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Hellooo, everybody!
The Savior's Champion audiobook is coming out any day now!
Keep your eyes peeled. It'll be on Amazon. It'll be on iTunes, and of course, it'll be on Audible.
Even better, if you're new to Audible, you can open up an account and listen to the TSC audiobook
for free! I'll have more information about this soon, there may or may not be a giveaway,
so get excited. Moving on. Today's topic comes as a special request from not one but two of my
patrons over on Patreon. Both Stephanie Herrera and Laurine Bruder want to know all about writing
the first chapter of your novel, aka the biggest clusterfuck of the entire writing process. I think
this is a great topic. Stephanie and Laurine, you have fantastic taste. I'm breaking down my
top 10 tips for writing the first chapter of your novel. We're covering how to make it amazing and
impactful, and also how to survive the process with your sanity intact. Number One (1): You’re
not gonna hook anyone with the first sentence, so get over that right now. Everywhere you go you’ll
see people spouting off the importance of the first sentence. (Narrator voice) “If it’s not
the most interesting sentence in your book, readers are gonna run for the hills.” This is
kind of bullshit. I'm not encouraging you to write a shitty first sentence, but no one is hooked one
sentence deep. Usually it takes a chapter to get someone sucked into a story. So better advice
would be to make sure that something interesting and impactful happens on the first page. Keep in
mind the first sentence is still important, but too many writers try to make their first
sentence as unique as possible, and instead they just make an ass of themselves. Protip:
if your first sentence is an over the top metaphor or simile, you're probably being obnoxious. Number
Two (2): Begin where the story begins. The number one question I get about writing the
first chapter is “But Jennaaa, I don’t know where to start.” Start where the story starts. Take a
look at every generic story you've ever heard. For example, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Does the
story begin with a history of the three bears lineage and how they came to be? Does it start
with Goldilocks in school, doing homework, or getting her locks pleasantly golden? No,
it starts with the bears leaving their home and Goldilocks trespassing like the privileged bitch
she is. No one gives a shit about anything that happened before then, because it's not relevant to
the story. Number Three (3): Introduce your main character. Your first chapter should follow your
protagonist or else there's gonna be issues. “But Jennaaa, my first chapter follows the
villain.” Sounds like you've written a prologue. “But Jennaaa, my first chapter begins hundreds
of years before the protagonist is even born.” Sounds like you’ve definitely written a prologue.
“But Jennaaa, I have five protagonists!” Then the first chapter better follow at least one of them.
Whoever you introduced as the focus of your first chapter, that’s who readers are going to become
invested in. If you follow a random character and then switch over to the protagonist in the second
chapter, that shit’s annoying. Plus you’ve failed to get readers interested in literally the most
important character in the book. Number Four (4): Give a snapshot of the main character's life. A
lot of books follow a similar formula. The main character is living their normal life, then the
conflict is introduced, and their life completely changes. Because of this, it's important to give
a brief look at what normal life looks like for the main character. Emphasis on brief! This is
where a lot of writers get hung up. They'll start their book off with chapters upon chapters of the
main character going to school, or going to work. You know, the boring shit. You can give the reader
an idea of this person’s life without taking them through every tedious minute of it. Instead
of having the character wake up, brush their teeth, and sit through an entire day of school,
start the book at the end of their very last class while they're staring at the clock, waiting for
the bell to ring. This lets the reader know how mind numbingly dull their life is, without making
the reader want to end it all with them. Number Five (5): Introduce the problem. Some writers tell
you to start the book with the inciting incident and that is most definitely an option. However, as
a reader, I more often than not see the inciting incident in the second chapter. Instead, the first
chapter usually introduces the problem. What is going wrong in the main character's life? This is
different than the inciting incident. The inciting incident propels the protagonist into action,
whereas the problem is a shitty situation that instigates the inciting incident. For example,
say your book is all about a quest to find the most powerful sorcerer in the realm. The inciting
incident is when your protagonist sets out on their quest. Thing is, why are they setting off
on this quest in the first place? What is their motivation? Maybe their father is dying, and the
only person who can save them is this sorcerer. That right there is your problem. Therefore, you
introduce dying dad in chapter one, and in chapter two the quest begins. Number Six (6): Introduce
the world as it becomes relevant. One of the biggest mistakes writers make,
especially sci-fi and fantasy writers, is turning the first chapter into one massive world building
dump. No one gives a shit. The reader does not need an entire history of the galaxy before the
story has even begun, and I'm willing to wager that 75% of the information you presented isn't
relevant to the story at all. Instead, adopt the method of explaining bits and pieces of the word,
as it becomes relevant. When the characters are navigating difficult terrain, that's when
you can address the climate. When they visit the castle, that’s when you can address the monarchy.
And yes, a little exposition is sometimes necessary, especially in sci-fi and fantasy,
but limit this information to the essentials, and by no means should the first page of the
first chapter begin with an info dump. Number Seven (7): Show, don't tell. Another big mistake
newbie writers make is using the first chapter to explain everything to the reader. You know,
like they’re idiots. Your protagonist’s friend enters the room and the narrator says “Todd was
his best friend. They've known each other for years and loved one another like brothers.” Not
only is this boring as shit, but it also doesn't resonate or stir up any emotion,
whatsoever. Instead, show their brotherly banter, describe them playfully teasing one another. This
will communicate way more effectively that the two of them love one another like family,
while also being way more entertaining to read. Number Eight (8): Make the readers care. One
of the reasons it's important to introduce the problem in the first chapter is because you're
trying to get the reader invested. They’re not gonna get emotionally involved if everything is
fine and dandy. Introducing a problem will evoke the reader's empathy. Additionally, showcasing
your main character’s humanity is a great way to make the reader care about them. So ask yourself,
what makes this person relatable? Readers don't want to see perfect people. They want
to read about characters who are bullied, who are overworked, or what something more out of
life. Vulnerability in the first chapter is key to making your readers invested. So put that shit out
there. Number Nine (9): Move on. Do not waste time trying to perfect the rough draft of your first
chapter because it’s a losing battle. Instead, move on with your story. Allow that steaming pile
to stink up the space for a while. You can clean it up later. If you obsess over making the first
chapter flawless now, you will never finish your book. One, because perfection is subjective. And
two, because you are not yet capable of writing a flawless chapter. Writers improve as they write.
Which means that if you go back to edit your first chapter after the rough draft is complete,
you will be addressing it as a more competent writer. Let that person make the first chapter
flawless. They'll get the job done. And Number Ten (10): Calm the fuck down. Writing the first
chapter is the scariest part of your manuscript. But it's not going to feel this way forever. Yes,
there is a lot of pressure to make this chapter amazing, but you're not doing yourself any favors
by wallowing in the stress. There is no need to have an aneurysm over this. You are going to have
multiple rounds of edits. You are going to have beta readers, and critique partners, and editors,
and proofreaders. There will be lots of time and lots of help to make this chapter shine. So relax,
be confident in the fact that you will get the job done. And even if you're not capable of
writing a great chapter now, you will be capable when the time comes to edit. So that’s all I got
for you. A huge thank you Stephanie and Laurine for requesting this topic. If you’d like the
chance to have a video dedicated to you, or if you want access to tons of other awards,
check me out on Patreon. We've got an exclusive writing group, we have early access to videos,
there's a monthly live stream, there’s signed merch, we've got tons of amazing prizes—check it
out! The link is listed below. Friendly reminder the TSC audio book is coming out very soon. So be
on the lookout, there may be some fun shenanigans planned. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.
I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as they upload,
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