Writer Unleashed #182: 5 Ways To Nail Your First Chapter
Mar 19, 2024
32:35
Your first chapter matters.
It's what binds readers to your story. It makes them care. And when they care, they can't help but keep reading.
There's a lot riding on your first chapter. So you want to get this right.
Bore them with too much exposition, long forays into backstory, too many characters and superfluous details, and your reader will grow bored, overwhelmed, and will stop reading.
In this episode, I'm sharing 5 ways to nail your first chapter.
We'll cover how to:
- Resist the urge to tell readers too much too soon
- Write exposition that doesn't read like exposition
- Choose which characters to introduce, who to omit, and who to save for later
- How and when to use backstory and where to place it
- Shape your first chapter
- Embed conflict and narrative tension right from the start
Most first drafts don't stall because writing is hard. They stall because there's a weak link in the foundation. The Story Clarity Worksheet helps you find it. Download yours free at nancipanuccio.com/clarity