How To Write Your First Chapter LIKE A PRO

So, you're beginning/rewriting/editing your story and are looking for some advice. You've come to the right place, so sit back and relax. we shall begin this together and I will show you how to kick butt at your chapter and it'll be great. You'll do wonderfully, I'm sure.
So let's get to it.






STEP ONE: THROW YOUR READER INTO IT

There are many ways to accomplish this, and here's a small list of basic ways to choose from:

• Action
• Dialogue
• Setting

My personal favorite would have to be; to begin with Dialogue, then go to Action, then describe the Setting. Basically, starting with a sentence from a character, that leads to the action that the sentence has to do with, and then have the setting be brought through as the scene continues.


For Example:

"What do you mean we don't have any flour left?!?!?!" a panicked, soft voice lowly screeched out at me, as the whisk that resided in her left hand prior to the news I had just delivered laid on the checkered floor, "What happened?!"

"Lisa... You've been baking all day, without sending anyone to the store for more supplies," I sighed, crossing my arms and looking around the disaster my girlfriend called a chef's kitchen.

"Did you send someone?!" Lisa began to panic, looking around in panic with her hands tangling in the hair net that was already falling off of her head, showing her bright pink hair spilling out. 

"Lisa," I began, "It's the middle of the night... Everyone went home,"

Her movements paused and her eyes turned went into a moon shape as she stared up at me. Slowly, she pulled out her phone and checked the time for herself as I proceeded to raise an eyebrow at her. I could actually believe she got lost in her baking, but it had been eight hours straight. One would think the idea of going to the bathroom was of consequence.
That is, assuming you could find it through the stacks of pots and pans that pilled ceiling high...



See what I mean?





STEP TWO: SPEND MORE TIME IN THE SITUATION, NOT INTRODUCING THINGS


What I mean when I say this is that you need to show your readers more of what's going on with action and dialogue than with monologuing. Keeping the pace up with your story keeps readers interested and ready for the next chapter. The basic thing to understand is; the first chapter is your pitch, the rest of the book is your playground to do whatever. You have to have the book catch the reader's eye, then they'll continue with the rest of it.





STEP THREE: KICK OFF THE STORY


Remember, this chapter is the one where the plot begins to work its way into your characters' lives. Make sure you do the kick off that will begin the story, as well as adding some mystery that your character has to find out so your reader can get hooked on the mystery part as well. 

I will say that having a lot of cliffhangers and unanswered questions really do help with hooking readers but don't overdo them to the point you frustrate your readers. You can mess with your readers later on when they're already invested in the storyline and everything else your story has to offer. 





STEP FOUR: DON'T CLICHE IT


A lot of stories that don't always go very far are usually the ones that possess:

•  Flashbacks
• Backstories
• Starting with Dreams/Weather/First Days/Mornings

Write what feels easiest to you, but do try to avoid these. They tend to bore the reader, and then you lose their attention.

STEP FIVE: EXTRA RULES TO FOLLOW

• Don't sweat it, you can always edit later
• Write first, EDIT LATER
• No Prologues
• Show don't tell
• Be creative with your writing, don't make it plain. let your readers see your world too.
• Know that this could be someone's favorite book, or even the book that get's them started on loving books like you do. 
• You. Got. This.

As always, good luck loves,

~Rey Brooks

Sources:
Me
Pinterest
jenichappelle.com