HOW TO WRITE THE FIRST CHAPTER OF A BOOK

HOW TO WRITE

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF A BOOK

 

BY

MIKE OKHIHIEMEN

Many people dream of writing great books, but freeze when they sit down to begin. Writing the first chapter can be the hardest part of crafting a book/novel.

CHAPTER 1

The first sentence determine your books destiny. Your book is either made or dead right from the first sentence and the first paragraph of the first chapter.

Imagine this: You go to a bookshop where a colourful book draws your attention….or it could be the title or the author’s popular name…then you pick it up; then you curiously  open the first chapter; then the first sentence in the first paragraph. Then you read the first line; and then a few more sentences. Which sucks you, so you close the book and return it to the shelves. Dead. That is all. You look for another book…because the first sentence doesn’t capture the reader’s attention, he goes off to the next  book.

That3 is how most good books that would have drawn good readership get thrown off. Only few readers would persist after initial resistance.

Most Nigerian books fail in this perspective. A few days before writing this mini book, I was with a young female author who wanted her book published. I took the book and opened to the first chapter and the first sentence.  What I read instantly pulled me off.

I immediately looked at the young author who was sitting opposition me and asked her; “what motivated you into writing this book.

Her reader was: “I used to be very fearful. So were some members of my family and friends. When I over come minute, I decided I should put my experiences into writing” to her she stopped, I said to her “woman, what a beautiful opening you would have created if you have started with this your narrative formatted instead of sounding so academic?

“What is fear? Fear is in the very first sentence of a book. It can be done better in a matter that the first sentence would look the reader.

Consider these first sentences from some of the books we published or edited –

-        “We all want to be successful” (a Christian book)

-        It really was a hell of blast “(a novel)

-        It’s a wonderful would (a motivation book)

          First aid foremost, you must get the readers’ attention and make them want to know what happens next.

Suppose you picked up a novel that had attracted you in a book shop, and the opening sentence in the first paragraph of the first chapter said:

“I have been dodging the police for three years now; and I still don’t know if committed the crime”.

Think of all question which this provocative opening would stir in your mind.

(a)              How come he didn’t know if he committed the crime?

(b)             What was the crime?

(c)              Was he drunk at the time?

(d)             Was he unconscious

(e)              To whom?

(f)               How is he (or the novel going to resolve the crime?)

The normal desire to know what happens next would wool the reader to go further and further ….then the book becomes un-put-down-able. That is how most bests sellers are made.

CHAPTER 2

How to start

You have decided you want to write a book. Fine. God bless your endeavour. But don’t rush to start it. We need to do some planning together. There are some ground work we need to lay. When this ground work is laid, then, aid only then can we properly strike out our first sentence, which would naturally be the direct or subtitle summary of our intended book. (go back and read the first or opening sentence of this little book) if well written it should summarise the whole book – directly or indirectly.

Some Questions to answer

Get yourself a seat and piece of paper and write these questions and the answers to them.

(a)  Why have you decided to write this book?

(b) What is title of your book

(c)  Can you summarise the intended book in one sentence? (do it)

By the time these questions are properly answered, you would have been nearer to getting you first captivating sentence right. The clue to this is this: a good opening sentence (almost always) is a summary of the entire book.

For example. Look at the first sentence in the Bible book of Genesis. There Moses wrote: “In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth”.

That single sentence summarized the entire book of the Bible and the book of Genesis in particular. The opening sentence was well thought out. Ever other sentence in all the paragraphs of the first chapter followed obediently to expand the first sentence of the entire bible. That is to say, Moses made a claim and proved it.

This is a good standard and a guideline writing a book.

BACKGROUND TO YOUR BOOK

Let me ask you again, why are you writing this book? What motivated you?- a problem you overcome? Information you want to give? Or a warning. What experience – good or bad lead you into the conclusion.

Frame a strong statement round these questions and you get your self a strong opening statement.

One move thing

One more thing before you begins. Do these:

(a)  Look through the first sentence of good books. Study their first sentences and watch how these claims were developed

(b) Frame your own opening statement. Write several of them until you get the one that clincks in  your mind. When you get to their point, stop. You have your book started!

(c)  Not that you first opening statement must be proved or developed: if properly written it is going to through up controversies or generate some questions that would demand answers. The answer to these questions should be the flesh and substance of your book.

CHAPTER 3

Excellent first chapter

Once a book is outlined, the author’s intentions known or plotted. It is time to start. Writing an excellent first chapter of a book or novel is critical to attracting readers. Like we mentioned earlier, most reader will put down a book if it doesn’t hook them right away. That means great care must be taken to ensure that the first sentence, and the entire first chapter takes the reader into the heart of the book.

However, creating an excellent first chapter does not have to be a sweating experience with three simple tips.

Begin with a narrative

Most good book indicate their readers with stories. Imagine if the young writer I made mentioned of had started her first chapter this way:

“while in college, I used to be very fearful. Whenever…”

Wouldn’t this hook a reader to want to find out what happened?

Start with a dialogue

“We have to get ride of Jonathan”

“Permanently?”

“Yes”

“How”

Quietly…perhaps poison”

An opening of this nature will, no doubt propel interest to find out who is Jonathan? Which Jonathan? Who’s planning his death?

Why?

Will they succeed?

Whose speaking?

Are you not “dying” to read more?

Make  a bold claim

“Nigeria is not a country”

An opening of this nature is academically rude”, yet inviting. It is pregnant with the promise that the write has much to say about the country Nigeria. The reader will obviously want to know:

(a)  Why?

(b) How?

The reader my, at first totally disagree, yet this opposition to his stand could heed him/her to explore another person’s opinion about Nigeria’s federalism(?) perhaps.

CHAPTER 4

The best ones.

Perhaps by now you have written a good opening for your book. Next, let me recommend again that you just take up a few copies of your favourite books (I recommend American books) and read their first sentences. You may have noticed they the best ones have these characteristics:

(a)  They are short and snappy

(b) Immediately set the tone for your book/story,

(c)  Quickly raise questions

(d) Hits you gbuum by being shocking or surprising.

(a)  Short and simple

As you have seen in some books, one of the most important things for writing a great opening sentence is to keep it short and simple. This is good advice for all writing. Here is an example.

“This is a wonderful time to be alive”

Goals by Brian Tracy

Well all have a past (P.I.) Discovering you destiny

Bob Gass

(b) Set the tone

Sometimes – in both novels and none fiction writings, you may set a dramatic tone for your book by introducing a character.

“Mother died today or – Ted Hughes may be yesterday, I don’t know” – The stronger by Abert Camus.

(c)  Be shocking

“We were in the middle of the ocean at Apapa wharf when the boat began to sink.

A personal experience from the author.

(d) Raise Questions

“Will Nigeria break? “Benjamin is this your report card?” – Think Big sil Ben carson.

Generally, you may noticed that most American books – especially Christian non-fictions – often begin with  a short sentence followed by the author’s narrative on his/her; often resulting on what lead him/her to write the book. I find this method interesting and inducing. The rule is that to have a successful first chapter to your book or novel, you must begin with a successful first paragraph keep in mind (that when a reader pulls that book off the shelf, the first page will form their judgment as to whether to buy or not so your first paragraph should contain of your best sentences:

·        Evocative

·        Mysterious

·        Shocking

·        Graphic

·        Atmosphere

·        Dramatic and

·        Wooling