How to Write the Beginning of a Novel

Developing Your Story

Get inspiration for a novel. Most novels start with a little seed of inspiration. Perhaps you have an idea for a cool character, an interesting setting, or a unique problem that you want to address in novel form. Whatever your idea is, you can build the novel around that idea. Write what you know, or at least what you have a passion for. If you are inspired to write a novel about 17th century Russia, but you know nothing about that era and don't care much for Russian culture, perhaps you should rethink your idea! Try to pick a setting, theme, or culture to base your book that you know something about. Novels feel authentic when the author writes from experience.

Brainstorm. Choose a notebook, grab your favorite pen, and write down what you want to write your novel about. Set up a writing station somewhere that inspires you and helps you focus, like a quiet park, a beautiful library, or even a calm room in your home. Write down the most exciting part of your novel idea (a character, situation, or even setting) and let your thoughts flow naturally from there. You can also ask yourself a few key questions to get started: What is the point of this novel? Is it purely for entertainment, or are you trying to make a political or moral point? Who is the audience for this novel? Who does it appeal to? What is the genre or category for this novel? Is it a romance, family drama, sci-fi, crime drama or who-dunnit, young adult fiction, or some combination?

Develop your characters. Even though you do not want to tell all about your characters within the early pages of your novel, it is important for you to know their back stories in order to understand the motivation for each of your characters. Take some time to write about the back story of each of your characters. Some questions you might want to answer as you develop these backstories include: Where is he/she from? How was he/she raised? What does the character value? What does the character hate? How does he/she look? Speak? Behave? What is this character’s conflict? How might he/she end up confronting this conflict?

Identify your setting. The setting for your novel can be elaborate or sparse, but it is important either way. Before you start to write, take some time to ask yourself some questions about the setting, such as: What settings do authors in your genre tend to use? What is the tone or mood that you want the setting to have? How might you accomplish that? Is it real or imaginary? Urban or rural? Large or small? What towns, cities, roads, and structures are present? Do you need to do research to learn more about the setting?

Create a storyboard. This is where you put your plans down and make sure everything fits together in a coherent, compelling story. Not all of your ideas from brainstorming will make it into the final novel, so now is the time to figure out what will work, how it will flow together, and what the structure of your novel might be. You can create a literal storyboard on a large poster or white board, or you can use a piece of paper or computer document. If you use a white board, be sure to take a high quality photo of the board when you're done! The last thing you want is for all your hard work to be inadvertently wiped away. Begin with a "cast of characters": Every recurring character should appear here, with their name and a brief description. For example, list the age, gender, any physical features that matter, and their general role in the story. List each chapter and outline what happens in that chapter. You do not need to include every detail, but any elements of the story that are necessary and build on previous chapters should go here.

Starting to Write

Decide on the style for your introduction. Sometimes authors start with a dream, conversation, or a description of the setting or main characters. Other authors jump right into the middle of an action sequence. However you do it, make sure that the style, tone, and point of view stay consistent for the rest of the novel. If your introduction is verbose and descriptive like Charles Dickens, the other chapters should be, too. If its terse and to the point like Cormac McCarthy, then the rest of your book needs to stay that way too! Make sure you write in the same point of view as the rest of the story. For example, if you write in first person in the introduction, write the rest of the novel in the same point of view.

Start writing. The first time you put pen to paper (or begin typing) your first draft, remember it does not have to be perfect. That's why it's called a draft! The very first sentences of the novel should capture the reader's attention so that she will keep reading. They should also be gorgeously written, not awkwardly phrased or confusing in any way, so that the reader will notice your writing style and want more of it. However, if you're having trouble with the very first sentences, don’t let that keep you from writing. Jump right in and write. You can always go back and add better sentences to start the chapter once you've got some writing momentum.

Introduce a couple of important characters. The beginning of the novel is a great place to give the reader an idea of what type of characters they will encounter, and to introduce them to the main protagonist. This gives the reader someone to root for early on. Try not to get bogged down in describing the characters' physical appearance. A few details are good to help the reader visualize the character, but remember that one way that readers relate to a story is by imagining the characters in personalized ways. For instance, if you say a protagonist is handsome, a reader can imagine him in ways that she thinks would be attractive; but if you say he has a sharp, chiseled chin, this may not be something she finds attractive, so she may have trouble relating to him. Too many details makes it difficult for a reader to connect with characters. Don't feel like you have to completely develop the main characters right away. Save some compelling information for later. Only provide as much backstory as you need to get into the storyline, and leave them a bit mysterious. Remember that you don't need to introduce everyone right away. This can be overwhelming for a reader who is trying to keep up with everyone, so keep it focused!

Hook the reader with a problem or dilemma that will connect to the rest of the story. Many amateur writers waste time on setting and character development which can be boring to a reader. After you orient the reader to the setting and a few important characters, you shouldn’t waste the reader's time. Try to quickly move into a problem, dilemma, or just a suggestion that a problem will be arising soon. This is the hook that gets the reader to continue. Give hints about the rest of the story. The beginning of the novel should suggest (without giving away) where the story will go, what is on the line, or otherwise what the reader is in for if he or she commits to the rest of the novel. Think about it as tempting the reader to engage.

Be relevant. The introduction should connect to the rest of the story and matter, not just serve as backstory, context, or introductions. Make it matter! Every chapter, including the first one, is a piece of a puzzle! If you introduce a problem or dilemma early on that is quickly resolved in the next chapter, be sure you also introduce some longer-term problem. You can also try to create a little mystery about where the details in the introduction are headed.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Don't give too much information away. The opening of a novel should set the stage and give just enough information to keep the reader interested. Don't give away important details just yet; you want to keep your reader's attention! Try to avoid laying out the plot of the book or giving a preview of what is to come. You want to keep people guessing. You also do not need to provide the backstory or the whole history of the characters at this point. Instead, work the backstory into the main story as needed to support the ongoing plot. Remember, the backstory isn't the story!

Avoid clichés. This might sound obvious, but most readers are turned off by cliché openings and predictable, cookie cutter descriptions of characters. While there are always well-written exceptions to these rules, avoid: Opening with a dream sequence that the reader doesn’t realize is a dream. Many readers find this off-putting and deceptive. Similarly, avoid opening with the character waking from sleep or unconsciousness. Beginning with a description of the cast of characters, like the family, household, or school. Descriptions of characters faces or bodies that imply they are gorgeous and perfect in every way. Most readers prefer a relatable hero or heroine to one that is flawless and unrealistic.

Keep the beginning brief. The average beginning of a novel should be as short as you can make it. If possible, start the conflict on page 1. Don't make your reader wait 50 to 100 pages before they get to the good stuff! Don't get lost in tedious description. Your reader wants some action and plot advancement, not to get stuck in the details of a description of the countryside or of the main character's face, body, clothes, and personality. The introduction should be long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep it interesting. Interesting and luring introductions grab readers into the story and make them want to read more. Just give the details that are needed to get the reader feeling oriented in the setting and familiar enough with the character to visualize him or her. Most readers enjoy using their imagination to make the characters come to life, so don't feel that you need to describe everything about him or her.

Continuing the Writing Process

Revise the beginning of your novel. After you have finished writing the beginning of your novel, you will need to spend some time on revision to make sure that the story and details are in line with your vision for the novel. Give yourself at least a few days to read over the beginning of your novel and check for continuity, clarity, and development. Some questions you might ask yourself include: Does everything that happens in the beginning make sense? Does it flow well? Are there any drastic tone shifts that might be confusing for readers? If so, how can I adjust the tone in these places? Is there anything in the beginning of the novel that might confuse readers? Is it possible to work on clarifying and/or developing these passages?

Edit the beginning of the novel. After you have completed revisions on the content of your novel’s opening pages, you will need to take some time to edit your work as well. Read through the chapter to check for errors like spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Reading out loud is a great way to catch minor errors. You can also try reading your first chapter backwards to make it easier for you to catch minor errors. If you find an error, one way to check for similar errors is to use MS Word’s find and replace feature. For example, if you find the typo “opwn” when the word should be “open,” then search for “opwn” and replace all instances with “open.”

Ask someone else to read your draft. Once you have your first chapter nicely edited (but still not perfect-- that will come later!), find a writing friend or teacher and ask her to be your first reader. The ideal first reader is someone who has a strong command of the language, loves to read novels, and will give you honest feedback. Ask your reader if the opening chapter draws her into the story, and what she is left asking at the end. Your reader will be able to tell you if the story makes sense and can also let you know if it is engaging. Remember that the beginning of your story is the most important part! If the reader gets bored at the beginning, she probably won’t finish it at all. You can also have more than one person read it to give you a variety of opinions. This would be a great time to engage with a writing workshop or creative writing class.

Continue with the rest of the novel. After you've mastered the novel's beginning and you've received feedback from readers, don't waste any time in starting chapter 2. You want to keep writing while you have momentum in order to avoid writer's block! Remember to stay consistent with the writing style, point of view, and characters that you've worked so hard to develop in your novel's beginnings. Also remember to tie up any loose ends from problems, dilemmas, or mysteries that you left unsolved in the novel's beginnings. Check out this helpful wikiHow article for more tips on continuing your novel.

Revisit your first chapter once you're done. First, congratulate yourself on finishing a novel! That's not an easy feat, and you should be proud. Then, flip back to your very first chapter and read it over. What has changed since you wrote it? Are there new characters or plot points you think you should bring up? What do you think of the writing quality? Jot down these points and spend some time thinking about them before you start your second draft.