How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care (with Abigail K. Perry)

Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book right away and hook them to keep reading.Every sentence is a chance to earn your reader’s attention—or lose their fragile, baby-fresh interest before your story even begins.And that’s assuming that your book makes it to the bookstore shelves. If you’re traditionally publishing, the first chapter’s burdened with even more responsibility. It’s your first impression with agents and editors, who will judge whether to consider the full manuscript based on the first five or ten pages alone.The stakes are high.So high, in fact, that it’s easy to get stuck—revising and refining your first chapter over and over while the rest of the manuscript gathers dust.So I asked Abigail K. Perry, a fellow editor and book coach, to come help us break out of that trap.“If we don't care about a character, we don't care about what happens to them. . . . Pull us into character and let us understand and get to know them so that when threats are posed against them, we care about what happens.”—Abigail K. PerryYou’ll hear:What great first chapters must accomplishWhy mystery is a good thing in first chapters (and info dumps are not)How to make your readers care about your characters in a matter of pages, paragraphs, or even sentencesAnd moreIf you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a first chapter revision loop, this one’s for you.Check out Abigail’s “First Chapter Deep Dive” episodes on the books we discussed:The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsCatching Fire by Suzanne CollinsMockingjay by Suzanne CollinsRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling(Coming soon: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card)Send me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

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