Opening Chapter Checklist

 

IF THE MOST important thing an author can present in the beginning of any scene is a question that will hook readers into needing to know the answer, the second most important thing is making certain that question isn’t the wrong one.

You want readers asking concrete questions. Who stole the Statue of Liberty? How is Westley going to escape the Pit of Despair? Why did Cinderella order glass slippers a size too large? You don’t want them asking the dreaded four-word question: What’s going on here? Or, worse, the end-of-the-line three-letter question: Huh?

 

Exercise: Be wary of creating false suspense—the kind of suspense that has readers floundering to understand the basics of your scene—rather than forging ahead with definite and pressing questions. Supply the following answers now, so your readers won’t have to.

 

Question #1: Have you introduced your characters by name?

 

Question #2: How can you indicate your characters’ general ages?

 

Question #3: What important physical characteristics need to be shared to help readers form a visual image of the characters who are present in the opening scene?

 

Question #4: What defining facts about your characters can you supply right away?

 

Question #4.1: Occupations?

 

Question #4.2: Prominent personality traits?

 

Question #4.3: Defining actions?

 

Question #4.4: Other?

 

Question #5: If more than one character is present, what is their relationship?

 

Question #5.1: How can you demonstrate this to readers?

 

Question #6: What setting details can you provide early on to help readers visualize your characters’ surroundings?

 

Question #7: During what season does your story open?

 

Question #8: On what date does your story open?

 

Question #9: On what day of the week does your story open?

 

Question #10: If any of the specifics about the time of day at which your story opens are important, how can you share these details with readers?

 

Question #11: How can you introduce your character’s goal in the first paragraph?

 

Question #12: By the end of the first chapter, why will readers care enough about your story to read on?

 

Reference: Structuring Your Novel, chapter 3, pages 36-38.