Hook them with your Opening Chapter

🧠 Section 1: Quick Gut Check

Answer these before rewriting anything:

• Where does your story currently begin?

• What is your protagonist doing in the opening scene?

• What do we learn about your character in the first 3 pages?

• What questions will your reader have after Chapter One?

       (Hint: the reader should be on edge to get to the next chapter to answer this question)

🚨 Section 2: Red Flag Roundup

Check off anything that might apply to your current opening:

☐ My story opens with my character waking up.
☐ I use a dream or memory loss to create mystery right away.
☐ The first chapter contains a long paragraph of backstory.
☐ The action starts fast — but I’m not sure readers will care about the character yet.
☐ My opening chapter explains the world instead of showing it.

If you checked any of these — don’t panic! That’s what we’re here to fix.

🧭 Section 3: The Real Starting Point

Let’s work backward from your inciting incident — the moment your story truly begins.

✏️ What is your inciting incident?
(This is the moment everything changes. The point of no return.)

Example: My protagonist discovers her missing sister is alive — and being held in a secret facility.

✏️ What is the trigger that sets your character on the path to that moment?
(This might be the emotional nudge, the external push, or the quiet decision that starts the story.)

Example: She finds a blurry photo tucked inside a library book — her sister, older, scared, and clearly alive.

📍That’s your true starting place.
Make sure Chapter One puts your character in motion toward that first major turning point.

💡 Section 4: Revision Prompts

Try these exercises to rewrite or reimagine your opening:

1. Three Hook Questions:
   What’s happening?
   Who is this character, and what do they want?
   Why should I turn the page?

2. Write the Moment Before:
   Craft a short scene showing your protagonist right before the story starts — the last moment of “normal.” (This won’t go in the story, but it can help you realistically write the next steps for your character)