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Does the first chapter make or break a story?

FlamingRuby

The magic of Pokemon
What do you think?

I personally think it does, as you can usually tell the about of effort that went into a story from the first chapter.
 

Jonouchi

Chibi-cario
In some occasions, yes. Then again, not everyone gets a good start with their first chapter because it can most likely tell too little about the story. It all depends on where you go with it. Your direction of the story is what matters more, as well as description and stuff like that.

First chapters don't make much of an impression as a whole, but it could drive away your readers easily.
 
I agree with Jonouchi. The first chapter gives people little space, if it's done as an introductory chapter. I believe what is more important is how you attract more readers to read your fic with your following chapters. Usually, first chapters do not leave lasting impressions. xXSaberXx is one fine example who made it big even with a not excellent first chapter, due to the hard work she put into her later chapters to pull in more readers and reviewers.
 

Dragonfree

Just me
Well, the first chapter doesn't make or break the story. It does, however, make or break readers' impressions of the story. If you have a great story with a horrid first chapter, it doesn't make the story horrible, but it does make everybody press the back button at soonest opportunity (or, alternatively, tell you to get your butt over to Advice for Aspiring Authors before attempting to write).

In the long run, a bad first chapter generally doesn't affect the story nearly as much as, say, a bad last chapter. Actually, now that I think about it, the last chapter does make or break the story. If you have a great fic but don't get the last chapter right, it can ruin the whole thing. I don't think the first chapter will ever do that. It just scares readers away.
 

Orange_Flaaffy

Jello Pokéballs
I've read in many reading books that it is not so much the whole first chapter that matters the most but the first line. Hooking the reader in is very important because your fic could be the best on the internet and have an amazing ending, but if you don't make the reader want to read more at the start it won't matter :(.
I sometimes worry about this beginning to end reader willingness to when I see people that say that they only read fics that are just starting and that they don't have time for longer works (what's wrong with reading a few chapters a day?) But that is a whole other can of worms...
 

Arcanine Royale

Well-Known Member
The first chapter certainly affects readership. As for the quality, it probably doesn't as much. Like others have said, the last is probably more influential. Though the second chapter has to be good as well. If you have a brilliant first chapter but a crummy second, readers will probably go away regardless of first chapter quality.
 

Isfahan

Well-Known Member
I sometimes worry about this beginning to end reader willingness to when I see people that say that they only read fics that are just starting and that they don't have time for longer works (what's wrong with reading a few chapters a day?) But that is a whole other can of worms...

The rationale behind that escapes me as well. I can understand a dedicated reviewer not wanting to play catch-up through a bunch of chapters just so they can then writer a term-paper-length review of the work thus far. However, beyond that it's pretty much penalizing works for being established, for not having that "new fic smell."

In this respect, the first chapter is indeed important, because it's the chapter that snags the most readers by being the newest one. :/
 

Negrek

Lost but Seeking
I wouldn't say that a poor first chapter breaks a 'fic. If you work hard, you can still recover from a lackluster start and come up with an overall good work (though at that point you might really want to go back and do something about that ol' first chapter).

However, what it will do is break your readership. A lot of online fanfiction readers like myself don't have the time or the inclination to peruse the entirety of every single 'fic that gets updated on a big forum like this one. If I'm not turned off by your title and do decide to click to read but then am not impressed by the first couple of paragraphs, then I'm moving on to greener pastures. If you can't catch reader's attention with that first chapter, they're probably not going to hang around for the whole thing.
 

Dilasc

Boip!
I hope, especially for my own sake, that the first chapter doesn't break a story. If it did, I'd be up toilet creek with no paddle! In any case... no, I don't see it as too big a deal. I'd say, a few chapters, maybe even as many as ten whole chapters, no matter their size, can help make or break a chapter to determine writing skill growth, creative growth, and determination... and all that other stuff that is important.

People are capable of making incredible progress from one chapter to the next if they try to.
 

Blue Lunatone

<< My First Shiny
It takes a good first chapter to make the story. If there aren't enough details, or if it is a little to dull, the story is going downhill from there. Careful though, if you end a chapter in the middle of a scene, you might get comments (possibly ALOT of them) asking when yuo'll post the next chapter.
 

Blue Lunatone

<< My First Shiny
It takes a good first chapter to make the story. If there aren't enough details, or if it is a little to dull, the story is going downhill from there. Careful though, if you end a chapter in the middle of a scene, you might get comments (possibly ALOT of them) asking when yuo'll post the next chapter.
 

Typhlogirl

keep battling on!
:/ In my opinion, it really depends on the reviewer and the author. If the reviewer can have the tolerance to see past a lackluster first chapter, and if the author can make a satisfying recovery from said chapter. Then again, if they have the ability to improve the second chapter dramatically from the first, it stands to reason that they should be able to go back and rewrite the first one.

This is what beta readers are for, people.

-;157;
 

Astinus

Well-Known Member
If possible, I let the responses that the author had to advice be the deciding factor. I am not will to spend time giving advice to someone who is not will to take it.

If such responses are not possible to get, then I will wait until the second or third chapter. I read somewhere that if you are turned off by the third chapter of a book, then you should drop it. Like Orange Flaffy said, however, it really is the first line, or paragraph, that the writer should focus on.

The only way that the first chapter can make or break a story is if the quality does not improve. First chapters are hard to make interesting. Just as long as some interest is built, then I will continue reading. Give people the benefit of the doubt when deciding.

-

(Wow...Saber agreed with me. How about that?)
 
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xXSaberXx

xxxXsightless
xXSaberXx is one fine example who made it big even with a not excellent first chapter

OH GAWD. Please don't remind me of that first chap. PU-LEEZ. *shudders* It's was a miracleeeeeeeee of god that it kept going like it did...

BUT SERIOUSLY. I do think that a first chapter makes or breaks a story. Now that I look back on it, it must have been some misguided luck that pulled my fiction through, because that first chap stunk worse than Chuck Norris after one of his practice spars with Bruce Lee. :////

I would have to agree with Hanako, improvement is a biggie. If the first chapter was lackluster, but still had some promise, I think that some people will return to see if you got any better in the next chapter. If you do, they may just stick around. As you go on, I think, one gets better and better, or some improvement is seen, and as that improvement inclines, so does the interest. I think.
 

BirthdayPirate

<- Starter of choice
A horrible first chapter followed by a fantastic fic will get you tons of readers and fans. A mediocre first chapter followed by a fantastic fic will get a few readers and fans. A fantastic first chapter followed by a fantastic fic will get you a fair amount of readers and fans. Sucks, doesn't it?
 

Orange_Flaaffy

Jello Pokéballs
A horrible first chapter followed by a fantastic fic will get you tons of readers and fans. A mediocre first chapter followed by a fantastic fic will get a few readers and fans. A fantastic first chapter followed by a fantastic fic will get you a fair amount of readers and fans. Sucks, doesn't it?
I know some reveiwers only pay a fic any mind if they are awful to start with :p. I guess, if it starts awful they think it will remain awful and becuase they like to rant they stick with it to discover the author is actually good :)
 

Isfahan

Well-Known Member
It's the bell curve at work (well, inverted bell curve). As a rule, the astoundingly good and astoundingly bad fics are the ones that get the most attention. In between those extremes, there are tons of solidly-written fics to be found here with sparse commentary at best.

It's just plain easier to respond to a work that stands out in some way.
 

Astinus

Well-Known Member
On that point, it is much easier to respond to a horrible fic that stands out. I recently got done reading DarkPersian479's fic. It has a solid plot, original characters, and interesting twists. After five chapters, he hasn't got as many reviews as...say...a horrible fic done by Joe Blow. It's just easier, and it makes you look smarter, if you are able to point out the mistakes of a bad fic, rather than the regular "Good chapter. Nothing else to say because it was so good..."

It's what Orange_Flaffy said, only repeated... Humans just like to rant about things.
 

Timid Kyogre

Endangered Creature
Personally, I think it depends on how the first chapter was written. The author will most probably not get much readers if the first few chapters weren't as good as the other chapters, but that's just me.

Although if the first chapters were horrible, and were later followed by better ones, it'll mean that that author is trying to improve etc. which is good, I guess XD

gaaaah, I just confused myself.

Typhlogirl said:
This is what beta readers are for, people.

^ the solution

It also might depend on the reviewer. I wouldn't read a fic with a bad start, because I won't be interested in it. That might not work the same way with you, though, etc. etc.

~Timid Kyogre
 
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Arcanine Royale

Well-Known Member
Yes, beta readers are oh so important. If only there was some sort of Beta Company that actual shed light on the subject...

People definitley improve over the course of a story. Which is why many always try to go back and revise...
 
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