Help! My opening chapters are boring!
Posted by annastan on December 7th, 2012. Filed under: Craft, Revision, WIP.First, just a small “Eek!” because I found out MY EPIC FAIRY TALE FAIL is now up on NetGalley. That means people could be Reading It Right Now! So scary and exciting!
Okay, so as I’ve been revising UnFairy 3, something about the opening chapters has been bugging me. Finally, I created a spreadsheet that lists the action, length, and location of each chapter. And what did I discover? That my opening is BORING.
The first chapter is full of tension and danger, but after that the characters mostly walk, talk, and look at things. Snoooore. Those chapters are important to the story, however, so I need to find a way to make them more interesting.
Here are some things I’m going to try:
-Tension! I’ll be revisiting The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass, who gives lots of tips on adding tension, especially in places where it doesn’t naturally exist.
-Conflict! Right now, there’s some internal conflict and some external conflict, but both need to be heightened. A lot.
-Stakes! The stakes for Jenny are pretty high, but I think I need to clarify them so that we really feel she has something to lose. Perhaps having her imagine what her life will be like if she fails her mission will help solidify how important it is for her to succeed.
-Humor! I know that when a story makes me laugh, I’m excited to keep reading it. So on top of the things I listed above, I’m going to keep pushing the humor to help engage (and entertain) readers.
I’d love to hear your tips! How do you spice up boring chapters?
December 7th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
I’ve been struggling with the opening for my MG adventure for awhile now. I just can’t seem to find the right place to start. Good tips here!
BTW-I don’t usually bother pointing out typos on blogs, but I noticed you have “ass” in the second paragraph where you meant “as.” I figured you’d probably want to know about that one!
December 7th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Oh, I feel for you! Been there. Done that.
I completely agree with you on clarifying the stakes; a trick I learned in my recent novel is to have secondary characters challenge my main character. I found that when someone played devil’s advocate, it forced my character to jump up and defend herself, which clarified a lot. Also, having them argue was a fantastic way to make a boring conversation into one full of tension, and even sometimes, snarky or sarcastic humor.
Hope that helps? Beginnings are so tricky; I’m guessing the beginning of a third novel in a series is even harder. Good luck!
-Mandy
December 7th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Grrrrr-eat openings are a must.
I sometimes think they’re their own art-form. I’m especially in awe (and in owe, as in debt) to Dickens. If ever I feel I just don’t have it, I go back to read his first lines for a good kick in the pants.
December 8th, 2012 at 8:08 am
Looks like you’ve got some great advice and given some yourself. Humor is always good! Kids love reading humor, so definitely put some of that in. Beginnings are very important.
December 8th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Ugh. I’m confronting a boring beginning myself at the moment. Actually, taking a break from it, and hoping it magically gets better by itself!
It sounds like you already have all the elements you need: conflict, tension, stakes, humor… the trick, of course, is getting all that to sparkle. Good luck. I do find knowing the problem is usually a huge chunk of the battle!
December 10th, 2012 at 7:12 am
Ooooo, these are good tips. I keep getting stuck in the middle of my WIP and I realized that there’s not enough conflict. I haven’t read The Fire in Fiction yet. Perhaps I’ll stop at the library later. Thanks! And good luck with your revising.
December 11th, 2012 at 9:17 am
Oh, I need that book, Fire in Fiction. Your spreadsheet sounds life a great idea.