# How important is the first chapter to hook you to keep reading?



## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

I was having a discussion with my agent and she stressed a lot of readers will stop if they are not hooked in the first chapter. I think most readers will give it a couple chapters. But I have heard this from a lot of publishers of fiction. If the first chapter is not a barn burner people will not keep reading. Thoughts?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Bill, I note that this is the Book Corner, you should be posting here as a reader.  "Reader survey" type questions give some of our members the hives.  

So, tell us, what does it take for you, as a reader, to finish a book?  Does the first chapter have to grab you?  Or don't you have time to read?  

Betsy


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## Chris Northern (Jan 20, 2011)

I don't feel that hooked is the right word. Involved, I think, says it better. If I'm not involved by the end of the first scene(s) then I may put the book down, though I very rarely start a book without knowing it's going to hold my attention.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

It's got to be really really bad for me to give up after just one chapter.  By which I mean: no interesting characters have been introduced, the writing is dull, there doesn't seem to yet be even a glimmer of a plot, the editing is poor.  And probably others.

BUT, if the writing is at least reasonably good and there appears to be something interesting likely to happen to an interesting and not unlikeable person, I won't stop reading -- even if nothing, really, has happened yet.

So, I'd say the book doesn't have to 'grab' me in the first chapter, but it better not drive me away, either.


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## SarahCarter (Nov 8, 2012)

I have to say that I've read very few books which seriously grab me straight away. So if not being hooked straight away DID bother me, then I'd never read anything. And it depends. If I'm a potential buyer then I'll be put off if the first chapter is really really awful. But if I already own a book then I'll read it till the end, unless I find something offensive/irritating in it.


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## dkgould (Feb 18, 2013)

I think it depends on why I got the book in the first place.  If a friend insisted that it's great, I'll read all the way to the end no matter what.  If it's a classic, I'll try really hard to finish as well.  For instance, I'm probably the one person in the hemisphere that thinks the opening chapter of A Tale of Two Cities is unutterably boring.  But I love the book and Dickens.  If I was browsing and don't know anything about it, then I'll probably be less forgiving.  That said though, if I'm going to quit a book it's going to be early on.  Once I reach like a third of the way in I'm probably going to slog through the rest even if I hate it.  

It also depends on chapter length.  If the opening chapter is thirty pages long and I'm still not interested- probably not going to happen.  If it's five pages long, I'll give it a few more chapters.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

It's probably more important to me that the first chapter does not scare me off from continuing versus it being an amazingly fantastic literary experience, but it has to be good enough (for some undefined value of "enough") that it keeps me going on to the next chapter. There have been some novels that I've quit within the first chapter when it was immediately obvious to me that some combination of the writing style, grammar/spelling, characterizations, tone, originality, etc. were not up to a level that I wanted to have anything to do with the book. I'd say there have been a roughly equal number of abandonments by me that were several chapters in before I realized I just didn't give a bleep about the characters, or theme, or whatever and would rather spend my time with something else.

Of course, the ideal would be that the first chapter is great, and each succeeding chapter gets even better.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Simple answer:
The first chapter does not have to hook me.  Now I have seen a few books that turned me off on the first page.    Those are usually the ones eaten up with errors.
Now more complicated answer:  I am gonna go read the first chapter of a book or two and will pm you with my thoughts.  I don't want to be on the receiving end of Betsy's cattle prod.


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## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

Well I will keep at it and thanks for all the feedback!


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## Nicholas Andrews (Sep 8, 2011)

As long as the writing itself is actually readable, I'll go well beyond Chapter One. I'll read up to the halfway point of the book before I give up on it. The reason is because if I decide to read something, I WANT to like it. So I'll stick with it longer than I probably should. A recent example is Daniel Abraham's A Shadow in Summer. About halfway through, I realized that I was reading about flat, boring characters in a world with customs that the author never bothered to explain, and I had no idea what the hell was going on. 

Some of the ideas looked like they had potential, which is why I stuck with it, hoping it would get good. I've noticed books can be like that, sometimes. Scott Lynch's Locke Lamora books are excellent, but it takes until about the halfway point before the story starts moving. But at least the material leading up to it is interesting to read. So in short, a bad Chapter One isn't going to turn me off. A bad Chapter Two, Three, Four, Five, however...


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## Robena (Jan 19, 2013)

I want to feel that I'm invested in the character by the end of chapter one. If not I might put it aside and come back to it later. If the author makes me question or want to follow the main character's journey then I'll continue and let the story unfold at the pace the author wants. I don't mind a leisurely beginning so long as it's about character and not bogged down with exposition.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I agree with those who say the first chapter needs to show some potential - and a competent writing. I don't just mean the grammar - just the ability to write well. I don't expect to be purposefully "hooked" by anything too exciting, but it should show a path I would want to take.

But lately I came across a few books that had a great first chapter (or a "sample portion", Kindle-wise), and then quickly deteriorated. I do not want to give any examples but it almost seemed like the "sample portion" and the rest of the book were written by two different people  Is there perhaps an underground market for first-chapter ghostwriting? Or just more agents like the one Bill mentioned? This is probably one thing that would, potentially, make me write a negative review for a book I hadn't finished.


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## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

I give it a couple of chapters or the first 50 pages before deciding to give up. It's only happened twice that I kept reading past this point only to realize I really should have just stopped because the rest didn't improve. The Look Inside feature helps avoid lots of buyers' remorse.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Once I start a book, I tend to keep reading, unless something serious is wrong with formatting or over the top errors in editing. I vet the books I read before I read. I think I only dnf a handful of books. And that was more at the halfway point. 

I don't think in chapters when I read at all. Maybe I am weird like that. The book I am reading right now, I have no clue what chapter I am on. None. I know I am 25% in.  
I mean I see the chapter headings at some point, but I just don't pay attention to the number. 

I just read, I either like it or I don't. Then I move on the the next. Thankfully I at least like pretty much everything I read because of my vetting system. 

It would be nice though if when people ask such questions of fellow readers they give an example of how they think about what they are asking. Otherwise I feel like I just been farmed for some marketing or research purposes.


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## Dan Fiorella (Oct 14, 2012)

It sounds like a gap between the industry people and the actual consumers, similiar to the mind-think in Hollywood:  It's got to grab/hook you in the first 10 pages...or what?  They'll toss it for the next manuscript in the slush pile of weekend reading that they are forced to do.

Meanwhile, in the real world, I've had so many friends state a book "starts off slow, then get really good."  So, it's not how you start but how you finish.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Simple answer:  These days it's CRITICAL.  

In the past, I'd probably give it 3 chapters or so.  These days I have less time and have become pickier.  Sometimes a book gets a page or two.  Generally speaking, I give books approximately 20 to 30 pages and chapter breaks aren't all that important UNLESS the chapter break includes a POV shift.  If that first chapter hasn't already grabbed me and I get a POV shift, it's curtains.  I'm not going to bother to find out if the second character is better than the first.

The hook doesn't have to be action. In fact, it is usually more subtle than that--I have to already start caring about the character at least a little.  So for some books if they start off with the main female acting too snarky, it isn't going to interest me.  If the main character (male or female) is fighting for her/his life, probably enough for me to go on.  If the main character is waking up from a dream sequence...something interesting better have caused the person to wake up because dream sequences aren't all that good at telling me what the character would really do.  Bore me with background of almost any sort at all and it's curtains.  That sort of thing has to be worked into the story gradually for me these days.  Backstory isn't compelling enough for the most part for me, not as an opener.

So...it's critical.


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

I need to be hooked by the opening sentence. But in my experience, readers will give a book a one-page scan and if they're not interested, they're gone. Our attention spans have grown very short these days!


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

The first chapter has to be well written but it doesn't have to be can't-put-it-down. I don't mind a book that builds.


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## Avis Black (Jun 12, 2012)

The first page has to hook me or I stop. When I look at a sample, I give the first couple of paragraphs a competence check. If the author flunks, I quit right there. Competence consists of correct grammar and spelling, but most importantly, it means better-than-average conceptualization. I want to read something extraordinary instead of ordinary.


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## lazarusInfinity (Oct 2, 2012)

I would agree that writers should aim to hook the reader with the first chapter.  Attention spans just aren't what they were years ago, so your potential audience needs a hook right away.  When it comes to movies, the first 5-7 minutes are critical to maintain the audience.  It used to be 10 but that's long since changed.


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## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

If I am not into the story by the first chapter--the writer has lost me. I am sorry, but there are too many books to read and not enough time. The only thing that might change my mind is if was a writer I really enjoyed, then I might give them a break and read a few more chapters--maybe.


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## authorjea (Sep 14, 2013)

Dan Fiorella said:


> It sounds like a gap between the industry people and the actual consumers, similiar to the mind-think in Hollywood: It's got to grab/hook you in the first 10 pages...or what? They'll toss it for the next manuscript in the slush pile of weekend reading that they are forced to do.
> 
> Meanwhile, in the real world, I've had so many friends state a book "starts off slow, then get really good." So, it's not how you start but how you finish.


*QFT*

Publishing is so guilty of group-think that I get tin-foil-hat'y about it sometimes.

As a reader, I go like this:

First Sentence --> First Paragraph --> First Chapter

If I make it through all three without hitting any of my turn-off buttons (of which there are many), then I'm interested. Alternately, if I make it through all three and need an answer to something, then I'm interested.

I also agree with the counter-argument a few posts above me (woe that I can't figure out how to multi-quote within one post) that we as a culture have become so inundated with content that we skip between different things at a rapid speed. There is _so much_ out there, entertainment-wise (or time-dump-wise) that it's very easy to get distracted and switch to something else. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. Particularly with less-involved mediums like television. If the pre-credits tease doesn't absolutely hook me, then I dump the entire series.


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## JETaylor (Jan 25, 2011)

As a reader, a new book does have to hook me right away, more so since I started writing.  

However, if I know the author in some way (like through Kboards or Backspace or critique groups), I'll give it a little more than I would normally because sometimes there is a ramp up and I like to give the benefit of the doubt.  

But again, like some of the others said, I have to care about what happens next.  If the writer hasn't caught me in some visceral manner (whether by action, connection or curiosity) then they've lost me.  I don't have a lot of time these days, so it's got to be my definition of entertaining and not fraught with errors. 

As an editor - if you don't get me in the first page, you're sunk.


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## ChrisPhilbrook (Jan 18, 2011)

Books that grab  me immediately in the first chapter are obviously what you'd prefer.  It's what I prefer.  However, I rarely give up on any book after the first chapter.  I think you need to give any kind of fiction at a minimum the first two or three chapters to show some character and setting.  I think it's also important to look at books written like George RR Martin's books.  If you only got the single character's POV, and you didn't like that character...

You won't like his books, and that'd be a shame, because they're quite good.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

With money tighter in my house I find myself sampling the chapter examples on amazon more frequently then ever before. But that's me. 

On the other hand it's a great way to see if the writing DOES grab you so you can make an informed - or at least a "gut reaction" --decision.


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## mcdeb (Jun 2, 2013)

I don't mind a book that has a slow build as long as the writing is good.  I'm willing to give the author time to introduce the characters and set the stage so to speak.


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## Eric Zawadzki (Feb 4, 2011)

For me it depends on why I picked up the book in the first place. If it was a recommendation from someone I trust I'll usually read the entire book, although if I'm not sold after the first book of a series I might not continue reading. I'm fairly patient with literature, as well, although I've certainly walked away from a few great works because it was too much of a slog.

I think the opening is much more important if I'm panning for gold (grabbing a bunch of samples to find something to read without a recommendation or review to guide the way). In those situations, my patience is very limited. Lots of errors? Pass. Opening scene I've seen a thousand times before? Pass. Boring writing? Pass.

So my answer is...maybe? I'm not looking for a whirlwind of shotguns and katanas in my opening scenes, but I'm looking for engaging writing that isn't riddled with red flags before I commit to an unknown quantity.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

There are very few books that have ever hooked me from the first chapter. I can only think of two or three right off hand, and to be honest, they just didn't stick with me. It was a case of read it and forget it. And the books I keep reading and re-reading start off fairly slowly but the quality of writing and the word pictures that the author weaves along with the hint of intriguing characters that I will come to know and care about compel me to keep turning the pages. I include *Gone With the Wind*, *The Lord of the Rings*, *Rebecca*, and *Pride and Prejudice * and almost any book by Alexandre Dumas or Victor Hugo in that category, to name just a few.

Now, the book genre that I believe _must_ hook the reader from the first chapter is the thriller, because they are usually fast-paced and unpredictable and if the first chapter doesn't want to make you keep reading then I get the feeling that the rest of the book will be dull. And since thrillers are supposed to be exciting, that first chapter must deliver the goods. At least in my opinion.


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## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

Lisa J. Yarde said:


> I give it a couple of chapters or the first 50 pages before deciding to give up.


First 50 for me, too. It takes at least that long to get an idea of what's happening and to decide whether it's worth pursuing, especially for a book that I am, initially, not liking. That happened with Kate Elliot's Crossroads Trilogy. http://www.amazon.com/The-Crossroads-Trilogy-Spirit-Traitors/dp/B002A7MKAE. I picked up the second one, Shadow Gate, without realizing it was the second and, by page 25, was going "WTFO?" But, by page 50, I was hooked.

Oddly enough, when I went back to read the first one, I know full well I would have stopped by page 50 because it was so trope-ish, like every other fantasy ever written. Which meant I would have misssed what turned out to be one of my favorite series. Goes to show.


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## Suzanne B (Sep 21, 2013)

Your agent is right. The first chapter is the utmost of importance.  As a Reader if I'm not hooked by the first few pages I either hit delete or don't buy the book. 
Sometimes if the blurb and cover are tempting, I may give the book one chapter. In saying that the first chapter can't be 40 pages long. lol.

Some interesting answers here. 

Suzanne


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## Nicole Castro (Sep 23, 2013)

I gave FSOG two paragraphs. Some people say the first three sentences should suck you in!


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## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

Now here is another variation on the original question. A  man asked me how I wrote the last chapters so people would want to read to the end. I said I didn't know what he meant. Well...you know when you just have to finish it before you go to bed. So I suppose the addendum would be how important is a slam bang finish and do you feel ripped off if the problems of the book are not solved by the author?


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

bhazelgrove said:


> Now here is another variation on the original question. A man asked me how I wrote the last chapters so people would want to read to the end. I said I didn't know what he meant. Well...you know when you just have to finish it before you go to bed. So I suppose the addendum would be how important is a slam bang finish and do you feel ripped off if the problems of the book are not solved by the author?


I wouldn't demand a slam bang finish, but it does help when the pace accelerates toward the end as it cues the reader that the finale is drawing near. Many of my favorite books end that way after a slow beginning that takes its time to set up the story. *The Lord of the Rings * is a great example of that with so much action and resolution of storylines coming in the last few chapters. *Gone With the Wind * is another with one tragedy after another piling up on top of each other until the last pages as the heroine is finally forced to face reality and the result of each decision that she made along the way. And what book is a better example of a problem NOT being solved by the author than *GWTW*? Margaret Mitchell wisely leaves it up to the reader to conclude whether Rhett ever takes Scarlett back, or if this is a relationship that is beyond mending. My own conclusion? As it was said toward the end of *The Lord of the Rings * by Frodo, "There are some things that time cannot mend, some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold..."


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

I will not put a book down till page 50 but I do love a book that grabs me from the start.
That's usually the book that I will finish within a couple of days and usually tell all my friends about.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

I do try to finish books I start reading, but if I've lost interest in the story before the end of the first chapter, I will give up on it. There are too many good books and too little time.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Speaking as a reader:

It's absolutely vital.

If I'm not hooked by the first page, my interest starts to fade. If I'm not hooked by the end of the first chapter? I usually move on to something else.


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## Sandra K. Williams (Jun 15, 2013)

When i start reading anything, i want to enjoy it. I'm hoping it will be my next favorite book. To get me to pick it up in the first place, it needs to be a genre i enjoy - but that's a different subject. 

So once i start reading, i'll keep going as long it's competently written and feels like it's going somewhere. If the characters are too juvenile (and they're supposed to be adults) or unpleasant in other ways i may stop reading if i have something better on hand. Depends on the type of reading i'm ready for. Sometimes i just want something a little quiet or a little light.

So many variables!


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## FrankColes (Feb 22, 2012)

Explosive openings and cliff-hanger-teasers can sometimes detract from the story and simply feel like unconfident storytelling. It's a little like putting scantily clad lasses on the covers of magazines and expecting all men will buy simply because of the woman, not the content.

The first chapter can be important, but it's not the only thing. After reading so many openings that are designed to grab your attention, I find many of them formulaic to the point of not grabbing me. A resonant character, sharp witty dialogue, a profound moment or a 'god I wish I'd thought of that theme can be equally if not more compelling. In media res (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res) is not the only way to begin a story.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

FrankColes said:


> In media res (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res) is not the only way to begin a story.


As one of the people who said I think the first chapter is vital, let me clarify: I did not specify an "in media res" opening, just that the first page, and the first chapter, have to grab me.

There's lots of ways to do that. I'm not going to list them all here, but the list is significantly long.

And in fact, a first chapter could begin "in media res" in style and still not grab me, since you brought the topic up! 

But there are also some ways that definitely won't do it for me.

YMMV.


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## FrankColes (Feb 22, 2012)

My mileage does indeed vary wildly! I'm in a nark because I started a book last night with the legend:

"I guarantee that once you read the first page of this terrific novel, your hands will keep ripping the pages until there are none left."

I read the first page and was underwhelmed. 
On the second page chap about to stab a dude is presented with explosive cliff hanging predicament.
By page five I totally lost interest.

Perhaps the quoter meant I would be "ripping pages" for a different reason?

So definitely first chapters are important as are first pages, and page 300, 27 and 896 and chapter 12. Storytelling is important. Always.

Will go and hang my narky hat up now!


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

The last chapter does not have to be slam bang.  It should provide closure.
The only exception to that should be if it is a serial or episode book.  Note I did not say series.  Any book in a series should be able to be read as a stand alone.


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## MacTonight (Aug 29, 2013)

Life's short, so often, if not hooked in the first chapter, I move on to another book. Once upon a time, I would finish the book whether it grabbed me in the first chapter, or not. Times, they are a changin'.


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## LynPerry (Apr 8, 2013)

Depends on a number of factors. If I'm familiar with the author and trust that she/he can tell a story, then I'm willing to let the slow burn occur. The first page doesn't have to grab me by the scruff and shake me. If, however, I'm testing out a new (to me) writer, then I'm a little less patient. That being said, if others share my view, then that means every writer will be new to someone and that opening chapter had better zing. I could wish it otherwise, but heh, the reality is that most readers want to be hooked quickly. So I try to accommodate.


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