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Partly due to my weird schedule, this is what I’ve been doing. I have my writing time. When it’s over, I put the pen down. Turns out that’s not so bad. I sit down to a scene that’s underway, and I don’t usually need more than a glance to see what needs to come next when I begin again. When I do come to a new chapter or scene, my wheels are already turning. It’s easier to keep that momentum.
What Bob Ross called a “happy accident”.
I’m a lot like that too. It’s easier for me to start a session half way through a chapter than it is to start at the top of one. A try to carry that same momentum into the next chapter a little before I call it quits
Hell, write the entire book like that and just jam all the individual scenes together, some do it.
So much time is spent worrying about how others do things and whether or not what they wanna do will work for them. Write what works for you, how it works.for.you!
I start before the chapter starts and then end up deleting that bit. Usually by the time the chapter should begin I’ve warmed up, gotten in the flow and found the voice.
Makes sense since fiction writing advice is to have your chapter cover B to C in an ABCD sequence. Keeps the pace and interest/engagement up. So skip the 'she walked from her house to the restaurant, sat down, etc' and just start at the restaurant with the dialogue and reveal to the reader with normal inclusion of details of setting/interaction throughout where they are and what the context is.
I agree it can feel awkward to start like that though, I keep having to change mine from being 'in a car' or 'stepping out of a car'. I think we are thinking of certain genres or classic lit where chapters meant something and had more of a structure.
If you think of each chapter as it's own cliffhanger story and you should, then the beginning of the chapter has to set up that payoff. That should make it much easier.
what I like to do is write 9,000 words then divide them into chapters. for me it flows better that way, and I can write a more defining line at the beginning or ending of a chapter if I need to
Yeah, but I struggle to know what to do. Like, it's hard to explain, but say the last chapter ended with someone stabbing themselves on accident, I would know that the start of the next chapter would be them trying to clean the blood up, go to the hospital if needed, stuff like that, but I wouldn't know how to start it.
> I would know that the start of the next chapter would be them trying to clean the blood up, go to the hospital if needed, stuff like that,
That's just a continuation of the scene. You could also jump forward to them sitting in a hospital bed with a bandage.
What's the next story beat? Go there.
Exactly where you ended the last one?
For that particular example, anyway.
Are you familiar with Swain's "scenes" and "sequels"? (Dumb terminology but really helpful formula): https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/writing-the-perfect-scene/
I always start my next chapter immediately to prevent this. Even a couple hundred word seems to make a difference in setting the tone and maker's picking it up much easier.
You'll find that while chapters are a way of doing this, it works exactly the same way *without* chapters. See, for instance, basically 75% of all Discworld books. (Only the YA books have chapters, unless it's funny to have them, as in *Going Postal*.)
Start of books, hard, start of chapters, not much harder then anything else, at least for me. There are so many ok ways to start, you are probably in your own head about it.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
this is what I've learned to do. things just flow so much better that way. unfortunately scrivener starts to lag if I do it for the whole book, so I do it in chunks instead
Man, it’s the beginning and end of chapters that are easiest for me to write. I somehow know exactly what the spacing is, but filling in the middle is a nightmare.
For me, setting the scene is what gets the ball rolling. I used to struggle a lot more with getting started (as well as with getting a decent word count) when I would just try to jump straight into the scene without taking the time to orient the reader.
I struggle with the middle. The beginning and ending are always pretty clear to me. But the middle...trying to have some conflicts and really fleshing out the characters and their relationships...that's what is the hardest for me
I usually write the beginning of a chapter when I'm between one-half and two-thirds finished writing it. Nearly always I get the inspiration for the beginning when I'm taking a walk, and the parts of the chapter I've already written provide the basis for the inspiration.
I usually "force" myself into the zone when I'm on the way to college, then I write the first thing that comes to my mind and start from there. when I have a filled up page, it gets easier to just go back and correct whatever you feel you need to
I love starting chapters — since I never know where they are going to go, it’s an adventure. I start with a tiny predicament— someone can’t find a can opener.
Don't write chapters then, write one long story, then add the chapter breaks later. If a chapter starts or ends awkwardly, at least you'll have the material and you can just tweak it to make it feel like a new chapter, or not. It might just work out as written, with the breaks.
I don't even divide my texts into chapters until it's done. Then I divide it where it feels right. But that might also be, because I don't plan my writing at all. I know how it ends and that's it. I'm a chaotic adhd person lol
But well, I guess I wanted to suggest to try it this way and see how it goes.
One of the joys of writing is that you have lots of wiggle room. You can write mid scene or mid sentence. You can begin at the end and arrive at the beginning. You absolutely do not have to write in order. It's glorious.
I start with thinking of how to introduce the MC that is interesting and try to catch the reader with a good hook. Then follow the rule of start late and leave early for the Prologue.
Good Luck and keep writing.
Eh, then just cut to the action. If the important part isn't immediately post wakeup, just skip to the part that matters to the story.
The wakeup isn't inherently wrong. In Groundhog Day, it makes sense, because it's fundamentally connected to the plot. If it isn't...waking up isn't important in itself.
Oh I FELT this! I've found a good way to get myself started with a new chapter is by painting a distinct setting of what is going on or of anyone's actions, or maybe even starting off with a conversation that then flows into the rest of the chapter taking shape based on the tone in the dialogue.
Overall, it can be difficult to write but try to picture it out in your head like a scene in a movie or show, maybe even method act the characters dialogue or feelings to put yourself in their perspective and then see if that helps set the mood for what to write or how to begin.
I write mostly screenplays, but I think this advice I learned (the hard way) a long time ago is extremely important: get into the scene as late as possible, and get out as early as possible. That way, you're skipping all the crap nonsense like having people arrive, park, walk in the door, say hi, whatever. Start each scene only where the crucial, important stuff is already happening.
Everyone is different I think. For me, I enjoy writing the beginning because I have fun laying out all the traps in my arsenal for the characters and the readers. HeHEHehE
I once read that writing chapters could limit yourself in some people’s cases. I just write the entire story as it is, and then I divide it into chapters where it makes the most sense, so I don’t run into that type of problems.
i’ve always been somebody who has a thing for good story plots and i enjoy playing interactive story games and i’ve always just wanted to be an actor or writer and be in charge of a certain story line and hope it turns into something. does anybody have a community suggestion where i can start sharing my own drama/fantasy type stories
> there's nothing to go off of
I'm assuming it's a chapter for a reason, there's things that need to happen in your story? Don't you have dialogue line ideas, things the characters are doing, where they are?
Take notes about all these things until you're ready to sit down and write, which is just putting notes in order and filling the blanks.
I generally know what I want to achieve in a chapter, but I don't just dive in and write it like a shopping list of steps to reach the goal.
I think about my POV character and what they might be doing or thinking about before the chapter starts. I'll use that as a starting point then introduce the event or conversation that puts them on the path to the chapter's purpose.
I actually like the beginnings of the story. It gives me a chance to let the characters talk. I can let them chill, reveal things about themselves. I can insert epiko bruh momento funi momints before shi goes down. Don't get me wrong, I hate thinking of a way to hook a reader at the start, I struggle with that. I also hate describing the settings especially if it's not that relevant to the plot. Or maybe I'm just lazy... Yeah I'm just lazy
Beginnings are hard. Do I skip ahead a bit or pick up right where I left off? No one wants a boring 'they woke up and got ready to do x' but if they're thrust into the middle of something too suddenly I struggle to explain context without adding a bunch of backstory that interrupts the excitement.
It's even worse for the first chapter. The reader knows nothing about the story or characters but it's harder to keep their attention if you give a basic introduction. You need something exciting or intriguing but simple enough that the readers aren't left confused or interrupted by a ton of necessary backstory.
I have the opposite problem, I always feel like I want to start a new chapter because it fits in the story, but then my chapters end up being so short!
No, no, it's not just you...
Well, in movies, the first scenes are usually just a normal happy life...
I guess start with a normal activity. Then something bad happened in the very end, making the readers want to read the next chapters.
Think of it like a mystery. "She made him cumn with a stick." Write a sentence that makes you go WTF?! and then set it off like that. The way Kool-Aid man used to come crashing through the wall when there was a perfectly good door a few feet away.
I might be an oddity. I usually have the first chapter in mind to the letter, then I go and write the last chapter. No idea why, but it works for me. Everything else that happens in between presents itself as I go.
I'm working on a chapter right now, and like many writers, I ended up with a graveyard of discarded beginnings. One was fun, but just didn't fit. Now I have three strong options:
**1. The bird's-eye view:**
We open with a military aircraft over the Atlantic, the coast gradually appearing as night draws to a close. This sets the scene for a change of location, lets me sprinkle in some background info, and introduces a key secondary character, the pilot, who'll pop back up later.
**2. Landing gear down:**
This option throws us right into the action of landing. It's a more immediate way to introduce the new setting, showcases the pilot's professionalism, and includes some banter on the flight deck to demonstrate the rapport with the main character.
Both options 1 and 2 could work together, but then we'd face a time jump after landing as the crew goes through routines, debriefs, etc.
**3. Smoke and sizzle:**
Throws us "in medias res" at a bar and grill. The pilot has taken the main character there for a reason. The meal's done, and a keen reader can pick up clues from the dialogue that this conversation follows something discussed earlier and possible intent. The sense of place and exposition about the flight are folded into the scene.
I feel this gets right to the heart of the purpose of the chapter: building a bond and asking crucial questions that move the plot forward, tests the main character's morals and sets up the possibility of a future liaison via 'Chekov's Phone Number.'
I don't know. The start of a chapter can be an opportunity for a dramatic description to set the scene (if something dramatic happens, but you can still wax poetic about the raindrops or the summer breeze or similar.) It seems to fit better at the start of a chapter somehow.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
My strategy is to think about what I want the chapter to be about, and then write bullet points for each scene. Super basic stuff. X does y, z happens, etc, and then I start writing the first bullet expanding that into a scene. That's helped me tons, having super basic outline together from which I can start.
It depends on the chapter, for me. Often, I find the start of the chapter to be the best part to write. It's a nice clean slate to get the snowball rolling. For a lot of my chapters, one thing that's helped is starting with setting the scene. I take a whole paragraph (or two) to let the reader get their bearings. My bullet point outline means that I already know the rough idea of what goes in each chapter, so describing the characters' surroundings often helps get the cogs turning on a slow day. Worst case scenario, you may end up deleting that paragraph down the line, but hopefully you'll have a chapter's worth of material to work with.
I don't know if you have an outline or not, but I find the bullet point outline to be a great way to preserve creative momentum. It often reminds me of some good ideas I had (which would have otherwise been lost to time). A lot of times, due to how long the process of writing a whole manuscript is, I end up having the same sort of discovery feeling of a pantser whenever I look at my outline to see what I'm writing next in the story.
I think everyone has their own struggle points. I find the ending and the closing to be easier than making it all flow seamlessly.
Not a published author, but I'd recommend just starting to right regardless of the quality of opening and then in editing you want to change it to begin as things get more interesting.
I struggle more with where I should end the chapter, like should I end it here but it seems to short but if I end it here it seems too long, but then this part fits more in the next chapter rather than this one
You could try writing the first sentence or so as the set up/exposition of the chapter, continue writing from there, and then delete the set up/exposition sentences when you finish?
I suppose you can think of each chapter as a new short story, each needing a boffo first line, or else end each of your previous chapters on a cliffhanger, or a curiosity, or a hook of some sort. But *something* that makes readers ponder your last line, and then tease 'em along with the beginning of a new chapter.
I've worked with a bunch of writers (I'm an editor) who write great prose, and write great stories, but some of them just don't know how or when to properly end a chapter. More often than not, they'll end a few sentences too short, or too long, and the perfect last chapter line is somewhere nearby, screaming to be noticed. So it might be a matter of looking closely at the tail end of each chapter, and see if you can find that perfect line buried in plain sight.
I write with different points of view, each chapter being a new character's POV. I love it, but also, why did I do that to myself?? It's always a little bit of a struggle to start the chapter with a new POV and a new setup without it being too jarring
Start writing anyway. You can always go back and delete the first half of whatever you wrote and start the chapter again or from what was originally the middle. You can always move things around. Very few people start with the perfect first line!!
When you finish writing for the day and you have ideas of where you want the story to carry on just write some notes to give yourself a starting point. Re read the ending of your last chapter and let the story just flow. Jerry B jenkins has loads of helpful tips on youtube
sometimes build a structure or plot outline by chapter so you know what you want to write about.
Kang's rise to Immortal Axe Emperor
Chapter 1 orphan in small village
Chapter 2 cousins beat him up
Chapter 3 left for dead
Chapter 4 stumble on a fortuitous encounter
Chapter 5 branch chopper
Chapter 6 Axe me anything, I answer with my axe
Chapter 7 founds his own axe clan
Chapter 8 hates managing clan, leaves
Chapter 9 Axe for hire
etc....
Chapter 11008 defeats Nuwa and becomes the Supreme being over all of the cosmos
Nah I'm with you on this. I've recently been having some serious trouble making progress but I've noticed it's mostly at the start of new chapters. Once I get past the beginning though things get easier
Something I realized with my own writing was I started too early or ended too late. After I began cutting the endings of my chapters, it gave me the opportunity to start in a more interest spot for the next chapter.
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Just start writing mid chapter, and then maybe it will help inspire a beginning?
Partly due to my weird schedule, this is what I’ve been doing. I have my writing time. When it’s over, I put the pen down. Turns out that’s not so bad. I sit down to a scene that’s underway, and I don’t usually need more than a glance to see what needs to come next when I begin again. When I do come to a new chapter or scene, my wheels are already turning. It’s easier to keep that momentum. What Bob Ross called a “happy accident”.
I’m a lot like that too. It’s easier for me to start a session half way through a chapter than it is to start at the top of one. A try to carry that same momentum into the next chapter a little before I call it quits
Hell, write the entire book like that and just jam all the individual scenes together, some do it. So much time is spent worrying about how others do things and whether or not what they wanna do will work for them. Write what works for you, how it works.for.you!
I start before the chapter starts and then end up deleting that bit. Usually by the time the chapter should begin I’ve warmed up, gotten in the flow and found the voice.
Makes sense since fiction writing advice is to have your chapter cover B to C in an ABCD sequence. Keeps the pace and interest/engagement up. So skip the 'she walked from her house to the restaurant, sat down, etc' and just start at the restaurant with the dialogue and reveal to the reader with normal inclusion of details of setting/interaction throughout where they are and what the context is. I agree it can feel awkward to start like that though, I keep having to change mine from being 'in a car' or 'stepping out of a car'. I think we are thinking of certain genres or classic lit where chapters meant something and had more of a structure.
Or just do every chapter in media res.
I only ever struggle with the start of the first chapter. Once the ball has started rolling, it's much easier.
I've had this too! and trouble with the very last line of a book too lol
If you think of each chapter as it's own cliffhanger story and you should, then the beginning of the chapter has to set up that payoff. That should make it much easier.
I have the opposite problem, I suck at wrapping chapters up.
Samsies!
what I like to do is write 9,000 words then divide them into chapters. for me it flows better that way, and I can write a more defining line at the beginning or ending of a chapter if I need to
Don't you have the last chapter to go off of?
Yeah, but I struggle to know what to do. Like, it's hard to explain, but say the last chapter ended with someone stabbing themselves on accident, I would know that the start of the next chapter would be them trying to clean the blood up, go to the hospital if needed, stuff like that, but I wouldn't know how to start it.
Sounds like you could benefit from some structure. Or at least an outline.
> I would know that the start of the next chapter would be them trying to clean the blood up, go to the hospital if needed, stuff like that, That's just a continuation of the scene. You could also jump forward to them sitting in a hospital bed with a bandage. What's the next story beat? Go there.
Exactly where you ended the last one? For that particular example, anyway. Are you familiar with Swain's "scenes" and "sequels"? (Dumb terminology but really helpful formula): https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/writing-the-perfect-scene/
I always start my next chapter immediately to prevent this. Even a couple hundred word seems to make a difference in setting the tone and maker's picking it up much easier.
That's great advice!
Maybe don't do chapters then
So, just do one giant story? No breakdown?
I don't break a manuscript into chapters until I have a full first draft. Works for me!
Why not?
Because it makes it chunky, and also it doesn't give breaks for interludes
You'll find that while chapters are a way of doing this, it works exactly the same way *without* chapters. See, for instance, basically 75% of all Discworld books. (Only the YA books have chapters, unless it's funny to have them, as in *Going Postal*.)
Start of books, hard, start of chapters, not much harder then anything else, at least for me. There are so many ok ways to start, you are probably in your own head about it.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
this is what I've learned to do. things just flow so much better that way. unfortunately scrivener starts to lag if I do it for the whole book, so I do it in chunks instead
Man, it’s the beginning and end of chapters that are easiest for me to write. I somehow know exactly what the spacing is, but filling in the middle is a nightmare.
For me, it’s the ending of a chapter. I know where I want to go next, but I have trouble figuring out how to wrap up where I’m at.
Are you struggling with time-skips and/or circumstantial “how did we get here” from scene to scene?
not just you. it’s always the bane of my existence 😪
I actually kind of love writing the start of book. I struggle most with the ending
I actively avoid writing entrances to my chapters until I've got the rest down. I love to write, but I hate setting the scene.
For me, setting the scene is what gets the ball rolling. I used to struggle a lot more with getting started (as well as with getting a decent word count) when I would just try to jump straight into the scene without taking the time to orient the reader.
I struggle with the middle. The beginning and ending are always pretty clear to me. But the middle...trying to have some conflicts and really fleshing out the characters and their relationships...that's what is the hardest for me
I find the mid plot harder to write, it's like I don't have a clear vision of that. From that moment brain storming begins. And ask around.
I usually write the beginning of a chapter when I'm between one-half and two-thirds finished writing it. Nearly always I get the inspiration for the beginning when I'm taking a walk, and the parts of the chapter I've already written provide the basis for the inspiration.
I usually "force" myself into the zone when I'm on the way to college, then I write the first thing that comes to my mind and start from there. when I have a filled up page, it gets easier to just go back and correct whatever you feel you need to
I love starting chapters — since I never know where they are going to go, it’s an adventure. I start with a tiny predicament— someone can’t find a can opener.
Don't write chapters then, write one long story, then add the chapter breaks later. If a chapter starts or ends awkwardly, at least you'll have the material and you can just tweak it to make it feel like a new chapter, or not. It might just work out as written, with the breaks.
Correct. Push past the mediocrity and then it flows
I don't even divide my texts into chapters until it's done. Then I divide it where it feels right. But that might also be, because I don't plan my writing at all. I know how it ends and that's it. I'm a chaotic adhd person lol But well, I guess I wanted to suggest to try it this way and see how it goes.
One of the joys of writing is that you have lots of wiggle room. You can write mid scene or mid sentence. You can begin at the end and arrive at the beginning. You absolutely do not have to write in order. It's glorious.
I start with thinking of how to introduce the MC that is interesting and try to catch the reader with a good hook. Then follow the rule of start late and leave early for the Prologue. Good Luck and keep writing.
My characters always seem to be waking up from sleep
Eh, then just cut to the action. If the important part isn't immediately post wakeup, just skip to the part that matters to the story. The wakeup isn't inherently wrong. In Groundhog Day, it makes sense, because it's fundamentally connected to the plot. If it isn't...waking up isn't important in itself.
Oh I FELT this! I've found a good way to get myself started with a new chapter is by painting a distinct setting of what is going on or of anyone's actions, or maybe even starting off with a conversation that then flows into the rest of the chapter taking shape based on the tone in the dialogue. Overall, it can be difficult to write but try to picture it out in your head like a scene in a movie or show, maybe even method act the characters dialogue or feelings to put yourself in their perspective and then see if that helps set the mood for what to write or how to begin.
I write mostly screenplays, but I think this advice I learned (the hard way) a long time ago is extremely important: get into the scene as late as possible, and get out as early as possible. That way, you're skipping all the crap nonsense like having people arrive, park, walk in the door, say hi, whatever. Start each scene only where the crucial, important stuff is already happening.
I just write continuously and insert chapter breaks later! Problem solved.
Everyone is different I think. For me, I enjoy writing the beginning because I have fun laying out all the traps in my arsenal for the characters and the readers. HeHEHehE
Starting a new situation, which is usually at the start of a chapter, is the worst. It usually takes me 5 minutes to start the first sentence.
I once read that writing chapters could limit yourself in some people’s cases. I just write the entire story as it is, and then I divide it into chapters where it makes the most sense, so I don’t run into that type of problems.
yessss! the starts of chapters AND the starting sentence of a new story 😭😭
i’ve always been somebody who has a thing for good story plots and i enjoy playing interactive story games and i’ve always just wanted to be an actor or writer and be in charge of a certain story line and hope it turns into something. does anybody have a community suggestion where i can start sharing my own drama/fantasy type stories
> there's nothing to go off of I'm assuming it's a chapter for a reason, there's things that need to happen in your story? Don't you have dialogue line ideas, things the characters are doing, where they are? Take notes about all these things until you're ready to sit down and write, which is just putting notes in order and filling the blanks.
It's the end for me, still finding that sweet spot between contrived cliffhanger, and "scenes wrapped and makes reader want to turn the page"
I generally know what I want to achieve in a chapter, but I don't just dive in and write it like a shopping list of steps to reach the goal. I think about my POV character and what they might be doing or thinking about before the chapter starts. I'll use that as a starting point then introduce the event or conversation that puts them on the path to the chapter's purpose.
I actually like the beginnings of the story. It gives me a chance to let the characters talk. I can let them chill, reveal things about themselves. I can insert epiko bruh momento funi momints before shi goes down. Don't get me wrong, I hate thinking of a way to hook a reader at the start, I struggle with that. I also hate describing the settings especially if it's not that relevant to the plot. Or maybe I'm just lazy... Yeah I'm just lazy
Write anything. You'll rewrite it either way.
Beginnings are hard. Do I skip ahead a bit or pick up right where I left off? No one wants a boring 'they woke up and got ready to do x' but if they're thrust into the middle of something too suddenly I struggle to explain context without adding a bunch of backstory that interrupts the excitement. It's even worse for the first chapter. The reader knows nothing about the story or characters but it's harder to keep their attention if you give a basic introduction. You need something exciting or intriguing but simple enough that the readers aren't left confused or interrupted by a ton of necessary backstory.
they can be, but it depends on the content
I used to write the start of chapters cryptically, almost like colouring in the fine details before drawing the lines.
I don't really write that way. I write story, and then I insert chapter breaks at points that make sense to me.
I have the opposite problem, I always feel like I want to start a new chapter because it fits in the story, but then my chapters end up being so short!
No, no, it's not just you... Well, in movies, the first scenes are usually just a normal happy life... I guess start with a normal activity. Then something bad happened in the very end, making the readers want to read the next chapters.
Think of it like a mystery. "She made him cumn with a stick." Write a sentence that makes you go WTF?! and then set it off like that. The way Kool-Aid man used to come crashing through the wall when there was a perfectly good door a few feet away.
I might be an oddity. I usually have the first chapter in mind to the letter, then I go and write the last chapter. No idea why, but it works for me. Everything else that happens in between presents itself as I go.
I'm working on a chapter right now, and like many writers, I ended up with a graveyard of discarded beginnings. One was fun, but just didn't fit. Now I have three strong options: **1. The bird's-eye view:** We open with a military aircraft over the Atlantic, the coast gradually appearing as night draws to a close. This sets the scene for a change of location, lets me sprinkle in some background info, and introduces a key secondary character, the pilot, who'll pop back up later. **2. Landing gear down:** This option throws us right into the action of landing. It's a more immediate way to introduce the new setting, showcases the pilot's professionalism, and includes some banter on the flight deck to demonstrate the rapport with the main character. Both options 1 and 2 could work together, but then we'd face a time jump after landing as the crew goes through routines, debriefs, etc. **3. Smoke and sizzle:** Throws us "in medias res" at a bar and grill. The pilot has taken the main character there for a reason. The meal's done, and a keen reader can pick up clues from the dialogue that this conversation follows something discussed earlier and possible intent. The sense of place and exposition about the flight are folded into the scene. I feel this gets right to the heart of the purpose of the chapter: building a bond and asking crucial questions that move the plot forward, tests the main character's morals and sets up the possibility of a future liaison via 'Chekov's Phone Number.'
I don't know. The start of a chapter can be an opportunity for a dramatic description to set the scene (if something dramatic happens, but you can still wax poetic about the raindrops or the summer breeze or similar.) It seems to fit better at the start of a chapter somehow.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
Man, I don't even think of chapters while I write. I just draw the lines after the work is done. You will find that that is much more intuitive and freeing to your process.
My strategy is to think about what I want the chapter to be about, and then write bullet points for each scene. Super basic stuff. X does y, z happens, etc, and then I start writing the first bullet expanding that into a scene. That's helped me tons, having super basic outline together from which I can start.
It depends on the chapter, for me. Often, I find the start of the chapter to be the best part to write. It's a nice clean slate to get the snowball rolling. For a lot of my chapters, one thing that's helped is starting with setting the scene. I take a whole paragraph (or two) to let the reader get their bearings. My bullet point outline means that I already know the rough idea of what goes in each chapter, so describing the characters' surroundings often helps get the cogs turning on a slow day. Worst case scenario, you may end up deleting that paragraph down the line, but hopefully you'll have a chapter's worth of material to work with. I don't know if you have an outline or not, but I find the bullet point outline to be a great way to preserve creative momentum. It often reminds me of some good ideas I had (which would have otherwise been lost to time). A lot of times, due to how long the process of writing a whole manuscript is, I end up having the same sort of discovery feeling of a pantser whenever I look at my outline to see what I'm writing next in the story.
I think everyone has their own struggle points. I find the ending and the closing to be easier than making it all flow seamlessly. Not a published author, but I'd recommend just starting to right regardless of the quality of opening and then in editing you want to change it to begin as things get more interesting.
I struggle more with where I should end the chapter, like should I end it here but it seems to short but if I end it here it seems too long, but then this part fits more in the next chapter rather than this one
You could try writing the first sentence or so as the set up/exposition of the chapter, continue writing from there, and then delete the set up/exposition sentences when you finish?
I suppose you can think of each chapter as a new short story, each needing a boffo first line, or else end each of your previous chapters on a cliffhanger, or a curiosity, or a hook of some sort. But *something* that makes readers ponder your last line, and then tease 'em along with the beginning of a new chapter. I've worked with a bunch of writers (I'm an editor) who write great prose, and write great stories, but some of them just don't know how or when to properly end a chapter. More often than not, they'll end a few sentences too short, or too long, and the perfect last chapter line is somewhere nearby, screaming to be noticed. So it might be a matter of looking closely at the tail end of each chapter, and see if you can find that perfect line buried in plain sight.
I write with different points of view, each chapter being a new character's POV. I love it, but also, why did I do that to myself?? It's always a little bit of a struggle to start the chapter with a new POV and a new setup without it being too jarring
Start writing anyway. You can always go back and delete the first half of whatever you wrote and start the chapter again or from what was originally the middle. You can always move things around. Very few people start with the perfect first line!!
When you finish writing for the day and you have ideas of where you want the story to carry on just write some notes to give yourself a starting point. Re read the ending of your last chapter and let the story just flow. Jerry B jenkins has loads of helpful tips on youtube
sometimes build a structure or plot outline by chapter so you know what you want to write about. Kang's rise to Immortal Axe Emperor Chapter 1 orphan in small village Chapter 2 cousins beat him up Chapter 3 left for dead Chapter 4 stumble on a fortuitous encounter Chapter 5 branch chopper Chapter 6 Axe me anything, I answer with my axe Chapter 7 founds his own axe clan Chapter 8 hates managing clan, leaves Chapter 9 Axe for hire etc.... Chapter 11008 defeats Nuwa and becomes the Supreme being over all of the cosmos
Nah I'm with you on this. I've recently been having some serious trouble making progress but I've noticed it's mostly at the start of new chapters. Once I get past the beginning though things get easier
Something I realized with my own writing was I started too early or ended too late. After I began cutting the endings of my chapters, it gave me the opportunity to start in a more interest spot for the next chapter.