First Chapters

Post date: Mar 15, 2015 3:37:11 PM

Ask anyone (associated with publishing) and they'll tell you first chapters are the most important. First chapters draw you in, make you care about the characters, and introduce you to the stakes of the novel. Perhaps, not the large conflict and plot, but enough to entice you to read further and immerse yourself in the world the author has created.

A great first chapter, once read and put aside, worms its way into your mind and burrows into your memory. It lingers there, beckoning, and promises more to come. Not just more, but greatness. An epic story to unfold (regardless if the book is fiction, non-fiction, epic fantasy, romance, etc.), a new world to explore and new knowledge to unlock.

The greatest of first chapters inspires. Not just to read more, but to dive head first into the journey.

After reading the introduction and the prologue for Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, I wanted to keep going. I needed to keep going. I let the story marinate because I had to go to work; but found the characters and events springing into my mind.

That, I believe, is something every writer strives for, every reader longs for, and every publisher hopes to attain.

Goo luck and good writing.