The first page is one of the most daunting challenges writers face, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Here are 4 things to avoid in your first pages that can turn readers away from your book.
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It\u2019s exciting to introduce our readers to our beloved characters, but introducing too many in the first page will lead to confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine you walk into a place you\u2019ve never been to before. You\u2019re surrounded by people you\u2019ve never met before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within ten seconds, you\u2019re introduced to Sarah, Vincent, Molly, Edward, Tiffany, Will, and–wait, was that guy\u2019s name Liam or Leon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unless you\u2019re a genius, it\u2019ll be difficult to keep track of all these people in such a short amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a novel, this issue compounds: the reader will have no reason to care<\/em> about any of these people. There\u2019s no time to introduce interesting personality traits or compelling goals for that many characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the reader doesn\u2019t care, why should they continue?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduce your characters gradually, as they become important, so the reader has time to remember them and discover reasons to care about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re introducing more than two major characters on your first page, ask yourself if it\u2019s necessary to introduce that many at once, or if you can delay a few introductions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like with characters, introducing too many grand worldbuilding concepts can leave the reader confused, especially in fantasy or sci-fi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the first few pages, the reader is new to everything in your story. We want to feed them bread crumbs of our complex world, inviting them to follow the trail and see what\u2019s at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good rule of thumb is this: Explain only what the reader needs to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a deep dive into the political system of the narrator\u2019s home planet isn\u2019t important to what\u2019s happening on the first page, save it for later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Give the reader tidbits. Make them anticipate more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explain only what they need to know in order to understand what\u2019s happening now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the least interesting ways to start a novel is with the main character waking up to their alarm clock, brushing their teeth, and running off to school or work like any other day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless, of course, their alarm clock is actually a dragon alerting them to a pirate raid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The difference here is that a dragon waking you up to warn you of a pirate raid is interesting<\/em>. Something is happening that immediately defines this world, and the main character\u2019s reation will immediately reveal their personality to the reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t start with any boring old day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start with something interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This does not mean you need to start with a fight scene. The definition of \u201csomething interesting\u201d will change depending on your genre and your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something interesting in a historical romance might be the main character\u2019s carriage losing a wheel in the mud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something interesting in a sci fi novel might be an alien invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have also heard the phrase en media res<\/em>. This means \u201cin the middle of things\u201d and is used in reference to starting in the middle of the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t waste too much time setting the stage, introducing a boring day like any other. Either get to the action as quickly as possible or start in the middle of the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start with something interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDon\u2019t Introduce Too Many Concepts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Start With a Day Like Any Other<\/h2>\n\n\n\n