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?
Monica Hay
2 months ago
What are your favorite craft books on writing, and do you have a recommendation on blogs/craft books that talk about first chapters?
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.
Monica Hay
2 months ago
How do we hook young readers without starting with too much action?
Monica Hay
2 months ago
What do your favorite openings incorporate?
Sarah Brubaker
2 months 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?
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!
Amy
2 months 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.
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.
Rebecca
2 months ago
When is medias res too much medias res and when is it not enough?
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.
Rebecca
2 months ago
What elements must be introduced in the first chapter?
Rebecca
2 months ago
I have a magical realism MG that doesn’t introduce the magic in the first chapter. Is that problematic?
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?
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?
Rebecca
2 months ago
Which characters should be introduced Chapter 1 and how many is too many?
ElizabethAnne
2 months ago
How do I know what part of the story to start with?
ElizabethAnne
2 months ago
How much of the worldbuilding should the reader know by the end of the first chapter?
Rebecca
2 months 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?
If possible, try to hit as many of those things as you can, but action (situation) and place are also very important.
StephanieS
2 months 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)
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?
Kendra
2 months ago
What if you have a quieter novel that doesn’t have much action, in regards to a first chapter or first pages?
Action and conflict/tension/friction are very different things!
Christiana
2 months 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.
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.
Dawn
2 months 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?
ElizabethAnne
2 months ago
SHould we start in media res (sorry if I spelled that wrong) or at the beginning of the story?
ElizabethAnne
2 months ago
What are the pros and cons of starting with a flashback?
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!
HabonJama
2 months 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 2 months ago by HabonJama
Charlene77
2 months ago
Thank you great examples and this is helping much!
PepperHawk
2 months ago
Do I need full physical descriptions in the first chapter or are hints enough?
HabonJama
2 months ago
What about hopping out of the present moment to what happened a few minutes earlier? is that also a no go?
Cynthia
2 months ago
Fantastic workshop! thanks for all the insights Mary!
Irene Pozoukidis
2 months ago
Thank you, Mary!
Christine
2 months ago
Thank you for all the insights and comments – I liked that, and it’s certainly helpful.
ElizabethAnne
2 months ago
Thank you! I’m currently editing my first chapter so this was very helpful. =)
Susan
2 months ago
This was amazing and so helpful. Thank you, Mary!
nwestwrites64
2 months ago
Thanks, Mary! Always love listening to your wisdom!
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?
What are your favorite craft books on writing, and do you have a recommendation on blogs/craft books that talk about first chapters?
I have a list of resources on Kidlit that I recommend as a good starting place! https://kidlit.com/resources-for-writers/
What are the main things you recommend having in the first chapter?
How do you recommend writing a good first opening when having two POVs?
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.
How do we hook young readers without starting with too much action?
What do your favorite openings incorporate?
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?
What can you portray with your main character in the opening chapter that will make a reader fall in love with them right away?
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!
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.
See above in my reply to Alyssa. Great question!
What are some things that would make you stop reading in a first chapter?
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.
When is medias res too much medias res and when is it not enough?
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.
What elements must be introduced in the first chapter?
I have a magical realism MG that doesn’t introduce the magic in the first chapter. Is that problematic?
Me too! Great question 🙂
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?
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?
Which characters should be introduced Chapter 1 and how many is too many?
How do I know what part of the story to start with?
How much of the worldbuilding should the reader know by the end of the first chapter?
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?
If possible, try to hit as many of those things as you can, but action (situation) and place are also very important.
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)
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?
What if you have a quieter novel that doesn’t have much action, in regards to a first chapter or first pages?
Action and conflict/tension/friction are very different things!
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.
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.
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?
SHould we start in media res (sorry if I spelled that wrong) or at the beginning of the story?
What are the pros and cons of starting with a flashback?
I wouldn’t. Establish a strong present moment then backfill with backstory/flashback.
What flavor is your Starbucks coffee?
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!
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)
Thank you great examples and this is helping much!
Do I need full physical descriptions in the first chapter or are hints enough?
What about hopping out of the present moment to what happened a few minutes earlier? is that also a no go?
Fantastic workshop! thanks for all the insights Mary!
Thank you, Mary!
Thank you for all the insights and comments – I liked that, and it’s certainly helpful.
Thank you! I’m currently editing my first chapter so this was very helpful. =)
This was amazing and so helpful. Thank you, Mary!
Thanks, Mary! Always love listening to your wisdom!