The Best First Chapter Advice I’ve Ever Heard | How to Start a Novel

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

What's the best advice or most helpful tip on opening lines/scenes/chapters you've ever heard?

[@readerturnedwriter]

"Do you know what's better than telling your reader about your world in the first chapter? Getting them to ask questions about your world." 🙌🙌 I loved everything about this video!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thank you so much, Charlie!! :D

[@splufford]

Suggestions for future videos: How do you know if you've got a soggy middle. How to write a good plot twist. How to write a satisfying but unpredictable ending.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

These are GREAT suggestions! Adding them all to the list. Thank you!!

[@HannahTheHorrible]

I heard from another authortuber who said publishers will just basically glance at your first page and if it doesn’t compel them, they won’t read on and they’ll toss your book aside immediately. Like they can tell the quality of your entire book by the first page. I thought that was interesting. Not sure how true it is but definitely motivating to put tons of effort into drawing the reader in

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

I think a lot of editors/agents can probably tell from the first page if there's no need to read further. Obviously that's not enough time to give them a sense of how great the characters/plot/etc are, but it's enough to know if the prose is just weak, you know? It's definitely worth spending extra time on those opening pages!

[@kanashiiookami6537]

In that line of thinking, I recommend "the first 50 pages" by Jeff Gerke, though only if you like to read books on your craft. (I've heard some people react to those books as vehemently as a vampire to something holy.) He has a great style to it, and unlike authors of these books who reference dusty tomes only avid classical literature fans or school kids have read (neither of which has ever been be😅) he references movies to get his point across. Odd? Quite possibly, yet somehow it works brilliantly.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@kanashiiookami6537 Ooh interesting! I hadn't heard of that book (and you know I love reading craft books!). I'll have to check it out!

[@zomarleyonwriting8322]

The Magic Words was an excellent book! Cheryl has an interesting way to put things for sure! 😅 I do think you hit the nail on the head with that particular piece of advice. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

yesss I'm so glad you read it, Zo! That book is amazing. And I'm glad you liked her first chapter advice too!!

[@CaitlinAsche]

First chapters are tough. These tips are really helpful! I've heard to start with the catalyst moment, but I've also heard to add some backstory. Writing tips can be contradictory sometimes. I think it depends on the story itself where the story should start. The story should decide for us-or the main character will.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thank you, Caitlin! :) OMG you're so right about the contradictory tips. And for every "don't do this" tip you hear, you can find a great novel that does exactly that thing.

[@justcarynn3227]

I hope you don't mind if I just camp out on your channel and live here. I watch your videos every morning for inspiration!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Aw, thank you so much, Carynn! That just made my day. :)

[@sherrylalonde5719]

This is so true, I find this happens a lot with tv series as well. There's no set-up, they just dive in and expect you to know who all the characters are and care about the stakes. I like learning about the world a bit at a time. I spent a lot of time on my first few chapters, making the classic mistake of re-writing every time I would work on my first draft. Unfortunately, I feel like the tone it set for the novel is all wrong now. The novel at the end is very different from what I started writing. The beginning feels like a cozy when I was really aiming for slightly creepy with a gothic feel(without veering into melodrama!) Maybe in the future you could address how to change/or consciously infuse tone in your writing? Thanks!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Great point about TV shows, Sherry! I totally get what you're saying about the tone feeling wrong - I've had that happen to, actually. Sometimes we have to write several chapters before we find it. This is a GREAT video topic suggestion -- thank you!!

[@keg5i29rlndklklfngsncdsa]

Holy moly! Awesome video!!! THANK YOU

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

You bet! Thanks for watching! :)

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

I do love these snippets of advice, I've done the too much opening and the too little, but getting better at knowing where the middle is!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks so much, Joey! :) Yeah, same here. They do take a lot of practice, and every story comes with its own set of issues!

[@Grifter0730]

Another amazing video, as usual, and bookmarked to watch over and over again, especially for when I polish up my first chapter (or maybe prologue). I'm one of those people that can't write until the first chapter's super polished, but after spending 2-3 weeks on it, at some point I forced myself to just forget it. Best decision I ever made, and about 20k words later, I realized I had a different idea for a first chapter. I still don't know what it'll end up being, but at this point I figured I'd better at least get through my zero/first draft before I spend weeks on polishing it up. All that said, I love all the advice from this video and will be using it when I work on finalizing that important chapter!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks so much, Riki!! And that was an A+++ decision - it's so freaking hard to just move on sometimes, but sometimes it's exactly like you said and you actually need to write several chapters before you realize how/where the first one really needs to start.

[@ammimckogg8055]

So glad I found your channel, Michelle! Your advice is invaluable! Subscribed and now going to devour all your videos.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Aw thank you so much!! I'm glad you're here! :D

[@DalCecilRuno]

On the contrary, my problem is, apparently, that I don't give enough information. I do that on purpose because I prefer the mystery element, but apparently I should tell everything, or that's what people tell me. "I want more details!" is a common feedback.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Honestly, I think that's a great problem to have! I always enjoy revisions more when I have to add, not subtract. (It's definitely a matter of personal preference though!) :)

[@beatrixbunhops3360]

Great video, thanks! First chapter gives me the most anxiety. I like the idea of the camera zooming slowly out.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks so much, Beatrix! Same here - I pick over that opening scene so much. The camera analogy has definitely helped me out a lot!

[@kanashiiookami6537]

Try also "can the camera see it" (then as in taste/feel/smell etc) to help you remember "show vs tell" in POV. This one has helped me immensely in writing.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@kanashiiookami6537 LOVE that!

[@beatrixbunhops3360]

Kanashii Ookami thanks!!

[@heathermacdonald6404]

Here's a great first line from Kate DiCamillo's fantastic middle-grade book, The Tiger Rising: "That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day." I love that line because it introduces me to the protagonist and tells me where he is, as well as making me ask why he's there and where he saw the tiger. Thanks, Michelle, for the excellent advice regarding first chapters. Will keep it in mind as I work. :)

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Ohh Kate is SO good. That's a fabulous opening line!

[@sashapreece-henderson6337]

Hi, I’m new to your channel and I’m absolutely loving it! I’m really interested to hear your opinion on how early you should put characters description in the first chapter? I personally like to be able to picture my characters as soon as I meet them when I’m reading, but it seems that the advice tends to be not to put it in too soon.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks so much for watching!! :) That's a really great topic - thank you for the suggestion! I'm adding it to my list.

[@DalCecilRuno]

His Dark Materials is a masterpiece! I adore that trilogy so much.perhaps my favourite trilogy ever.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Agreed!!!

[@jamiestrings3354]

Great advice once again Michelle. Love the striptease vs nude beach analogy. I've just read back my first chapter and I think I've got it twerkin lol. Nicki Minaj would be proud haha

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

ROFLLL I love it! 😅 Thanks for watching, Jamie!

[@kanashiiookami6537]

Start with dialogue. I've heard that one often enough that it stuck, and I do like the idea of it, but sometimes it feels hurried. I used to think i was good at first chapters/pages, because I had a lot of them. It was only after going back and editing my WIPs half a dozen times that I realised those chapters were the ones that needed the most work. I noticed I would write something I considered passable, sometimes with fits and starts, just to get to the meat of the story that I wanted to write. I never thought "what question do I want the reader to ask" because I was to busy thinking "what way can I best set up this world without an info dump? And what way can I best introduce these characters so they're as distinct to the reader as they are to me?" So now I guess I have more thinking to do....🤔😅

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

That's funny - I've heard "start with dialogue" both as advice on what to do and what NOT to do! Some readers are put off by it because they don't know who's talking yet. I think it's just one of those subjective things. Thinking about how to set up a world without info dumping is great! Honestly, asking yourself what Qs you want readers asking is just another stage in that process.

[@kanashiiookami6537]

@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor yeah, I was thinking it was part of the world building, the reader's questions part, but when I'm writing I am so immersed in that world the only thoughts I can have beyond where the story is going is "don't give it all away too soon" and "in this POV how much does my MC already know?" Because I plot out x amount ahead of time. Though, I guess I can leave the whole "what questions" bit for the edits. 🤔 that seems more manageable. Thank you for another great video, this one really has got me thinking. 🤓❤ (and really driven home the realisation that first chapters are not my best skill, even though you can't have a book/series without them. 😅)

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@kanashiiookami6537 OMG you can absolutely leave it for the edits!! Don't let stressing over it stop you from getting through the draft! I'm really glad you found this one helpful, K! :)

[@juniork9998]

They all say I lack at description and I think they are correct I do lack at descriptions any help?

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

No prob! I have a video about descriptions right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKG5o3mgptuefLs

[@megankirrmann6624]

Opening first line..... should draw in the reader.....to reading the rest of your story....have it make a strong impact.....something that throws them off guard or gets their curiosity going.....

[@moonpetrie]

The story so far: In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. -Douglas Adams

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Honestly one of my favorite first chapter openings of all time.

[@iosyntropy]

when was the 9th ward published?? before any of the current agents started working? ill send that first paragraph to ten betas and get the same answer back, desperateeeeeee. i swear getting published is a game of catching someone on their good side, right in the window where they havent recently sold anything that sounds like every narrative voice theyve sold before. which breaks every rule dispensed to writers, but is ok, that time, for whatever reason. its just people in good moods.