The cool thing is that the backstory isn’t boring because you have met the characters and you begin to care even more about the characters because of the backstory. And the way he does it, the story isn’t slowed down at all. The backstory actually makes the main story more intense, ups the stakes, if you will. This is also something he recommends in his books on writing, i.e.reverse the first and second chapter. He doesn’t always make it that precise but I think the concept is sound.

Oh, almost forgot he does this mainly with his first person novels so it streamlines this even more. What I mean is that you don’t really notice it because it’s in first person. The guy is definitly a master.

I’m doing a period novel,(World War II and forward, but with influences from before). The lives of five women, each with a separate backstory, but eventually connected by the successive possession of an item of jewelry.

I’m identifying the chapters with the date and name of the woman (girl), which orients the reader. Plenty of PEEs, mystery, intrigue, betrayal, pathos, shadowed by the concerns of WWII and eventually tied together (I know exactly how), but I don’t have the first page grabber yet. Perhaps a rearranging of chapters?

(Yours sounds great-keep it up! And away from the toilet!)

Then, in my first chapter, I start out with my main character having a real inner-conflict and a conflict with her boyfriend.

In my second chapter, weird things start happening to my main character, which gets my readers interested. At the end of this chapter, the pov character in the prolouge comes into play, getting the reader more curious.

My third chapter is in the pov of the character that was in the prolouge. Here, we find out more about the strange thigs happening to the main character, and a few large questions are answered.

The fourth chapter is where thins really heat up. The main character and the “prolouge character” have to leave the place where they were staying. This is really where the story starts.

Then in the fifh chapter, the “prolouge character” gives the readers some key backstory, but only just enough. This way, there can still be suprises and mystery as the story unfolds.

Well, that’s how I do it!

In my WIP, the first chapter opens with my protagonist already in the middle of her journey (that takes her away from ‘normal’ life). She’s in pitch darkness, with her hand clutching the shirt of the grizzled man who will lead her to a totally foreign life. On the way, she’s thinking, “what am I doing here?” and “what’s going to happen next?”.

I do have a little backstory in the second chapter, while she’s still on this journey- but it only gives a hint as to why in the world she needs to make such a drastic change in her life. I’ll have to mull over whether to keep it here or not.

Julie: If your story doesn’t start until the 4th chapter do you need the first 3 chapters? Also, I’m not sure you should start with a prologue. Some people don’t read them. I suggest you call it chapter 1 (and chapter 4, chapter 2).

All: Somewhere I heard the rule of thumb that you should throw out your 1st chapter, and in the case of a series, throw out your 1st book too. I started writing fiction in 2003 and my interests led me to write a novella, the 1st in a series. Looking back I can see I need to toss that 1st novella and do some heavy edits to the first 2 chapters of the 2nd novella–merge them and simplify. Or in essence, throw out the 1st chapter but keep a little of it.

I’m sort of working on my first novel (I keep getting distracted by short stories and novellas). I’m struggling with how to start the story. My first attempt started with my protag standing on a doorstep and ringing a doorbell. The problem is he isn’t human and in some tests with readers they didn’t quite “get” what he was or how he appeared. I think I should write it from a secondary character’s POV and open with her hearing the doorbell. Her shock at seeing the protag can lead to a nice description of him.

By the end of the first chapter the protag comes to the realization his life is messed up, that secondary character pledges to help him (she’s a “fixer” personality), and he meets his love interest (except he doesn’t realize it and doesn’t want her).