Why Your First Chapter Needs A Reversal
Conflict isn't enough
Imagine this version of the first chapter of The Hunger Games: On the morning of The Reaping, Katniss worries she may be chosen to compete in the deadly Hunger Games, knowing she has entered her name into the drawing many times in exchange for food. The Reaping begins. Katniss is chosen to compete.
Has the plot moved forward?
You might say, Yes, Katniss must now compete in the Hunger Games.
But then why does it feel like nothing much happens in this imaginary first chapter?
Because neither Katniss nor the reader experienced a reversal of expectations. If this first chapter does nothing more than establish setting, character, and genre, then it doesn’t actually advance the plot. If our imaginary first chapter of The Hunger Games was lifted out of the book, the plot would remain the same. It would just start with Katniss training for the games. And think about this: a first chapter in which Katniss trains after having been chosen to compete could also establish character, setting, and genre. So there was no point in including that first chapter as we imagined it.
And if that training sequence were lifted out of the book? Again, the plot remains the same. The story would now begin with the Games themselves. Such a chapter could also establish the main story elements. Without a reversal, the whole beginning of the story can be cut and we can jump straight to events that affect the plot.
The real first chapter of The Hunger Games starts before the games so that we can first sympathize with Katniss and understand what’s at stake for her. But it achieves this by doing more than showing scenarios in Katniss’ everyday life.
Writers often think that the value of a first chapter is only in what it can establish before the story starts. But the value of any chapter, including the first, is in the reversal.
You Aren’t Establishing As Much As You Think You Are
When I critique manuscripts for writers, I read a lot of opening chapters that work hard to do exactly what an opening chapter is supposed to do: establish character, setting, genre, tone, and plot. But in reality, even first chapters that work their way through this checklist fail to truly establish these story elements. Why?
Because without a reversal in your first chapter, you’ll have a hard time getting your reader to believe any of the story elements your chapter is working to establish.
What does our imaginary first chapter of The Hunger Games establish? Katniss lives in a grim reality where she must work hard and break rules to care for her family, all while the Capitol controls her society.
She trespasses to hunt for food to feed her family. (Character, Setting)
She has entered her name for consideration for the Hunger Games many times, upping her odds of being chosen. (Character, Plot)
She must attend The Reaping and abide by the Capitol’s choice to send her or her peers to fight to the death. (Setting, Genre)
Now imagine this first chapter with its actual ending: Katniss isn’t chosen to compete in the Hunger Games. Instead, her sweet, vulnerable little sister is.
That single moment, that shocking reversal of expectations, establishes the setting and genre more sharply than in any other detail of the chapter. In fact, the reader feels more deeply the cruelty of the Capitol, the grimness of Katniss’ reality, the injustice of her society, and the need for her selfless heroism. The plot of the first chapter may have shown the reader those story details, but the reversal made the reader feel them.
The Prologue Reversal: A Game of Thrones
The prologue of A Game of Thrones establishes the genre, tone, and setting of the series. But it also includes a reversal that clues readers into what more they can expect from the series: drama, death, twists of fate.
In the prologue, rangers from the Night Watch investigate the whereabouts of a group of raiders who may have been killed. Will and the other rangers know they are in danger. They anticipate injury and death, and the reader guesses that at least one of them will die. And, in fact, near the end of the prologue, a mysterious figure attacks and kills one of the raiders while Will watches from a tree. But then comes the reversal: when Will climbs down to inspect the dead body, the corpse rises and attacks him.
Westeros is a brutal place, where even good-hearted, intelligent heroes are brutally killed. The prologue makes this clear to the reader by reversing the expectation that the rangers will merely die.
The Subtle Reversal: The Hobbit
Not every story needs a huge, ironic twist at the end of the first chapter; a smaller reversal can also work well.
In The Hobbit, Bilbo loves to entertain guests but has little desire to take part in adventures. When a party of adventure-seeking dwarves arrives at his door, he plays the part of the good host—which requires that he listen to their tale of adventure while bringing them the food and drink they demand. Now his sentiments are reversed: he’s annoyed with his guests’ rude manners and intrigued by their invitation to join their quest to rob a dragon.
The chapter ends with Bilbo privately vowing not to make breakfast for the demanding dwarves in the morning, and then listening to a song about adventure as he falls asleep. This moment tells us a lot about Bilbo (in his world, the boldest thing he can do is to refuse to make breakfast) and the plot (surely Bilbo will get drawn into the adventure, but will play an unusual role in it). The double-reversal of Bilbo’s sentiments gets him closer to starting the quest, but in a way that endears us to his fussy, good-hearted nature.
Your Turn
Here are some things you might think about while revising your first chapter:
Does this chapter work better as backstory? If I lifted this chapter out of the story, would the plot remain the same?
Can I adjust my main character’s (or readers’) expectations at the beginning of this chapter so that the end of the chapter provides a contrast?
What kind of reversal would reveal more about my character, setting, genre, or other story element?
What kind of reversal might create a poignant moment for my main character?
Workshopping The Reversal: Fourth Wing
Let’s workshop Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing to add a reversal to the opening scenes.