Are you aware that 81% of Americans have considered writing a book? Why don't the majority of them? Maybe you still haven't written the first chapter of your book and find it difficult to stare at a blank page. Here are my top suggestions for how to start a chapter since, in my experience, the words flow much more easily if I know a few helpful approaches.

Tip 1: Setting the Scene

Tell the reader where the action is taking place. You can move from big to little, or vice versa. A town, a home, or perhaps an entire galaxy may be described in the beginning, and the action could subsequently be zoomed in on in more detail.

Instead, provide the reader with a complete picture of a location by describing its finer characteristics. The reader might picture a breakfast establishment from the sounds of a coffee maker dripping, the click of a waitress's shoes, and the aroma of a waffle. Make sure the specifics you selected are indicative of the setting and time frame for this to operate. Giving vivid sensory details is an excellent way to use this method. You can also go for book ghostwriting services.

By introducing a new fact about the world at the start of each chapter, you might consider setting the scene on a grander scale.

Tip 2: Begin where the action is

When writing your chapter's introduction, try to avoid exposition (especially if it's the first chapter). The time-tested advice to "show, don't tell" has probably been repeated many times.

If you believe that the reader has to be aware of a lot of details in order to grasp what is occurring, attempt to incorporate them into the action or write them down until you get to the action, at which point you can consider switching the order.

Before you get carried away, keep in mind that the personalities engaged and the effects of the action, rather than the action itself, are what makes an action scene good. For instance, if there is a conflict, we should be concerned with who will prevail and what will happen thereafter.

If you want to open your chapter with a verb, you can take this literally. Avoid using generic verbs like "walk," "jump," and so on. Use a more specialized and intriguing verb instead (stroll, leap, etc.). For an added benefit, you can select verbs that are evocative of your environment.

The reader is drawn in by action and is compelled to learn more. Exposition? Not really.

You might be interested in the guide to writing a graphic novel

Tip 3: Think about the theme

You should consider the message you want to convey in this chapter. What value are you seeking to transmit, as Robert Mckee puts it in "Story"? It doesn't have to be a moral principle; it might just be an emotion with a good or negative connotation (such as love or hate, freedom or servitude, hope or despair).

Once you have a value (or a few), you can use them to advance the plot. It would be advantageous to begin the new chapter with the negative counterpart of the value on which your previous chapter concluded if possible.

Similarly, you might approach topics in a more conventional manner. The goal is to design your chapter's opening around that subject.

Tip 4: Alter your perspective

Consider moving the point of view to a different character who might be engaged in a more engaging activity if your point of view (POV) character is causing you to feel stuck for any reason.

You can also show how various characters see the same event from their points of view. Examine carefully how a single action is viewed by different people and how that affects their lives. This presents intriguing, fresh opportunities for your story.

Tip 5: Express Your Current Emotions in Writing

Start with any scene you are sure will appear in the story if you are unsure of where to begin but know where you're going.

Write the section that has the most potential or the section that currently appeals to you. It's not necessary to write in the same chronological order as the book.

You'll be more motivated to focus on the more laborious aspects once you've gained some momentum. Additionally, you'll be able to see more clearly what comes before the passage you typed. There are instances when adding anything at all is unnecessary. The key is to choose a solid beginning place once you have some content already.

Simply go back to your outline and pick the section that seems more intriguing if you're the kind of writer who likes to plot out their novels.

Tip 6: Start with a Strong Emotion

Conflict results from actions that are prompted by emotions. Additionally, it makes your character more relatable to the reader and makes it clear how they interact with the environment (which may include people, locations, things, events, or other characters).

Get inside the character's head and consider how this makes them feel rather than just explaining where the character is or what is happening to them.

Your character's emotions spur them on to action, which advances the plot. Conflict arises when their thoughts and deeds conflict with those of other people or things.

It's important to remember that the reader empathizes with your POV character's emotions. As a result, the reader will feel strongly about anything the character does.

Tip 7: Play around with time.

Although it doesn't have to be this way, flashbacks have a negative reputation. If your character's past contains a noteworthy event, you can describe it in flashback format.

As long as it advances your story, your flashback should be pertinent to the action taking place in the present.

Of course, messing with the timeline will only serve to further pique the reader's disinterest if they are already disinterested in the present. Before attempting anything of the type, be sure the present-day plot has a strong base.

Interestingly, if a chapter begins with a flashback, the reader's mind will typically stop flashbacks at the chapter's end. So you can restart a fresh chapter in the present.

Tip 8: Display the Character

If you're going to employ a major character detail later in the chapter, introduce it at the beginning of the chapter for amazon publishing.

Does your princess character engage in a hand-to-hand battle with a villain? You should bring up her martial arts training at the beginning of your chapter.

People love to learn about characters, therefore it's a good idea to eliminate any potential confusion for the reader as well. The finest place to showcase your carefully created personality is at the beginning of your chapter.

Many things can be tolerated by the reader, but if they don't care about the characters, they won't continue reading. Keep readers interested by elaborating on the personality aspects of your characters that are pertinent to the plot.

Tip 9: Debut a New Character

You might only need a new character to change the course of the tale. You might make a brand new character or give an already-existing small character more prominence.

In any case, the freshly introduced character ought to assist you in revealing a fresh aspect of the main character. They might serve as a case study of the protagonist's potential behavior if their character arc weren't fully realized, or they might simply reflect a secret facet of the protagonist's personality.

Of course, you'll probably start by introducing your primary character if this is the first chapter.

Tip 10: Killer Dialogue

Storytelling dialogue is not intended to be realistic. Instead, it should convey your character's characteristics and feelings. It's a fantastic method to build character interactions as well. Characters gain a lot from having their own distinctive voices since they can serve as a reminder of their history to the reader.

Additionally, the conversation can reveal a great deal about the setting. You can convey details about a character's origin by using particular slang or dialects.

Another factor is that dialogue should always advance the story. Perhaps it shouldn't be mentioned if it doesn't advance or end the disagreement in some way.

An added benefit: How NOT to Begin a Chapter

Similar to how there are ideal ways to begin a chapter, there are also some frequent mistakes that you may want to stay away from.

Exposition

If there is no action, emotion, or character development, the reader will become extremely bored by lengthy explanations. Why ought we to care?

If something needs to be clarified, work it into the narrative or leave it for later.

Getting up
It's tempting to conceive of a chapter as beginning when you wake up and ending when you go to sleep, much like you would think of a typical day.

The majority of stories, meanwhile, fall flat if they are only a reflection of everyday life. Try to focus on the moments that stand out or are the highlights of a lifetime in your writing.

Summary

Avoid thinking about chapters at all if you continue to feel stuck at the start of each new one. Continue writing until you have finished the first draft, at which point you can go back and organize your writing into chapters (and make any necessary revisions). Keep in mind that great books are revised, not written.

What do you think of these suggestions? Have you already given any of them a try? Please share if you found it helpful and let me know how it worked out in the comments.