6 Things to Include in Your First Chapter
The first chapter of your novel is perhaps the most important in your book. The first chapter is what hooks not only the reader but potential agents and publishers if you are pursuing traditional publishing.
Your first chapter is your readers’ first introduction to your characters, setting, plot, and style of writing. From that first chapter, the reader needs to know if yours is a story they want to stick with — if your protagonist is someone they want to follow, if your style is one that feels comfortable for them.
So how can you write a compelling first chapter?
#1 Start with a strong first sentence to hook the reader
The opening sentence of any chapter holds a lot of weight, but it is particularly true of the first chapter. Ideally, your first sentence (or paragraph) will be something that stands out and piques the readers’ interest.
For example:
The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.
— The Secret History, Donna Tartt
This opening line immediately raises the questions “who’s Bunny and why are they dead?”, “who is our narrator and what have they done?”.
Being a longer sentence, more information is able to be included to raise more questions. However, short sentences can work just as well.
For example:
They shoot the white girl first.
— Paradise, Toni Morrison
This sentence is short and punchy. We don’t know where we are or who our narrator is, but we know something serious has occurred and the stakes are high. The reader is now compelled to understand who the shooter is, why they chose white girl, why it matters that they chose the white girl, and through whose eyes we are seeing this.
Your opening sentence is also a way to set the tone of the story and introduce the narrator’s voice. Understandably, this is a lot to balance in only a handful of words, but with a strong sentence you may be able to convince your reader to keep going and then allow the tone and voice to unfold. But more on this further down.
#2 Introduce the protagonist and hint at their goal and motivation
There is certainly no “rule” that the protagonist must be introduced in the first chapter — Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a great example of a memorable first chapter in which the protagonist is not properly introduced. However, by introducing your protagonist as soon as possible you are letting your reader form an attachment to them quicker. If it takes a chapter or two for the reader to get to your main character then you risk them losing interest because they aren’t able to fully invest in the story.
Once you’ve introduced your protagonist, it’s helpful to hint towards a goal they are pursuing or something that motivates them. Although the main goal isn’t likely to be established in the first chapter, there is a good chance your character is working towards something else.
In the case of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry’s first chapter establishes his place within the Dursley family and the fact that he attracts trouble and strange occurrences. More than that, we understand how misplaced Harry feels. This early feeling of wanting to belong is something that is threaded throughout the whole series as Harry tries to find his place at Hogwarts and amongst new friends.
Developing an early goal and motivation will give your reader a sense of what is important to your protagonist.
Consider the following questions about your protagonist:
What do they want?
Why don’t they have this?
Why do they want it?
How can they achieve it?
Then you can begin to weave these elements into the opening chapter.
#3 Establish the setting to ground the reader
Along with introducing your protagonist, it’s important that you set the scene for the reader. The last thing you want is White Room Syndrome in which nothing is described and the reader can’t picture the setting and what’s taking place.
Introducing the setting doesn’t mean info dumping the history of your world, but it does mean giving the reader their bearings.
For example, a book set in London might mention London-based locations, such as passing the Thames on the bus or hearing on the radio something about an event in Mayfair.
A book set in a fantastical world may describe important geographical features, such as the smell of the sea, or the mountains that surround the valley in which they live. Or you may describe the technology, such as a spaceship hanger, or a sandstone castle with a moat.
The little tidbits of information immediately let the reader know where the story is taking place and what they might expect.
Readers don’t need the full picture straight away, but they need hints of it. Worldbuilding is easiest when your characters are interacting with the things around them — like catching a train from Manchester to London, journeying into a forest to gather berries, or visiting the palace for an audience with the king. All of these actions draw on the worldbuilding to help bring the reader further into the story.
#4 Set the tone and establish the narrative voice
An author’s writing style is one big deciding factor for many readers, along with the tone and narrative voice. Unfortunately, a reader’s opinion of these things is subjective so there is no accounting for taste. What matters, though, is that your style and tone suit the story.
Tone refers to the mood conveyed by the topics explored in the book. For example, a contemporary romcom novel might explore serious topics like self-harm and mental health but in a light, offhand way to suit the narrator’s voice and the genre.
The narrative voice is the voice of the person telling the story — whether that’s the protagonist or an all-knowing third party observer. The narrative voice conveys the character’s personality through things such as word choice, sentence structure, and literary devices. In the the case of our romcom, the protagonist may have a quirky, witty humour which can be reflected through the style of writing.
Establishing the tone and voice early on lets the reader know what kind of story they are part of and who’s telling it. Making this clear early on will help the reader decide if they enjoy it and want more.
#5 Introduce an initial conflict or piece of action
No matter what is happening in your first chapter, there should be some kind of conflict or piece of action. This doesn’t have to be anything outstanding like a car chase or battle to the death, but it needs to be something that impacts the character and sets up the story.
Continuing the Harry Potter example, Harry’s first chapter is the trip to the zoo in which he speaks to a snake and accidentally sets it free. The action in this is the zoo trip and spending the day out with the Dursleys (allowing more insight into Harry’s everyday life). The conflict is Harry speaking to the snake and unintentionally freeing it (something which raises questions about what Harry is capable of).
Your book may open with your protagonist being faced with a difficult decision that allows for plenty of introspection and character-building internal monologue; your protagonist may be trying to make it across town for an important business meeting, which allows you to bring in elements of the worldbuilding whilst establishing their everyday life; or your protagonist may be sitting in a police station in handcuffs waiting to be interviewed, which sparks intrigue and allows for intriguing plot development.
The conflict and action in your first chapter should develop the protagonist and push the story forward towards the Inciting Incident.
#6 Foreshadow the antagonist or major conflict
Lastly, something that really makes a first chapter stand out is foreshadowing the antagonist or a major conflict. In the case of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry’s ability to speak to the snake foreshadows his connection to Lord Voldemort — something which is consistently hinted at but not revealed until later in the series.
You might foreshadow your antagonist through an offhand mention of them — something which is seemingly inconsequential but which the reader should later remember. Or you may even introduce the antagonist before they become the antagonist.
Foreshadowing isn’t as hard as it sounds. Simply put, it is a warning of a later event.
For example, if it is mentioned in passing that the protagonist can’t swim, you better believe there will be a chapter later on in which they find themselves in water and having to swim for their life. Or, perhaps the protagonist insists on a secondary character’s trustworthiness. Well, unfortunately, that secondary character is going to betray them because the protagonist was just too eager to believe they were good.
See how a throwaway comment can actually be a crucial piece of foreshadowing?
Writing a compelling first chapter will take time. Your original ideas may morph and change as you get to know your story and receive feedback. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it right straight away.
If you’re eager to make drafting your novel easier or keen to get some feedback on what you’ve already got, my 16-week Planning and Drafting Coaching and 8-week Coaching and Critique are a great way to ensure your story has the essential elements it needs to make getting to “the end” easier.
