Holy StarClan, y'all. This is hard. The weight of the entire book is resting upon this chapter, but how do you even get started?

First, let's have a lil chitchat about the bare necessities for Chapter 1. I'll elaborate later.

• Have each chapter plotted out.

• Lead with a hook that leaves readers with questions.

• Introduce all important characters.

• Show the state of the Clan/civilization.

• Hint at the Inciting Incident.

• End with a cliffhanger.

Have Each Chapter Plotted Out

Having an established plotline is critical to writing any book. Figure out how many chapters you'll need, and plot the Just do it, m'kay? It shows where all of the others are leading to! If you want, make an Event List or Bad Decisions List (I made one!) to help you out. But, to write a plot for Chapter 1, you need to know how to do it!

Lead With a Hook

Leave your readers with questions. Make them do a doubletake! Make them go, "HUH?" We want action! We want questions! We want readers dying to know just what, exactly, you're getting at. Stun them! Here are some ways to open your book:

• A paradoxical/surprising statement | Example: "It was a lovely day to get decapitated." Like, what? I didn't think that "lovely" and "decapitated" could possibly go in the same sentence! Maybe you want to build on that. "It was a lovely day to get decapitated. The breeze was just right for carrying the yowls of terror, and the blood-splattered flowers swayed cheerily as a dying warrior gurgled next to Tailhead." WHAT?! WHY ARE THE FLOWERS HAPPY ABOUT THIS?! But most importantly...what is happening?

• A quote | "Take one step closer, and I'll slit your throat." Such violence, right? Who is the MC talking to? What's going on?

• A question/thought |"Butterflyface wondered why, exactly, she was in a hole in the desert. She didn't live in the desert." We've got a couple questions to ask here. Why is she in a hole? Why is she in the desert? If she's in a hole, how does she know that she's in the desert? Now everybody's confused.

• Introduce the personality | "Butterflyface had never seen such an idiot in her miserable life." Well...someone's got attitude. Where did this attitude come from? Who is this idiot? Why is her life miserable?

Basically, open up with a bunch of unanswered questions, and stun your readers.

Introduce All Important Characters

And show their personality! You should keep a detailed list of all important characters, and that should be handy. Introduce them subtly. Show their personality; make them compelling! Here's what not to do:

"Butterflyface padded out of her den. The sun was out. It was nice and warm.

"Waspdude walked over. 'Hey, bestie!' he said. They were best friends. 'Let's visit your other bestie, Dirtplop. He seems even more grumpy!'"

Wow. That was, like, bad. Really, really bad.

Sure, you got the characters put out there. However, it's still puke-worthy. Here are the issues:

• No hook

• Butterflyface is lacking a personality.

• Waspdude was not subtly introduced. He flat-out called Butterflyface "bestie," and then it was stated that they were "best friends."

• Dirtplop was also bluntly introduced as a "bestie," and his personality was told, not shown.

To make this better, show--don't tell. Also, we need a hook, people. Here we go:

Butterflyface wondered why, exactly, she was in a hole in the desert. She did not live in the desert.

"Why am I bleeding?" she groaned, rolling over. A gash was carved into her side, blood clumping her brown tabby fur into scarlet mats.

A resounding "Oof!" poked at her ears. The voice was as familiar to her as her own paws. After all, it had been the one constant in her life.

"Watch it!" Butterflyface snapped to Waspdude, even though she was the offender.

"Not again! Why, might I ask, are we in a hole?" Waspdude asked, ginger tabby head popping up. "I'm hungry."

Butterflyface rolled her olive-green eyes as Dirtplop moaned from the other side.

"Shut up, or I swear--I'll knock your head clean off of your shoulders!" His voice, typically dripping with raw anger, was weak and gravelly. Despite the words and the seemingly dire situation, it had an edge of dry humor that danced in the threads of every syllable.

***

That was a lot better! A little rushed and chaotic, but we got physical descriptions for Butterflyface and Waspdude and got glimpses of everyone's personalities. Their relationships and traits were shown or hinted at, not told.

Most importantly, we're confused. Also, why did Waspdude say, "Not again?" Does this happen often?

Show the State of the Clan/Civilization

Basically, show what life is like for your MC. Is the Clan utopian or dystopian? Falling apart, or is life perfect? What are the flaws? What are the good things?

These details will help set the tone and a potential problem. Remember: Show, don't tell.

Here's a utopia:

Lively chatter twirled through the frosty air. Apprentices conversed, showing off the skills their mentors had just taught them earlier. The warriors of ClanClan divided themselves into daily patrols, yawning despite the energy that visibly coursed through every fiber of muscle in their bodies and the gleams in their eyes.

Widepaw pushed through a throng of loudly gossiping queens, rolling her eyes at their bright and dramatic exclamations as she tripped over their playing kits.

***

That was not so subtle, but you get the point. Everyone is happy, and life at least appears normal.

Now, here's a dystopia:

Widepaw's stomach seemed to be caving in. She'd already consumed her daily ration of food--half of a shrew. Her body demanded more, but she had to follow the rules, or face penalties. She swallowed nervously, flattening her ears against the sounds of a thrashing warrior being dragged to The Cave. It was time to train.

***

In just that short paragraph, you can tell that something's up with Widepaw's Clan. Inserting details like that into the first chapter are pivotal!

Hint at the Inciting Incident

First off...what in the name of StarClan is an inciting incident? (Curse you, autocorrect! It's "inciting"--not "inviting"!)

An inciting incident is the event that triggers The Problem and is the catalyst for the story. The big uh-oh! In Into the Wild, it could either be considered poor lil Rusty joining ThunderClan or Redtail's murder. In short, it triggers everything.

This needs to happen within the first three chapters. Don't take too long, or your readers will get bored! In Butterflyface's case, the story started with the Inciting Incident. It opened with her and her BFFs trapped in a hole in a strange place.

However, I recommend only hinting at the Inciting Incident in the first chapter, unless you're a special case like Butterflyface. To hint at it, though, you have to know what the Inciting Incident is in the first place, though. What's the story's problem? What triggers it?

With your II in mind, drop little clues around, or some form of tension.

Let's say that in her dystopian Clan, BadClan, Widepaw discovers that she is the true heir to the throne and that to take what is rightfully hers, she basically has to become a serial killer and take nine lives. Is she going to do it? Um, of course! Who would turn down a murdering spree if it meant power? Certainly not Widepaw! But, there's an obstacle--the current leader, Snoutstar, knows! She has a gang of spies watching Widepaw's every move and attempting to, like, murder her at every opportunity.

What hints are we going to drop that keep readers asking questions?

• Widepaw notices her few belongings being moved around her nest.

• Her rations keep going missing.

• She wakes one night to a pair of eyes watching her in the dark.

Noice, huh?

Basically, build tension around these points. Then, lead into...the cliffhanger!

Cliffhanger

I generally leave every chapter at some sort of cliffhanger or hook, at least in my most recent writing. The first chapter, however, is the most important. It must be left on a cliffhanger to keep readers from vomiting on their screens and moving on!

This can be another hint at the Inciting Incident (Widepaw getting attacked and the leader revealing--rather stupidly--who Widepaw is), or the beginning of the Inciting Incident.

Let's look at the ending of Chapter One of Widepaw's Destiny of Bloodshed.

Widepaw raced through the undergrowth, blood on fire. Her wide paws screamed in pain, and her freshly-torn ear stung fiercely. Rat-dung, rat-dung, rat-dung, rat-dung! she hissed internally. The young apprentice knew she couldn't run forever. Whoever had loomed over her nest was close behind--she could hear their body crashing through ferns--but she was getting too tired.

Widepaw skidded to an unsteady halt, claws shooting from their sockets and sinking into the dirt. "Come get me!" she cried, whirling around. Her lungs were wildfires. I can't breathe--

"M'kay," said at least a dozen voices.

***

Why are a dozen cats chasing Widepaw? Why do they all talk like me? How suspicious!

Maybe you want a slower-paced story. In the end of Chapter 1 in the above example, you can tell that the storyline is moving along rapidly. Here's a slower ending:

Widepaw glowered at the row of rations. One half-piece of prey was sloppily arranged for each cat. In her usual spot, nothing but a shriveled tail remained. The apprentice hadn't eaten in days.

Someone's trying to starve me, a voice peeped from the recesses of her shrouded mind. A shiver raced down each knob in her spindly spine. Widepaw sighed. At least I have my water ration.

She padded to the line of wet moss where others were lapping up their allowance of water.

Widepaw moved towards her place, relieved that her bundle of moss was in its place. She bent down, neck extended to take a drink. At once, she recoiled.

That wasn't water.

***

Still a hook, but slower in pacing. It all depends on the placement of the Inciting Incident.

In short, look at the first chapter like its own story. Introduction of characters and setting, a lot of tension and some suspicious occurrences/hints, and a cliffhanger ending.

I tend to look at all chapters sort of like episodes of a TV show. It helps me plot better and write longer chapters!

Tell me, my bros: What happens in your first chapter? And...what do you think it was that had soaked Widepaw's moss?