Helping Writers Become Authors S16:E10: Checklist for Beginning Your Story: Introducing Your Characters
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Mar 18, 2024 Learn how to master the art of introducing characters in your first chapter, hook readers with intriguing character moments, establish character arcs through lies and truths, set the stage for character development and plot conflict, and navigate the challenges and artistry of crafting the first chapter in writing.
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Open With Your Protagonist
- Open with character, ideally your protagonist, to hook readers on a personal level through dialogue and presence.
- Use the protagonist's first dramatized scene as the characteristic moment to show who they are and why readers should follow them.
Use Dialogue To Hook Fast
- Begin scenes with dialogue when possible because it immediately proves characters are present and engages readers.
- Use conversation to reveal personality and create an immediate showing rather than telling.
Make The Opening Matter
- Make the characteristic moment integral to the main story, not a tacked-on demo scene.
- Ensure this opening scene both hooks and initiates the dominoes that drive the plot forward.