The Novelry Blog
Where the writers are.
Chapter One
May 17, 2020
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The first chapter of a novel needs to do some heavy lifting to start the story. Once you realize that what needs to be done follows a fairly clear format, it makes light work of the task.
What should you be looking to achieve in the first chapter? These are some of the things you might consider:
- to put your reader into the world (location/setting/era)
- to pose a question the reader wants to get an answer for (create mystery or intrigue)
- to introduce the main character
- to set the mood
- to kickstart the plot development
But what's essential for a story to start in the space between you and the reader?
In the video with this blog, you'll find a clip from a lesson with Justin Cronin in which he describes the basic layout as:
- where and when are we?
- who are the major players?
- what's the point of view?
- What's the story's larger moral and cultural setting?
"There's nothing wrong with just flat out declaring this information at the start of a narrative. I...
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