in the beginning you created the plot and the characters. you saw that they were good.

you also sat on the idea and brsinstormed it, hard. youve crossed your t's and dotted your i's regarding the story.

well...now what?

well friend we're finally in the writing phase of writing a book

the beginning of your novel is the most crucial part of the book.

unfortunately its also the hardest part to write.

you see, that first chapter will make or break your book. we live in fast paced time, if something doesnt set interest in us immediately, we dump it.

so your first chapter has gotta be awesome.

so, if your first chapter is a boring narrative of your main character getting ready for school, you get a big fat thumbs down for being the most unoriginal and boring author ever. 'getting ready for school' beginnings suck and get a large flashy frowny, and i refuse to sugar coat that.

so, why do i have this burning hatred towards this common beginning trope?

well, for a lot of stories, it has nothing to do with the story! if youre writing a fast paced high thrill action story, getting ready for school is the most nonsequitur thing you can possibly do!

and its super cliche. go on, do me a favor: skim through about thirty books on here and see how many start with a morning routine. please, ill wait.

characterize your story with its beginning. i began necromancer for hire with a leisurely stroll through the town, with tiny hints of fantasy, and then ended it with the establishing of the setting: a modern, yet fantastical city.

your first chapter should a)establish your main character (ill talk about that later tho) b)show your setting c)drop enough hints to interest your audience in the plot

"huh," you say, "ive gotta explain a whole lot in the first chapter! i can do that"

no. that's spanish for no.

in the bible of writing, exposition dumping is the deadly sin. do not overload your audience with facts. wiggle just enough in front of their face to hook em in, and then jerk the rod up.

no, in the first chapter your readers do not need to know the entire backstory and life of ebony von darkness raven. we do not care. we also dont need to know the entire extent of her powers, or how she got them (FOR NOW)

info dumps should spread out amongst the several chapters of beginning in your book. sprinkle information, dont throw it all over the audience like large steaming piles of excrement.

also, a little about prologues: not every book needs one. dont dump all your info in one prologue when you could spread out the stuff and keep luring in your readers bc they want more.

ill throw down some common beginning tropes next chapter