The Art of the 1st Chapter of a Series

[Voyeurkenneth]

As I embark on publishing my first series, I've been researching threads about series tips, knowing that the 1st Chapter is always the most read and views drop off from there.

Other than obviously telling a "good" story, it's got me thinking if there's an art to hooking readers with the first chapter, so that you can wrangle in as many folks as you can for the long haul.

Some food for thought for 'series' writers out there:

1.) Have you limited the word count for first chapter (without compromising story) to not scare off readers? (For the record, I believe the chapter should be as long as it needs to be.)

2.) Dangling a mystery? I've been thinking of the White Lotus TV show, where a mystery death is teased in the 1st episode but the following episodes don't really focus or care telling a whodunnit story.

3.) Crafting a 1st chapter description that's way broader/titillating than you'd prefer.

4.) If it's an expansive story with multiple characters, reconciling how much to table-set for foreshadowing purposes.

 

[RejectReality]

1) is almost pointless. Anybody who's willing to invest in a Ch. 01 isn't going to be scared off by page numbers at the bottom. They're already settling in for a longer haul.

A mystery, a cliff-hanger, something ominous hanging over the story. There should be some kind of hook.

Treat your first chapter's description the way you would a single-shot story. Rope the people who will enjoy it in. Later chapters you can be a little more bland if nothing grand comes to mind. If you can come up with something exciting that will cause people to go back and look at Ch. 01, that's fine and dandy, but most people who are going to read it are already reading it by that point. Tagging characters, locations, and situations in the story may be a solid excitement generator for the people who are already engaged. It's like a teaser trailer for a movie.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I'd add my opinion but it would just a copy of what RR posted.

For the first part of my recent stories, I ended by suggested the relationship going in a non-monogamous direction. The reactions about it were rather adamant. The second part cleared the air but ended with an uh-oh, troubles coming, scenario.

 

[TheRedChamber]

For what it's worth, I like it when a part one makes it clear how many chapters there are going to be and what the publication schedule is going to be (and if the work is already finished)

 

[ElectricBlue]

As I embark on publishing my first series, I've been researching threads about series tips, knowing that the 1st Chapter is always the most read and views drop off from there.

Other than obviously telling a "good" story, it's got me thinking if there's an art to hooking readers with the first chapter, so that you can wrangle in as many folks as you can for the long haul.

Write a really, really good first chapter. There are no other tricks that will hold onto readers, no grand strategies. You've got to write a compelling story.

The second and third chapters have to be just as strong, because readers who get to chapter three are most likely in 'till the end.

 

[Djmac1031]

My suggestion:

Characters.

Create characters interesting enough that readers are gonna want to read more about them.

Kink is important. So is the scenario that sets up whatever kink you're exploring with this series.

But if you're characters are boring or one dimensional, no one will care.

So don't forget to make your characters interesting, relatable and fun.

 

[SimonDoom]

1. Don't worry about word count, except to avoid making the first chapter too short. If you know you are going to write a long story, then write chapters that are at least 7000 words or more.

2. You don't necessarily need a mystery, but you need a story before the end of the first chapter. That means you've introduced your characters and you've introduced what they want in a way that makes the reader interested in how they are going to pursue it.

3. This is an erotic story website. If you're going to write a mostly non-erotic story, then that's one thing. But if you're going to write an erotic story, then a crucial thing is that each chapter should provide a satisfying erotic experience. That's how I feel as a reader. I don't come to Literotica to read non-erotic novels. I want erotica. So if you are writing an Exhibitionist and Voyeur series, then each chapter should provide a satisfying exhibitionist/voyeur experience. Don't overthink it beyond that.

 

[EroticCupcake]

I'll speak to specific mistakes I have made.

As @Djmac1031 and @SimonDoom said, include your fundamental kink in Chapter 1. Any controversial kinks you may introduce later must be be brought up directly in Chapter 1 (or the title).

I don't think I've failed at this, but (in my opinion) there is nuance. I try to convey fundamental kink, but at a low intensity, to give myself runway. There is room for readers to be confused about future intensity. This is probably a skill issue and not a "rule of thumb' issue.

Convey tone as much as possible. I took a long story way darker than indicated in Chapter 1. I had a comment pointing out that Chapter 10 was DARK, and they probably would not have read that far if they had known. That person was right, even if the solution isn't obvious.

I think of the Matrix as a good example here. The story is a turbo sci-fi action movie. The opening sequence isn't Neo, it's Trinity. Without that opening scene of her doing crazy shit, you would have no idea what Genre you are watching, because Neo's story starts slow. I wouldn't do a prologue in erotica, but I think of this lesson as a duty to show tone and genre ASAP.

Take your character / situation back story you wrote in Chapter 1 and move 50% of it to Chapter 2 - 4. My first long form story "Ivy League at Any Cost" stumbled here. Too much back story in chapter 1 that could have been moved. I should have combined Chapter 1 and 2 together to show more tone and intent, and move backstory to chapter 3 as a flashback.

I did (in my opinion) a much better job with my second story "My Pretend Sex Slave." I moved much of the back story to Chapter 2, and I liked how it turned out. I also made the title much more direct.

I think the exposition dump may be a necessary step in writing, so we get to know the world for ourselves, but we should just cut-and paste it out after we get it on the page.

To your direct question, I would do close to 0% table setting, and save it for Chapter 2 (or later).

I'm a baby compared to other people in this thread, but i have a 13 part series and an 8 part series complete. Both did well on reviews (even if I wish there were more comments).

https://literotica.com/s/ivy-league-at-any-cost (More mistakes getting tone and pacing in Chapter 1)
https://literotica.com/s/my-pretend-sex-slave-01 (Fewer mistakes getting tone and pacing. Moved back story to Chapter 2)

I think in both stories, I eventually did my very best to capture gut wrenching despair as a consequence of sex and bad communication. I don't know how to telegraph this, other than to try to build brand.

 

[Djmac1031]

As @Djmac1031 and @SimonDoom said, include your fundamental kink in Chapter 1

Just to clarify: "Kink" is whatever sexual focus the story may take. Unless you're going for general Erotic Coupling or Romance stories, you've probably chosen a "kink" associated with a category.

So yeah, you wanna establish that kink quickly, even if chapter 1 is simply the set up.

 

[EroticCupcake]

This is me trying to talk about writing.

 

[KachinaDoll]

I'll only start reading a chaptered story if the series is complete. I'm not interested in a series where I have to wait months for the next chapter, by which time I can't remember what happened in the previous chapters.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

First, everyone needs to get consistent with whether we are discussing a "series" or a "chapter story". They are not the same and should not be addressed with advice in the same way.

A series is a group of stand-alone stories that share a common theme, trope, characters, premise, or whatever else. Each has a beginning, middle and end that leave readers satisfied with the tale in and of itself. Additional stories within the series will attract readers who were satisfied with other stories in the series.

A story broken into parts or chapters needs to be the sum of the whole, depending upon each part to carry the story forward. As others have stated, I too will not begin to read a story here that is obviously incomplete by seeing that all of the chapters or parts are not posted.

With the distinction made between whether we are discussing a series or a chapter story, in either case, readers typically come for the premise but stay for the characters. Make certain that you have characters developed well enough in the beginning of the story to entice readers' interested in them.

 

[intim8]

For what it's worth, I like it when a part one makes it clear how many chapters there are going to be and what the publication schedule is going to be (and if the work is already finished)

I wonder how common that is?

I don't write that way. At least not so far. My series, "Aces" started with one story that I posted as soon as it was done, with no idea where the series was going to go. I couldn't have told you then if it would be 5 chapters or a hundred.

I get wanting to know up front, as a reader, but I wonder how many readers are adamant enough about it to not start without it?

 

[intim8]

Create characters interesting enough that readers are gonna want to read more about them.

That's probably 80% of all the advice you ever need, here or elsewhere.

Plots can be interesting and compelling. Sex scenes can be hot. But if I don't care about the characters involved in them, I don't care about those things enough to stick around. If you somehow have really interesting characters and a dull plot with boring sex, I might still stick around. But if that is your situation as a writer, you're most of the way there. Characters are the bedrock of a good story.

 

[Euphony]

Other than obviously telling a "good" story, it's got me thinking if there's an art to hooking readers with the first chapter, so that you can wrangle in as many folks as you can for the long haul.

Most writers books address the critical importance of the hook. It's your first impression and THE early key motivational driver for the reader.

Lit would seem to up the ante even more b/c your reader hasn't committed as much as someone who's purchased a book or even browsing around Barnes and Noble for an afternoon.

Distraction is a easy click away.

1.) Have you limited the word count for first chapter (without compromising story) to not scare off readers? (For the record, I believe the chapter should be as long as it needs to be.)

Always keep your prose swift. Doesn't have to be sparse but it needs to feel in motion most of the time. (more words, more critical word choice to keep flow)

Page count can be a deterrent but are you swapping one problem for another? If you court the skittish up front, are you punishing your actual core audience by switching to your actual style Chpt 2 and on? Some fringe eyeballs you *could* have aren't always worth the tradeoffs. Only you can determine that calculus with your creativity.

Streamline your early prose. If something can be shifted later, do. Readers are all different but I worry less about page count and more about fighting any reader feelings of narrative bogging down, especially in chpt 1's "first impression."

2.) Dangling a mystery? I've been thinking of the White Lotus TV show, where a mystery death is teased in the 1st episode but the following episodes don't really focus or care telling a whodunnit story.

You want to regularly create questions in the reader. Doesn't have to be so grand as an overarching mystery and even a big mystery can't save you if you expect it to do all the heavy lifting.

Haven't seen WL so hard to say if I'd be enraptured enough by the rest to not notice essentially a bait and switch but I wouldn't play around with it unless I have a real creative need to AND will commit to it at some point.

Mystery threads that feel like they aren't going to payoff (even if they do but later) remind me too much of the show Lost.

3.) Crafting a 1st chapter description that's way broader/titillating than you'd prefer.

Sounds like a poor compromise. If you aren't feeling it, how are you going to be sure you're putting your best writing foot forward?

Everyone claims they want a memorable first date but what they need is a sustainable progression of romantic feelings.

We all have that first date we went too big on and couldn't sustain that relationship level later.

The grand romantic gesture story is cool and all but give me the doing nothing snugs on the couch 6 months down the road 100 times out of 100.

4.) If it's an expansive story with multiple characters, reconciling how much to table-set for foreshadowing purposes.

That's a feel thing. Authors have their own balance (more technical ability = less need for overt foreshadowing.) Individual readers have their own preferences too.

Poll your beta readers or, when the project is done, ask for specific feedback.

Goal isn't to get the balance right first time out, it's to learn from the process and be better at it the next time out.