How to Write A Terrible First Chapter
My last article was all about first chapters. We talked about the best ways to approach the opening to your novel and even got down to the little details, like writing a good opening line. So, if you haven’t read that article yet I strongly recommend checking it out by clicking here.
Now that you’ve learned all the techniques to write an amazing first chapter, let’s talk about all the mistakes you can make in writing a terrible first chapter. If you don’t already know, I’ve been reading and reviewing books here on The Rebel Christian for five years now; I also have a certification in copy editing and I recently opened The Rebel Christian Publishing in June 2020. So, I have a lot of experience in reading through manuscripts, receiving query letters, and reading samples of novels. I want to share with you all the things that have turned me off while reading someone’s work, and what exactly influences my personal decision to abandon a novel after just the first chapter—or even the first page.
As a general reader, I can let a lot of things slide—clichés, stereotypes, even a case of poor editing. But when I receive a query letter and agree to read a sample of someone’s manuscript for professional reasons, I have much higher expectations. The number one thing that bothers me when I open a novel is an introduction.
Hi, my name is John Doe, and this is the story of how I realized I’m actually a terrible writer.
That is probably the best way to get me to close a book and never read it again. There are a lot of novels that begin this way and some of them are best sellers—but the thing to remember about this sort of introduction is that it is very common. Do you really want to be another author joining the horde of writers all using the same opening line, like you picked it out of a multiple-choice pop quiz?
Another thing I find irritating about this sort of opening is that it seems lazy and amateurish. The most common books that use an introductory line are typically children’s books, so if your work is for a young adult audience or older, you may come off as inexperienced by using this sort of opening. The reason I find this intro to be lazy is because it explains the entire story in the first line. It reads like you just copied the back of your book into the first chapter.
My next first chapter turn-off is shock value.
Starting off your book with a rape scene, a sex scene, a suicide, a murder, or in the middle of a battle/fight is very awkward for a number of reasons. The first thing that makes me cringe as I read these sorts of first chapters is that I don’t care about the characters yet. I just opened the book, how am I supposed to be invested in a character enough to care about whether they live or die in this fight or if they get away from their attacker? Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t take much empathy to care about someone being assaulted no matter how long you’ve spent with them, however, shock value openings are such a cheap shot that when authors begin their stories this way, it feels like the first chapter was only written to get the reader’s attention, not to actually add any value to the story or to the character’s development.
That isn’t to say these sorts of opening scenes cannot be done well—I have indeed read novels that opened in the midst of battle and I immediately fell in love with the characters and the setting of the book. Battle scenes as the first chapter are also easy to enjoy when they open the second or third installment of a series, especially if they pick right up where the previous novel left off. What I want you to take away from this point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t let the goal of your first chapter be limited to just getting someone’s attention. Let your first chapter introduce readers to a story that goes beyond a shocking and emotional first chapter—even if you do decide to begin your novel this way.
My third and final first chapter turn-off is a dream or memory.
This might be a slightly controversial point because it is done fairly often and typically done very well, but I hardly find them necessary or smoothly transitioned into the rest of the story. I see a lot of novels that begin with a character dreaming about a person they have lost or reliving/remembering a horrible event that happened in their past. For the most part, the content of these dreams and memories do play a role in the rest of the story, but when I open a book and get fully invested in these events only to be snatched out of them and realize it was all a dream/memory usually feels jarring in my opinion. It always makes me sit back and go, huh … really? And I often feel like I have to readjust myself so I can now get to know the real protagonist and try to find the strings that tie the dreams/memories together with the present.
Like I said, this last complaint may be a little controversial because there are ways to do this very well, but I personally don’t enjoy this sort of opening. And that brings me to my last point! While I do have a lot of experience in reading, writing, reviewing, and editing, it is vitally important to keep in mind that this entire article is just my personal opinion! There truly is no right or wrong way to open a novel; the beautiful (and ugly) thing about the writing industry is that so much of it boils down to preference. If you’ve got a good idea paired with good writing, then no matter how you start, I’m sure it will be entertaining!
TRC Publishing is a Christian business, so I always want to remind readers that Christ is the center of this entire operation. If you’re a Christian author reading this article and you aren’t sure where to begin your story, ask God! He has all the wisdom in the world, and He wants to share it with you! God is the one who gave you this passion for writing and the idea for your novel; do you really think He won’t give you the knowledge of how to put everything together? Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God [I Corinthians 10:31 NIV]; keep Christ at the center of your writing and God will bring it together. Let Him work while you rest in His Grace.
If you’ve made it this far you might as well stay and look around for a bit! I’ve got a ton of articles on Christian faith, writing, and book reviews; use the form below to sign up for my monthly newsletter and stay updated on new posts and information about the publishing company! I’ll see you next time, God bless!