What should be in the first chapter of a novel?

An ideal first chapter should do the following things:

• 1) Introduce the main character.
• 2) Make us care enough to go on a journey with that character.
• 3) Set tone.
• 4) Let us know the theme.
• 5) Let us know where we are.
• 6) Introduce the antagonist.
• 7) Ignite conflict.

How do you start a first chapter example?

These 10 examples reveal ways to make your chapter beginning count:

• Introduce urgent current or impending action.
• Establish place.
• Begin an intriguing conversation.
• Create a skip in time.
• Give historical context.
• Hint at the focus of coming narrative.
• Share interesting character facts.
• Build narrative suspense.

What are 5 examples of fiction?

Mysteries, science fiction, romance, fantasy, chick lit, crime thrillers are all fiction genres. Examples of classic fiction include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 1984 by George Orwell and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

How do you plot a first chapter?

First Chapter Checklist #3: Setting Up the Story

1. Introduce the Story’s Protagonist.
2. Create and/or Foreshadow the Main Story Goal.
3. Establish the Thing the Character Wants.
4. Hint at the Lie the Character Believes.
5. Establish the Normal World as a Thematic Starting Place.
6. Foreshadow the First Plot Point.

How many chapters should a book have?

Most novels have between 10 to 12 chapters, but that’s not set in stone. You can have two chapters or 200 — it all depends on how comfortable you are with experimenting. Consider your dear reader.

What is the beginning of a book called?

A preface, prologue, and foreword are all a part of a book’s front matter, the introductory pages of a book before the main text—often numbered with Roman numerals—that include the title page and table of contents.

What is the first chapter of a book called?

A prologue is a short chapter that usually takes place before the main story begins as a means of granting understanding to the reader. It’s also used to increase intrigue and captivate readers.

How do you start off a book?

How to Write a Good Hook & Start Your Novel with a Bang!

1. Startle readers with the first line.
2. Begin at a life-changing moment.
3. Create intrigue about the characters.
4. Use a setting as the inciting incident.
5. Up the stakes within the first few pages.
6. Introduce something ominous right away.
7. Set the mood.

What are the 4 examples of fiction?

Examples of fiction genres include mystery, romance, legal thriller and science fiction books are all examples of commercial fiction that can be found on the bookshelves of our high street bookshops and libraries.

What is fiction example?

An example of fiction is a book that is not based on a true story. An example of fiction is a lie that you were told. An example of fiction is a false belief. Literary type using invented or imaginative writing, instead of real facts, usually written as prose.

How do you begin a story?

Find out which starter makes your partner most interested in reading your story.

1. Start with action or dialogue.
2. Ask a question or set of questions.
3. Describe the setting so readers can imagine it.
4. Give background information that will interest readers.
5. Introduce yourself to readers in a surprising way.

Should I name my chapters?

Titles certainly aren’t necessary for individual chapters. Plenty of great novels simply use numbered chapters to break the story into sections. Titling each chapter with the name of the narrator helps establish who is speaking.

How to write a great first chapter of a book?

How to Write a Great First Chapter (One that Rocks!) When I go to the library to find new reading material, the first thing I do is read the opening paragraph and skim through the first few pages of each selection. If I don’t like what I see, the book goes back on the shelf.

What’s the first chapter of a young adult book?

This is a young adult novel, very simple to read, but thought-provoking for people of all ages. The story is told from the point of view of Christopher, who has an unnamed condition similar to (if not) Asperger’s Syndrome. In the opening chapter, Christopher finds a dead dog, speared with a garden fork, on his neighbour’s lawn.

What happens at the end of the first chapter of a novel?

The success of your novel or short story will ultimately be decided by your reader’s ability to engage or identify with your protagonist. By the end of the first chapter of your novel, the reader should have a basic sense of who your main character is and be eager to follow their journey into the second chapter.

What’s the last step to writing a chapter?

The last major step to writing a good chapter is self-editing that chapter. You’re in luck because I also wrote a SPS blog post on self-editing. Please refer to that post for more details, but essentially, the self-edit process helps you double-check all of your work.