What’s their heartfelt reason for wanting? These are all very relatable! Also, if they’re a “tough” character, let’s give the readers a peek at their more soft inner selves. That will give readers an inside track!

0
Reply
Amy
Amy
9 days ago

Any tips for dealing with an ‘unlikeable’ hero/heroine in a first chapter? I still want the reader to connect with them, even though they have some unlikeable traits.

1
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Amy
8 days ago

See above in my reply to Alyssa. Great question!

0
Reply
Amy
Amy
9 days ago

What are some things that would make you stop reading in a first chapter?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Amy
8 days ago

There are no hard and fast “absolute no” moments for me. It usually comes down to voice and a lot of telling right away, though. Those are the tough obstacles to justify/overcome.

0
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
9 days ago

When is medias res too much medias res and when is it not enough?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Rebecca
8 days ago

This really depends on what your opening action is. I’d avoid an opening where there’s so much going on that we don’t have a chance to know the character at all. “In medias res” means “in the middle of things,” by the way, meaning the opening action.

0
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
9 days ago

What elements must be introduced in the first chapter?

1
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
9 days ago

I have a magical realism MG that doesn’t introduce the magic in the first chapter. Is that problematic?

0
Reply
MonicaAsAnAuthor
MonicaAsAnAuthor
Reply to  Rebecca
9 days ago

Me too! Great question 🙂

0
Reply
Amy
Amy
9 days ago

My query is all about my protagonist, but they don’t actually show up until page 3. Is an agent going to be put off by this when reading my first chapter?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Amy
8 days ago

That’s not the end of the world, but I still do like to meet the protagonist right away if at all possible. What do we focus on for those first two pages?

0
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
9 days ago

Which characters should be introduced Chapter 1 and how many is too many?

0
Reply
ElizabethAnne
ElizabethAnne
9 days ago

How do I know what part of the story to start with?

0
Reply
ElizabethAnne
ElizabethAnne
9 days ago

How much of the worldbuilding should the reader know by the end of the first chapter?

0
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
9 days ago

In your book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, you talk about 6 things we need to tell the reader when we meet the protagonist, should those six things be the focus of the first chapter or is it more important to establish place and situation?

1
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Rebecca
8 days ago

If possible, try to hit as many of those things as you can, but action (situation) and place are also very important.

0
Reply
StephanieS
StephanieS
9 days ago

How frowned upon is it to have side characters appear in the first (and fourth scene) but not again for the remainder of the book? (i.e. in portal fantasy where the MC ventures out without those characters)

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  StephanieS
8 days ago

I’d probably spend less time on the pre-portal frame. Otherwise, readers are going to get attached, and if those characters don’t come back into play … was all that establishing and engagement work worth it?

0
Reply
Kendra
Kendra
9 days ago

What if you have a quieter novel that doesn’t have much action, in regards to a first chapter or first pages?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Kendra
8 days ago

Action and conflict/tension/friction are very different things!

0
Reply
Christiana
Christiana
9 days ago

Have you seen a shift toward agents wanting to see more interiority in first chapters recently? I’ve just recently begun to hear this, and it seems to be from multiple people. I’d love to hear how you see interiority playing into first chapters.

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  Christiana
8 days ago

I’m 100% all about interiority, and I think it’s a timeless thing–to give readers access to your characters. You don’t want to be entirely in the character’s heads without any action, but readers do want to know your characters immediately, and that includes agents/publishers.

0
Reply
Dawn
Dawn
9 days ago

How can you catch the attention of agents with a quieter book that doesn’t pack a punch right away/starting with action or is not a fast paced story in general?

2
Reply
ElizabethAnne
ElizabethAnne
9 days ago

SHould we start in media res (sorry if I spelled that wrong) or at the beginning of the story?

0
Reply
ElizabethAnne
ElizabethAnne
9 days ago

What are the pros and cons of starting with a flashback?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  ElizabethAnne
8 days ago

I wouldn’t. Establish a strong present moment then backfill with backstory/flashback.

0
Reply
ElizabethAnne
ElizabethAnne
9 days ago

What flavor is your Starbucks coffee?

0
Reply
Mary Kole
Mary Kole
Reply to  ElizabethAnne
8 days ago

A venti flat white. Flat white because I love coffee without any syrups/flavors, etc. and venti because I have a four-month-old baby. Ha!

0
Reply
HabonJama
HabonJama
9 days ago

What page should the inciting incident happen? Does it have to happen within the first 10 pages?
(sorry if you’ve already answered this question, I just joined lol)

Last edited 9 days ago by HabonJama
0
Reply
Charlene77
Charlene77
9 days ago

Thank you great examples and this is helping much!

0
Reply
PepperHawk
PepperHawk
9 days ago

Do I need full physical descriptions in the first chapter or are hints enough?

0
Reply
HabonJama
HabonJama
9 days ago

What about hopping out of the present moment to what happened a few minutes earlier? is that also a no go?

0
Reply
Cynthia
Cynthia
9 days ago

Fantastic workshop! thanks for all the insights Mary!

0
Reply
Irene Pozoukidis
Irene Pozoukidis
9 days ago

Thank you, Mary!

0
Reply
Christine
Christine
9 days ago

Thank you for all the insights and comments – I liked that, and it’s certainly helpful.

0
Reply
ElizabethAnne
ElizabethAnne
9 days ago

Thank you! I’m currently editing my first chapter so this was very helpful. =)

0
Reply
Susan
Susan
9 days ago

This was amazing and so helpful. Thank you, Mary!

0
Reply
nwestwrites64
nwestwrites64
8 days ago

Thanks, Mary! Always love listening to your wisdom!

0
Reply

Conference Pages

  • Schedule
  • Speakers
  • All Events
  • Live Events
  • Forums
  • Discord
  • Critique Partner Match (CP Match)

Social Icons Widget

Ultimate Guides 2021

  • Accessing WriteOnCon
  • Live Events
  • Feedback Sessions
  • The Forums

Login

 
 
Forgot Password

Contact Us

Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
Join our mailing list and get all the latest news! Subscribe Now

Latest Posts

  • WriteOnCon 2021 is here!
    WriteOnCon 2021 is here!
  • Your Ultimate Guide to: Live Events 2021
    Your Ultimate Guide to: Live Events 2021

Keep in Touch

Contact Us

  • wochelp@gmail.com
  • [email protected]

Conference 2021

  • Schedule
  • Speakers
  • All Events
  • Live Events
  • Forums
  • Discord
  • Critique Partner Match (CP Match)

© 2021 writeoncon.org. WordPress Management by Wodu.

  • Home
  • About
    • What is WriteOnCon?
    • Our Team
      • Previous Organizers
    • F.A.Q.
    • Harassment and Accessibility Policies
    • Contact
  • All Things WriteOnCon
    • Register
    • Conference 2021
      • All Events
      • Live Events
      • Schedule 2021
      • Speakers 2021
      • Forums 2021
      • Discord Community 2021
      • User Dashboard
    • Archive Access
    • Swag Shop
    • Bookshop
  • Critique Boutique
  • Critique Partner Match (CP Match)
  • News
  • Register
  • Log In
Prev Next
wpDiscuz