How to Write a Novel: The Beginning

THERE'S A GIANT PINK MAN-EATING VAMPIRE BUNNY ON YOUR HEAD!!!

Yeah, that got you hooked, didn't it?

Anyways. Today I would like to present to you the age-old question asked by people all over the world.

How, in the name of Bob the Monkey, do you actually write a novel that people will look at and say more than, "I liked it, it was good" after the first chapter?!?!

Hmm...good question. Hard to answer in one post, but I will do my best.

Writing a novel is like painting a picture or creating the perfect mushy fudgey brownie. It takes time. And there are rules, but only if you want a really good story that knocks J.K. Rowling out of the water (not guaranteed, but we can try, can't we?).

When I first started out noveling, I just wrote scenes as they came to me. One moment, my characters would be like, "AHG THERE'S A MONKEY OVER THERE!" and then go straight to a tea party without a second thought. It wasn't until I hit middle school that I began to wonder, "Okay, for real, is there some secret recipe to writing a good novel? I mean, this stinks!"

That's when I took One Year Adventure Novel, which taught me the basics of a good novel. (NaNoWriMo helped as well. Their book, Ready, Set, Novel!, is a creative way to get a head start on noveling.)

So, we get to the beginning of a novel. DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN....*cue really dramatic expression*

THE BEGINNING

Yup. That one part we all dread. That little paragraph of misery that holds us captive until we can't stand looking at that blank sheet of paper anymore. This is where we tackle it and grab it's neck and tell it who's wearing the big hat here.

I think I'll put that bold imposing thing here now in little stinky letters so it will look less fearsome.

the beginning

There, not nearly so bad now, is it?

The beginning of a novel serves to show readers what world our heroes are living in. What is the setting? Do they live in a magical land filled with dragons, or a post-apocalyptic desert? What is the hero's story up to this point? Sometimes you may want to keep this secret, but if not, it's good to clear up your main character's past as soon as possible. Once you figure out these important facts, it's time to move on to the writing.

1. The Hook

What do you first notice when you open your favorite book? What really catches your eye and holds your attention? Well, I hope you answered 'the first sentence of the book', because that's the right answer! The first sentence of a novel is called the hook. The hook is meant to grab the reader's attention and make them say, "WHOA, now THAT'S a book I could read!"

This said, you definitely want to start your book out with a really conflicting scene. A character combing her hair isn't nearly as interesting as a character who's facing the ultimate bully in the janitor's closet, right? What I usually do is start the book as close to the conflict as I can. For instance, if the story was about a boy who's battle was against the school bully, I'd start it with the hero and the bully fighting it off in the cafeteria instead of the hero on his way to school. In other words, make the first scene count.

Here's a good example of a hook sentence (or, more like, group of sentences, which counts):

      "Success.

      It was Dirco's only thought as he blinked past the ashes flecking his eyelashes and stared down opponent. The thin, smirking elf, who stood about twenty feet away, fingered the hem of his dark blue robe in that infuriating way of his, simpering at Dirco as if he was an utter failure.

      Failure. The word must not be considered."

And, for good measure, here's a really bad one.

"Bob opened the door and took the mail from the mailman, then walked back to his table, set it down, and poured himself a cup of coffee."

...Yeah. I know. It makes a huge difference, trust me.

If you're having a lot of trouble with the very beginning of your book, try starting it out with a big dose of conflict. Make your hero fight his sister. Or have him spar a friend. Or put him in a pie-eating contest. Hey, it could happen.

2. The Inciting Incident

So that may not make much sense up there (that little number 2 and the bold letters you don't understand?). Let me clear that up. Inciting means 'to stir up', and an incident is an event. So, Starting the Book would be more appropriate, but the alliteration of 'Inciting Incident' is just really cool.

What is the single moment—the huge decision, the big problem, the tornado that hits Dorothy's house in Kansas, if you will—that really gets your book diving into the story? What happens to the hero that throws him into the jaws of terror? This is the Inciting Incident. Most writing courses teach to fit the Inciting Incident into the first chapter, but it doesn't really matter. In my book The Journey, the first chapter sort of tells the readers what the setting is and who the heroes are before leading up to the Inciting Incident, and that's okay. Just don't make the beginning drag, or it'll get boring really fast. Readers like the story to start when the book starts. Make sense?


That just about covers the first chapter of a structured novel. Keep in mind that the first chapter of your novel should NOT make you bored. If you're bored, the reader will be too. The job of the first chapter is to grab the reader's attention, leave her wondering what will happen next, and force her to keep reading. That's all you could want out of Chapter 1.

Check back soon to learn about The Middlish-Beginning (Act II).

Until next time,

A.C.