Learn how to hook a reader in the opening pages of your book.
Every week we will go over the elements of what makes a good first chapter and what you can leave out and save for the middle of the book. We’ll talk tone, genre, pacing, and reader expectations. By the end of the workshop, you should have the skills to write a first chapter that will have readers eager for more. Participants can come to class with a finished first chapter (or the first 2000 words of one) to be critiqued, but it’s not necessary.
• Hook the reader: How to grab the reader’s attention by starting in the middle of a high-stakes situation.
• Introduce your Main Character: Give your reader a protagonist they can root for or identify with right away and clarify the point-of-view.
• Establish Setting: Make sure the physical space your character is in sets the tone, heightens tension, underscores the mood, and adds to the story.
• Conflict: Set up a problem or dilemma early on that fits within your genre’s expectations.
• Learn What to Avoid: Starting the story too early, information dumping (too much backstory too soon), too many characters to keep track of, and rushing into action without establishing who your protagonist is and why we should care.
Participants are welcome to bring in a first chapter (up to 2000 words) for critique.