5 Common Mistakes in the First Chapter

Every manuscript is different, and each editing process involves correcting different issues. But as a freelance editor, I frequently see several of the same issues in first chapters. Check your manuscript for these common problems:

1. Beginning Too Soon
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While drafting, it's easy to begin the story too soon. Oftentimes, we don't know where the story should start until we get there. One of the pillars of plotting is beginning in medias res, which is Latin for "in the middle of things." There should be conflict in the first chapter, preferably on the first page, to hook the reader.

Ideally, this immediate conflict is the main conflict. But if necessary, we can start with a mini conflict to jump-start the action. We never want to begin by recounting a character's daily routine. Even though this is an easy way to start things off, and is totally fine to do in the first draft, it's not where the final draft should begin.

Remember, here is a simple definition of conflict: a character wants something, and something else is in the way. The question of whether the character will overcome this obstacle is the primary reason a reader keeps reading. Introducing this type of question early will help the reader become invested from the very beginning.
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2. Exposition Dumps
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It's easy to believe readers won't understand what's going on unless you fill in all the backstory right away. The tendency to dump exposition on the reader immediately is especially strong for writers of speculative fiction. After all, stories in genres like fantasy and sci-fi often have settings with different rules than the reader's world. So the reader needs all that information up front to understand the story, right?

Not so much. Readers can be a lot smarter than writers give them credit for. By working in crucial details as necessary, we can provide enough information to orient the reader, without drawing them out of the story with a ton of exposition.

And if you're not sure where that line is, that's where beta readers come in. Make your best guess during editing about how much info the reader will need, and then ask your betas whether they understood what was happening during the first chapter.
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3. No Conflict
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The first chapter (ideally, the first page) should include some conflict. If it doesn't, you may also have issue #1, beginning too soon. But you may also be beginning in the right spot but emphasizing the wrong aspects of the scene.

If there is no tension in your first chapter, consider whether there are elements of conflict that you have overlooked. For example, maybe your protagonist is embroiled in an internal conflict—maybe she has to make a decision or is worried about an impending event—but you focus the opening scene on her external actions instead. Simply shifting the emphasis would change the entire dynamic of the chapter.
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4. False Start
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Many agents and editors say they don't want to see prologues. This is largely because, more often than not, prologues are unnecessary and can be removed without any negative impact on the manuscript. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but generally, if you have an opening scene that fits this description, you should take a long, hard look and make sure it is the only​ possible way to start the story.

By "false start," I mean an opening scene that is significantly different from the rest of the book. Maybe it has a very different aesthetic. Maybe it's set fifty years earlier. Maybe it takes place in Australia when the rest of the story is set in the lost city of Atlantis. You get the picture.

The main issue with prologues, and other forms of the false start, is that they allow the reader to become immersed in a particular story before being ripped out of it and dropped in a new one. That can be jarring for a reader, and for someone standing in a bookstore, flipping through pages and trying to decide whether to take your book home, it could be enough to land it back on the shelf.
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5. Not Orienting the Reader
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You're a reader, dropped into a new and unfamiliar place. Perhaps animals talk here. Perhaps we're with ten people or two. Perhaps they're angry at each other. There are so many questions for a new reader, and you don't need to answer them all right away—lest you fall into the trap of dumping exposition (issue #2). But you do need to make sure the reader understands the basics.

The most effective way to accomplish this is by incorporating action. Adding sensory details and information about movement will help the reader envision the setting. In the introductory scene, help the reader understand when and where we are. Show us who the characters are and what they want. And highlight what is so important about this scene. Why are we starting here?

Also watch out for the dreaded "talking heads." If your opening scene includes lots of dialogue, be sure to blend in action and sensory details so the reader doesn't feel like they're listening to characters floating on a cloud and having a conversation.
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Polish Your First Chapter

It's important to remember that these notes, like many writing tips, are for the revision stage. There's no need to worry too much about this while drafting. The important thing during that phase is to get it written. After the draft is finished, there is plenty of time to go over the first chapter and ensure it doesn't fall into any of these common traps.

​Happy writing!
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