your first chapter you need to hook your
audience with it and you can also need
to introduce your character and your
settings here are six tips to improve it
hey everybody welcome to the other epic
story vlog this is the show where I
Elliot talk about Tips & Tricks
writing and editing tips and tricks and
apply it to my own work which is a
trilogy a dystopian trilogy if you want
to hear reading from my first chapter I
supply a link to it right up here I
recommend clicking it checking it out
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in the blanks if you haven't already
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alright so tip number one know what
point your story starts are you starting
with something interesting that is
happening or you're starting by easing
the reader into it like a regular day
kind of setup or is it right in the
middle of an action scene and this is
like a moment of intensity that the
character has to go through it's up to
you to decide how you want to play with
that first chapter there's no right or
wrong way but in terms of how your whole
story flows knowing where you begin your
first chapter is really important so in
my first chapter I begin the story just
by setting up the lifestyle of this town
Jen and talking about how tough
existence is like I want to really set
the tone that these people do not live
an extravagant life these people are
peasants they're farmers they're
tradesmen's they're they're not
intelligent in any particular way in
terms of growing a society I do begin
with like an average everyday sort of
story
but I sort of add this part about the
troubles they're having especially the
annual event where this creature comes
and steals their food which they work so
hard for so that's how my story begins
it's I'm setting up like everyday kind
of scenario and in the back of these
characters Minds it's like oh no this
creature is coming to steal our food
that sucks
tip number two don't be too flowery or
descriptive with your words you might
want to try to impress everybody with
your wordsmith arre that's word which I
think it is because I'm a wordsmith
myself but chapter one really isn't the
best place to do it
we usually get caught up with describing
too much of the character or describing
too much of the setting you don't really
need to do that the actions of the
character will in a way be better to
showcase their characteristics as
opposed to you just describing this and
that from them take this passage from my
novel for example I get too caught up
with just describing my main character
at this time Bernard Barnwell and I
should just let his actions with the
community and as with his wife do the
sort of the talking for me but I didn't
and I went ahead and just told you
everything and that's not really quality
writing tip number three have a main
character to follow it's pretty
important for the readers to know whose
storyline we were gonna be following
right at the beginning you could switch
characters later on in chapter two
chapter three whatever but right at the
start and if you're following like a
linear storyline it's kind of helpful
that the main character is
is projected as alright this is the guy
we're gonna be following the story about
and I kind of do that in my first
chapter but I also had a switch
perspective at one point so my story
begins with me describing town and then
Barnard Barnwell and then it flashes
back and then all of a sudden the
perspective switch to his wife Cassandra
and then the rest of the chapter unfolds
I don't know if that's the best way to
do it tip number four way too much back
story chapter one it's easy to get
caught up with wanting to give your
reader all the details that they need
but in doing so you sort of pull away
from the actual storyline itself and it
comes overwhelming and a little boring
to be honest so I don't recommend doing
that I'd I did it in my first chapter
and it's glaringly clear I try to
explain a bit of the social construct of
the town and then I explain a bit about
like how marriages work in this society
and then I flashback and then there's
way too much going on and I kind of
wished I just followed like a more clear
storyline and have the details of the
town reveal itself when necessary tip
number five don't trick your readers
don't start a story as a simulation or
dream there's no reason to it's you want
to leave a bit of mystery and you want
to misdirect the readers at time but you
don't want to use a lazy technique like
that it just loses your readers trust
kind of read away don't do it just don't
do it
tip number six the last tip of the day
ask yourself can the first chapter stand
alone as a short story just forget all
the rest of the stuff just have the
first chapter read it ask yourself are
you completely satisfied with it is
there a little arc that happened it
could end with a cliffhanger but is
there a little arc that happens and if
there is then you have a solid first
chapter I don't think my first chapter
has an arc as I mentioned before it kind
of starts off with a bit of introduction
of the setting and the character and
then it flashes back and then it comes
back forward and then has a character
perspective shift how I think I could
have improved my first chapter is by
better understanding what is the story
that is actually happening in the first
chapter and I believe most of the first
chapter is about a wife and a husband
wrapping up their work for the day and
the work taking longer for the wife and
the husband need to just go home I think
the story of the first chapter perhaps
should focus on Cassandra
and on Cassandra's thoughts of her life
because she married into this lifestyle
her father did not actually believe she
could do this work and I think all her
life she's trying to I guess proved to
the men around her that she's very
capable of doing the work I think that's
it I think that is what my chapter 1
should be about less about oh the
setting or like all that stuff is in the
background
I think the internal battle should be
focused on Cassandra and then when all
the stuff at the end happens it kind of
you know all that emotion kind of
culminates
together yeah that's great oh this is
helpful and I hope it helps you guys too
with figuring out your first chapter
once again if you want us to check out
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and you enjoy whatever this is please
hit subscribe and until next time keep
writing keep believing in yourself and
even when no one is reading your work do
it do it for yourself and that is the
most important thing I'll say today
alright I'll leave you guys bye