First chapters

Jo

Jo

First chapters - these are the worst! How do other folk deal with them?

Jo

starpanda

With the novel I'm currently working on i have had great problems deciding where to start with the story, especially as it is set in two time frames, 2006 and 1976.  The two story lines will converge in the last chapters...well thats the plan.

So far, the current chapter one has been chapter three and chapter five on occasion...I used to be indecisive, but now...I'm not so sure...LOL

Vel

I’ve done that before as well! Once I wrote something that began in a certain way, then after I’d got halfway through decided to layer it with other timeframes, so I went back and added to it, then the thing that had been the first chapter became the third.
I think first chapters are always going to be the ones that have the most revisions, but the trick is, as D says, keep writing and leave the revising until the end or you get bogged down in the first chapter and unable to move on.

Stirling

Write.  Then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

Jo

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not alone! Thanks, folks.

Jo

Butterfly

My current novel had a whole other chapter at the begining before I took it to my writers group and asked where they felt it should start, at chapter one or two. An overwhealming two came across. I took the advice and went on to win the 12+ children's writing competition with the opening 500 words. I didn't need my orriginal chapter one.
Writers often write themselves into novels - it helps to understand the development, but you have to see that that is what it is and get rid of it if it isn't needed.