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#Post#: 381--------------------------------------------------
First chapter is Vital. dos and don't.
By: Lumaria Date: February 9, 2016, 5:03 am
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When it comes to first chapters they are the most important
chapters of any series.
If the chapter does not deliver, it will not succeed. I decided
to make a list that every chapter needs to do in order to
succeed.
[center]What every first chapter needs[/center]
#1) One of the first thing it needs to do is establish a plot.
Even if the plot of the first chapter isn't hinting to the
planned conclusion, it should still establish what kind of story
the first arc is going to be like.
#2) Establish the main character(s). There has to be "something"
interesting and unique that makes these characters worth
following. One must establish their personalities and life
styles, along with how they think or react to key events. But
also be rational. If something is odd about a character and it's
intentional, have a character identify it. Establishing main
characters means also establishing supportive and /or minor
characters.
#3) Establish the pacing of the story. If it has a lot of comedy
or is mostly serious. Its those things that create a specific
audience. Sometimes first chapters will not follow the same
pacing as the rest of the upcoming chapters. In other words they
are about the "shift" in story. For these they will need to be a
little longer, establishing the pace it will begin with, hint
the pacing it will be moving to, and them finally shift to that
pacing (all within first chapter).
#4) Establish a goal or reward for readers that they will
receive when they read. This will expand as the story continues
but ultimately a basic motive is enough for a first chapter.
[center]Mistakes first chapters tend to have[/center]
#1) Rushing. First chapters (at least in terms of comics and
manga) is all about getting familiar with the series. But often
times writers will ignore one or two things of what is
necessary. This is because they either believe the basic plot
needs to be established as soon as possible or they don't have
the patience to establish more. It is most often pacing, but
characters is also a close second that tends to be ignored.
#2) Raises too many questions and not give enough answered
questions to continue. often times writers want the first
chapter to give one piece of the puzzle and intentionally
scatter those pieces all over the story but the first chapter
should still give enough pieces to paint some form of picture.
the way it's done right is by establishing just enough to feel
complete on it's own. Most writers think leaving things
incomplete builds mystery. It does not, it makes readers think
you don't know how to write.
#3) mistaking character's background as personality. A lot of
times in real life we get a first impression on what kind of
person someone before we ever know their background. the same
applies to fictional characters. You can't rely on their role or
background to sell the character, personality has to come first
before all of that. Its personality that gives that background
meaning (to the reader).
#Post#: 589--------------------------------------------------
Re: First chapter is Vital. dos and don't.
By: guest4 Date: April 26, 2016, 5:43 am
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I'm going to add some more to this ... but before that , a
little clarification on this :
[quote]If the chapter does not deliver, it will not
succeed[/quote]
To be exact , it's a very high possibility for newbies to fail
if their first chapter couldn't deliver what it's supposed to do
- not definitively , but a really high possibility .
Now , for additional information ...
For the do's :
#1) Do make your introductory chapter as long as it needs to be
. Introductory chapter aren't bound by page limitations & with
that , it allows you to introduce all the necessities for the
story itself , basic settings , key characters , base plot &
anything else that are needed . Take your time laying down all
of it . You'll notice a good number of mangas out there tend to
have a longer first chapter than the rest (usually double the
amount) .
For the don't's :
#1) For the do's #1 , there's also the don't's for it . Do not
stuff in too much content into an introductory chapter , ending
up with a hundreds of pages worth of content - you'll turn the
readers off indefinitely . Lumaria had already mentioned about
pacing which rings true for this case where as a newbie ,
setting a pace let alone knowing how to keep it consistent is a
big hurdle one must master . Mastering pacing usually helps in
better understanding in introductions of contents when it comes
to what are key contents & what are supportive contents by
separating those that had a role throughout the entire story .
An out-branching plot , supportive character & sub-setting (or
more of the above three mentioned) are meant to support the
progress of the story & character as a whole but usually do not
alter the story & character path significantly as to create an
entirely different story altogether (it only as much as create a
detour , spicing up the progress they're involved in , creating
plot & character development twists , or present as a minor
roadblock or pause to the progression) . This is a common
mistake newbies tend to make , especially when they have too
much content (character , setting , plot , etc.) they had in
mind for the story that they feel like they might not be able to
introduce in time , so they cramp them all into the one chapter
itself . Not all are classified as 'vital' , so you had to make
the necessary sacrifice you have to make to either relegate them
or remove them entirely in order to keep the story well-paced &
not ending up cluttering your story itself .
#2) It is advisable to not start off your story with a prologue
unless you've already had it planned ahead . If it is a fresh
story with nothing in it , no character , no lore/historical
content , no setting , absolutely nothing but just a concept
story , do NOT start off a story with a prologue . A prologue
only acts as a support to a introductory chapter as it should be
, not as a foundation for the entire story . You'd run into the
risk of dulling down the main chapter & the story as a whole by
introducing key contents in a chapter that is considered
'optional' (same with epilogue , which tells the story after the
main story ended) .
#3) Allowing flashbacks to run the entire introduction of the
story . If the contents in a flashback contains contents that
are not vital at all , or that will not make it's reappearance
until very late into the story , does not get brought along to
the in-story's present timeline (I.e : Changes to characters ,
settings & plot . This might need a whole new thread on it's own
...) , then don't make it as such . If you want to have a
flashback in this early of the story , point #1 & #1 still
matters & keep flashbacks brief & to a bare minimum .
I would probably add more tips on other matters (this one's
pretty much done for now) later . Look forward to it soon !
#Post#: 595--------------------------------------------------
Re: First chapter is Vital. dos and don't.
By: Orchid Date: May 3, 2016, 2:48 am
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this seems like a very good list. Ill look into it. Love the
colors. Very Christmasy. What I do like is how background
doesn't mean personality. I think that's fair.
I wish I could add to it hut I can't think of anything.
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