creative writing chapter 1

Elements of Creative Writing

(3 reviews)

J.D. Schraffenberger, University of Northern Iowa

Rachel Morgan, University of Northern Iowa

Grant Tracey, University of Northern Iowa

Copyright Year: 2023

ISBN 13: 9780915996179

Publisher: University of Northern Iowa

Language: English

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Reviewed by Colin Rafferty, Professor, University of Mary Washington on 8/2/24

Fantastically thorough. By using three different authors, one for each genre of creative writing, the textbook allows for a wider diversity of thought and theory on writing as a whole, while still providing a solid grounding in the basics of each... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Fantastically thorough. By using three different authors, one for each genre of creative writing, the textbook allows for a wider diversity of thought and theory on writing as a whole, while still providing a solid grounding in the basics of each genre. The included links to referred texts also builds in an automatic, OER-based anthology for students. Terms are not only defined clearly, but also their utility is explained--here's what assonance can actually do in a poem, rather than simply "it's repeated vowel sounds,"

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Calling the content "accurate" requires a suspension of the notion that art and writing aren't subjective; instead, it might be more useful to judge the content on the potential usefulness to students, in which case it' s quite accurate. Reading this, I often found myself nodding in agreement with the authors' suggestions for considering published work and discussing workshop material, and their prompts for generating creative writing feel full of potential. It's as error-free, if not more so, than most OER textbooks (which is to say: a few typos here and there) and a surprising number of trade publications. It's not unbiased, per se--after all, these are literary magazine editors writing the textbook and often explaining what it is about a given piece of writing that they find (or do not find) engaging and admirable--but unbiased isn't necessarily a quantity one looks for in creative writing textbooks.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The thing about creative writing is that they keep making more of it, so eventually the anthology elements of this textbook will be less "look what's getting published these days" and more "look what was getting published back then," but the structure of the textbook should allow for substitution and replacement (that said, if UNI pulls funding for NAR, as too many universities are doing these days, then the bigger concern is about the archive vanishing). The more rhetorical elements of the textbook are solid, and should be useful to students and faculty for a long time.

Clarity rating: 5

Very clear, straightforward prose, and perhaps more importantly, there's a sense of each author that emerges in each section, demonstrating to students that writing, especially creative writing, comes from a person. As noted above, any technical jargon is not only explained, but also discussed, meaning that how and why one might use any particular literary technique are emphasized over simply rote memorization of terms.

Consistency rating: 4

It's consistent within each section, but the voice and approach change with each genre. This is a strength, not a weakness, and allows the textbook to avoid the one-size-fits-all approach of single-author creative writing textbooks. There are different "try this" exercises for each genre that strike me as calibrated to impress the facets of that particular genre on the student.

Modularity rating: 5

The three-part structure of the book allows teachers to start wherever they like, genre-wise. While the internal structure of each section does build upon and refer back to earlier chapters, that seems more like an advantage than a disadvantage. Honestly, there's probably enough flexibility built into the textbook that even the callbacks could be glossed over quickly enough in the classroom.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Chapters within each genre section build upon each other, starting with basics and developing the complexity and different elements of that genre. The textbook's overall organization allows some flexibility in terms of starting with fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.

Interface rating: 4

Easy to navigate. I particularly like the way that links for the anthology work in the nonfiction section (clearly appearing at the side of the text in addition to within it) and would like to see that consistently applied throughout.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

A few typos here and there, but you know what else generally has a few typos here and there? Expensive physical textbooks.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The anthology covers a diverse array of authors and cultural identities, and the textbook authors are not only conscious of their importance but also discuss how those identities affect decisions that the authors might have made, even on a formal level. If you find an underrepresented group missing, it should be easy enough to supplement this textbook with a poem/essay/story.

Very excited to use this in my Intro to CW classes--unlike other OERs that I've used for the field, this one feels like it could compete with the physical textbooks head-to-head. Other textbooks have felt more like a trade-off between content and cost.

Reviewed by Jeanne Cosmos, Adjunct Faculty, Massachusetts Bay Community College on 7/7/24

Direct language and concrete examples & Case Studies. read more

Direct language and concrete examples & Case Studies.

References to literature and writers- on track.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

On point for support to assist writers and creative process.

Direct language and easy to read.

First person to third person. Too informal in many areas of the text.

Units are readily accessible.

Process of creative writing and prompts- scaffold areas of learning for students.

Interface rating: 5

No issues found.

The book is accurate in this regard.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Always could be revised and better.

Yes. Textbook font is not academic and spacing - also not academic. A bit too primary. Suggest- Times New Roman 12- point font & a space plus - Some of the language and examples too informal and the tone of lst person would be more effective if - direct and not so 'chummy' as author references his personal recollections. Not effective.

Reviewed by Robert Moreira, Lecturer III, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 3/21/24

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama.

As far as I can tell, content is accurate, error free and unbiased.

The book is relevant and up-to-date.

The text is clear and easy to understand.

Consistency rating: 5

I would agree that the text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Text is modular, yes, but I would like to see the addition of a section on dramatic writing.

Topics are presented in logical, clear fashion.

Navigation is good.

No grammatical issues that I could see.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

I'd like to see more diverse creative writing examples.

As I stated above, textbook is good except that it does not include a section on dramatic writing.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Chapter One: One Great Way to Write a Short Story
• Chapter Two: Plotting
• Chapter Three: Counterpointed Plotting
• Chapter Four: Show and Tell
• Chapter Five: Characterization and Method Writing
• Chapter Six: Character and Dialouge
• Chapter Seven: Setting, Stillness, and Voice
• Chapter Eight: Point of View
• Chapter Nine: Learning the Unwritten Rules
• Chapter One: A Poetry State of Mind
• Chapter Two: The Architecture of a Poem
• Chapter Three: Sound
• Chapter Four: Inspiration and Risk
• Chapter Five: Endings and Beginnings
• Chapter Six: Figurative Language
• Chapter Seven: Forms, Forms, Forms
• Chapter Eight: Go to the Image
• Chapter Nine: The Difficult Simplicity of Short Poems and Killing Darlings

Creative Nonfiction

• Chapter One: Creative Nonfiction and the Essay
• Chapter Two: Truth and Memory, Truth in Memory
• Chapter Three: Research and History
• Chapter Four: Writing Environments
• Chapter Five: Notes on Style
• Chapter Seven: Imagery and the Senses
• Chapter Eight: Writing the Body
• Chapter Nine: Forms

Back Matter

• Contributors
• North American Review Staff

Ancillary Material

• University of Northern Iowa

About the Book

This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States. They’ve selected nearly all of the readings and examples (more than 60) from writing that has appeared in NAR pages over the years. Because they had a hand in publishing these pieces originally, their perspective as editors permeates this book. As such, they hope that even seasoned writers might gain insight into the aesthetics of the magazine as they analyze and discuss some reasons this work is so remarkable—and therefore teachable. This project was supported by NAR staff and funded via the UNI Textbook Equity Mini-Grant Program.

About the Contributors

J.D. Schraffenberger  is a professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. He is the author of two books of poems,  Saint Joe's Passion  and  The Waxen Poor , and co-author with Martín Espada and Lauren Schmidt of  The Necessary Poetics of Atheism . His other work has appeared in  Best of Brevity ,  Best Creative Nonfiction ,  Notre Dame Review ,  Poetry East ,  Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Rachel Morgan   is an instructor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the author of the chapbook  Honey & Blood , Blood & Honey . Her work is included in the anthology  Fracture: Essays, Poems, and Stories on Fracking in American  and has appeared in the  Journal of American Medical Association ,  Boulevard ,  Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Grant Tracey   author of three novels in the Hayden Fuller Mysteries ; the chapbook  Winsome  featuring cab driver Eddie Sands; and the story collection  Final Stanzas , is fiction editor of the  North American Review  and an English professor at the University of Northern Iowa, where he teaches film, modern drama, and creative writing. Nominated four times for a Pushcart Prize, he has published nearly fifty short stories and three previous collections. He has acted in over forty community theater productions and has published critical work on Samuel Fuller and James Cagney. He lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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12 Creative Writing Templates for Planning Your Novel

It’s that time of year when thousands of writers around the world prepare to type faster than a speeding bullet, drink coffee more powerful than a locomotive, and leap tall deadlines in a single bound. Of course, we’re talking about  National Novel Writing Month  (also known as NaNoWriMo), and the challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a 50,000-word story from scratch in just 30 days, from November 1–30. How’s that for productivity?

We’ve met a lot of writers who use Evernote to plan, brainstorm, and sometimes even draft their novels. But as any fiction writer knows, the hardest part of any new work is figuring out what to write about in the first place:  What happens next? What motivates these characters? What’s this story about, anyway?

Only you can answer those questions, but it helps to figure them out early. If you’re going to write a novel in November,  the time to plan is now . With that in mind, we’ve created a dozen Evernote templates to help you collect and structure your thoughts. Many of them include questions or prompts to get you started, but you can feel free to replace those with inventions of your own. Start filling them out today; they’ll keep you anchored while writing your 30-day masterpiece.

Power tip:  To use any of the note templates mentioned in this article, click the “Get it »” link and then click “Save to Evernote.” The template will be added to your Evernote account in the notebook of your choice (we recommend  setting up a new notebook  just for templates). You can then copy, move, rename, and edit the note to suit your needs. 

Templates for plotting and outlining your novel 

Are you the sort of writer who wants a solid plan in place before typing “Chapter 1”/ You’ll need a roadmap that begins with a premise and culminates in an outline. There are a lot of different ways to get there, so we’ve made templates for walking you through several of the most popular plotting methods. You can choose the one that fits your personal style.

1.   Story premise worksheet

Your premise is the foundation on which the entire novel is built. With this step-by-step guide, you’ll think about who your protagonist is, what they want, and the problems or conflicts they must overcome. The end product is a concise, two-sentence explanation of what your story is about.

2.   Three-act plotting template

Remember learning in school that all stories should have a beginning, middle, and end? This classic, logical method of storytelling takes you from your story’s initial setup and inciting incident through rising action, turning points, and resolution.

3.   Story beats template

Adapted from the world of screenwriting, this popular method replaces the concept of acts with a set of milestones that commonly appear in many kinds of stories. Hitting these “beats” gives your story a rhythm while leaving the details open to your imagination.

4.   Snowflake method checklist

Maybe you’d rather work from the top down than from the ground up. Inspired by fractal geometry (really!), Randy Ingermanson’s “snowflake method” grows an entire novel from a single sentence. Each step of the process methodically expands upon the one before, filling in details until you have a complete draft.

5.   Story timeline tracker

Regardless of your novel plotting method, keeping track of time in your novel is important. Did your hero get that threatening letter on Tuesday or Sunday? Does the next scene happen on a sunny morning or in the dead of night? This template will keep your novel’s clock ticking smoothly.

6.   Chapter outline

Once you’re in the writing groove, you may not want to wade through all your plotting notes to remember what comes next. This checklist gives you a scannable view of your plot, chapter by chapter and scene by scene, making it easy to see what you’ve completed and how much lies ahead.

Templates for Building Characters in Your Novel  

Even if you aren’t the plotting and outlining type, the more you know about your characters and the world they inhabit, the better your writing will be. The following templates will help you brainstorm and remember the little details that make a story come to life. 

7.   Character master list

Got a lot of characters? This “quick and dirty” list helps you remember who’s who at a glance. Add names, ages, and notes about your characters. And you can drop in a photo or drawing of each character to help you visualize your story.

8.   Character profile worksheet

If you want to go deeper with your characters, you’ll need a full dossier describing their physical appearance, manner of speaking, behavioral traits, and background. This questionnaire covers everything from their hair color to their biggest secret.

9.   Character biography

Now that you know who’s who, here’s a template for figuring out how they got to the situation in your novel. When it’s time to write a flashback or refer to a past event, you’ll breathe easier (and save yourself some edits) knowing you can look up the dates in this simple timeline.

10.   World-building questionnaire

So far, we’ve been talking about the what and who of your novel, but where and when are just as important. Whether you’re writing about a fantasy world or the town you grew up in, this questionnaire will get you thinking in depth about the setting. Then you can write richer, more realistic scenes that draw the reader into your world.

Pulling it all together: Project trackers

A novel has a lot of moving parts. When you factor in research, articles saved with  Web Clipper , and random jottings about who did what to whom, you’ll probably find you have a  lot  of notes for your writing project. Consider adding a couple more to keep it all straight: a dashboard where you can manage the whole thing and a checklist for bringing your completed opus to the world.

11.   Story dashboard note

For a quick overview of your project, use this “dashboard” to track its status.  Add it to your shortcuts  for easy access, and  insert links to related notes  to save time on searches. If you’re writing in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can paste the file or link into the body of this note and jump into your manuscript with a click.

12.   Self-publishing checklist

Planning to publish that novel when it’s done? Here’s a checklist of all the important steps, from writing a blurb to editing, design, and proofing.  TIP: If you copy this checklist into your dashboard note, you can easily track your novel from first brainstorm to final publication.

Ready, set, write!

If you’re up to the challenge, sign up for free at  nanowrimo.org . Evernote will be posting more tips and strategies to our blog and social media throughout October and November. We invite you to follow along! 

Originally published on October 2, 2017. Updated on October 12, 2022. 

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Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief

Psychology in Everyday Life

Fourth edition | ©2022 david starkey.

ISBN:9781319406530

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ISBN:9781319215965

Read and study old-school with our bound texts.

A lively, practical approach to writing in four creative genres.

How can students with widely varied levels of literary experience learn to write poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama — over the course of only one semester? In Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief , David Starkey offers solutions to the challenges of teaching the introductory creative writing course: (1) concise, accessible instruction in the basics of writing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama; (2) short models of literature to analyze, admire and emulate; (3) inventive and imaginative assignments that inspire and motivate. For the fourth edition, in response to reviewer requests, the literature and writing prompts have been significantly refreshed and David Starkey has added "Write Before You Read," prompts at the beginning of each chapter, brief author biographies and dates of publication following works in the anthologies, new guidelines on conducting genre-specific workshops both in-person and online, and a new section on writing for social change.

New to This Edition

“Starkeys Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief  is one of the most comprehensive introductory texts currently being published. The writing on craft fundamentals provide a strong foundation for beginning writers and the diverse examples in the anthology feature some of the best contemporary authors. Ive been using this text since the first edition and feedback from students is always excellent.” —Thomas Maltman, Normandale CC “My favorite part of the text is Starkeys clear, succinct chapters explaining the conventions of each genre. He provides students with enough information to begin writing in an unfamiliar genre without completely overwhelming them.” —Yelizaveta Renfro, Saint Mary’s College “A top-notch textbook on creative writing that dissects poetry, prose and drama for beginners.” —Robert Moreira, The University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley “ Creative Writing is a fantastic book that deftly engages early writers in the craft. Starkeys focus on shorter forms cleverly balances the 21st-century drive for concision with the eternal elements of good writing: inspiration, practice, and revision.” —Christopher Cartright, Georgia Southern University

Fourth Edition | ©2022

David Starkey

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Fourth Edition | 2022

Table of Contents

David Starkey is Professor of English, Director of the Creative Writing Program, and former Director of the Composition Program at Santa Barbara City College. A frequent collaborator with the late Wendy Bishop, Starkey helped develop a pedagogy focused on the cross-pollination of composition and creative writing. In addition to his work with Bishop, which includes the co-authored Keywords in Creative Writing (2006), he is the editor of two collections of essays on pedagogy, Teaching Writing Creatively (1998) and Genre by Example: Writing What We Teach (2001), and a special issue of Teaching English in the Two-Year College (Dec. 2014). Starkey is a poet ( Dance, You Monster, to My Soft Song, 2021; What Just Happened, 2021), a writer of fiction and creative nonfiction (published in American Literary Review, in Cimarron Review, in Living Blue in the Red States, and elsewhere), and a playwright whose plays have been produced across the U.S. Starkey is also a committed practitioner, and his writing on corequisite composition is informed by his participation in SBCC’s Express to Success program, an early-adopter of the ALP/corequisite model. His conference presentations in recent years have emphasized his pedagogy and passion for working with a broad range of student writers. He is currently editing a collection of essays on teaching corequisite composition.

Fourth Edition | 2022

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How to Write a Good First Chapter: A Checklist

by Joe Bunting | 2 comments

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For the writer, there’s nothing harder than writing the first chapter and final chapter of a book. It is here that all of your perfectionism rears its ugly head calling for a full halt to your progress. Here's a checklist on how to write a good first chapter to help you write an opening that grabs the reader and doesn't let go.

I’ve written and rewritten my first chapter dozens of times, and I’m not alone. Most writers struggle to figure out how to start their novel, and it makes sense. Your first chapter can make or break your book: with readers, agents, and publishers.

So then how do you do it? How do you write a good first chapter? In this post, I’m going to walk you through the seven things you need to accomplish in your first chapter, and give you a checklist that you can use in your novel.

Why Does It Matter So Much that a First Chapter Be Good?

My dad recently finished a new book and wants to submit it to agents. Dutiful son that I am, I helped him find a short list of agents on querytracker.com and talked him through their submission requirements.

Each of these literary agents’ submission requirements varied, but nearly all of them asked for the first few pages. Some wanted the first ten pages, while others asked for the first three chapters.

Agents, who often get thousands of submissions per month, will tell you how much those first pages matter. 

If those first pages don’t hook them, if the writing doesn't instantly capture their attention and make them want to read more, they’ll move on to the next submission.

That means if you want your book to be picked up by an agent and then a publisher, your first chapter needs to be good w hich means this chapter has a lot of heavy lifting to do, story-wise.

And that leads to a big question: What exactly do writers need to accomplish in their first chapter?

What is your First Chapter Checklist? 

7 Steps to Write a Good First Chapter: Checklist

How do you write a good first chapter? If you touch each of these things, you’re sure to hook the reader and create a strong foundation for your entire  book.

1. Set the scene through physical movement

Before you can get into the action and drama of a scene, the reader needs to know when and where they are. Publishers, agents, and readers alike don’t enjoy being thrown into the middle of a disorienting action scene. Instead, they prefer to let the scene build up to a climactic moment using the six elements of storytelling (see #6), beginning with a brief amount of exposition.

The best way to set the scene is not through description, which readers, agents, and publishers alike find off-putting in the first sentences of the first scene. It's also not through dialogue, which leaves readers confused—“wait, who’s talking?”

Instead, begin with a character making some kind of physical action through the space that reveals the broader context of the scene.

2. Introduce the protagonist

Your protagonist is the lens through which you tell your story, so introduce them to the reader in the very first scene.

But it’s not enough for the reader to simply see the protagonist. We have to like  them enough to want to follow them for the rest of the story. 

That doesn’t mean you can’t have a protagonist who is flawed or even evil. It does mean we have to sympathize with them.

Here are seven tried-and-true ways to get your reader to sympathize with your characters. I recommend picking at least one to use in your first chapter, and three in your first few chapters.

The 7 Characteristics of Sympathetic Characters

• Takes action. Show your protagonist being proactive. Show them making a hard choice when faced with a dilemma and taking action to get what they want. 
• Treated unjustly . Show your character being bullied, persecuted, treated unfairly, or the victim of injustice. 
• Shows competence . Readers are interested in people who are really good at things. Don’t hide your protagonist’s light under a bushel. Let it shine!
• Has friends . We’re attracted to people who show that they already have other people who like them. Show your protagonist is likeable by surrounding them with other interesting characters from the beginning.
• Does a good deed . “Save the cat,” as Blake Snyder says. By helping someone in need, your protagonist establishes themselves as “the good guy,” despite any other negative qualities.
• Has a quirk . Quirks are memorable things that let us create an instant visualization of someone, like Harry Potter’s scar on his forehead, Ron Weasley’s bright red hair, or Hermione’s frizzy hair. Quirks are especially important for side characters, but a simple quirk helps us quickly get to know a protagonist.
• Secret vulnerability . Everyone has a secret, whether it’s a phobia like Bruce Wayne’s fear of bats, or Superman’s kryptonite, or Inspector Gamache’s terror of heights. By letting the reader in on your protagonist’s secret vulnerability, you create a bond that can last the entire story.

You can use these seven characteristics of sympathetic characters at any point in your story for any character, even your villains. They are like candy for readers, and will always yield compelling characters. 

However, these characteristics are most important to use in the first chapter when you need to quickly create a connection with your protagonist. In fact, you could argue that this is the whole goal of the first chapter.

3. Establish the Point of View (POV)

What is your story's point of view ? Are you going to choose third person limited, third person omniscient, first person, or some other POV?

Establish that strong voice in the first chapter and don't  change it!

Not sure? Read our ultimate point of view guide .

4. Set the genre 

Establish the type of story you’re writing from the beginning. From the first scene, your reader should know whether this is a science fiction story, a crime novel, a horror novel, or a love story . Research the genre and know the conventions you'll need. 

5. Set the value scale

In the same way, establish the value scale that your novel will move on. There are traditionally six value scales in story, and each of these relates to a particular type of story .

• Life vs. Death : Action, Adventure
• Life vs. a Fate Worse than Death : Thriller, Horror, Mystery
• Love vs. Hate : Love Story, Romance
• Accomplishment vs. Failure : Performance, Sports
• Maturity vs. Naivete : Coming of Age
• Right vs. Wrong : Temptation, Morality

Depending on which story type you’re telling, make sure your first scene is set on that scale.

For example, in a love story, make sure the story event occurring in the very first scene deals either with love or hate. Or in a coming of age story , set it in a moment of great immaturity. 

Read our full article on all nine types of stories if you need more help with this step. 

6. Set the stakes

Once your value scale is set, create some kind of movement, ideally moving to either the very bottom or very top of that scale.

For example, in an action story, have a moment where your protagonist is almost sure to die.

Or in a love story, begin in a place of complete hatred between the principle characters.

By setting the stakes early, you let the reader know what to expect (and how you’re going to play with those expectations). 

7. Follow the 6 Elements of Storytelling

Every successful scene, act, and story has six elements that make it work. They are:

• Inciting Incident
• Rising Action/Progressive Complications

The most important of these six is the dilemma, when a character is faced with a difficult choice between two equally good or equally bad options. 

This dilemma is what causes the movement of the scene along your value scale and what creates the essential drama.

All that’s to say, make sure your first chapter has each of these, but especially the dilemma!

What About Books With Prologues?

For books that have a prologue, they may not achieve all of these things below in the first chapter.

The prologue might be set in a different location or time period from the main story. They might introduce a different character than your protagonist, or introduce the protagonist but at a different time in their life. They might be written in a different point of view than the rest of the story (but remember to be consistent throughout your book once the story starts!).

That said, the prologue should still introduce the reader to the journey ahead, and these seven elements. are effective ways to do that. Consider using each of them as you can.

The Essentials of a Good First Chapter

Don’t be a perfectionist with your first chapter, especially if you’re in the first draft of your writing process.

First drafts are hard. First drafts of first chapters are really hard.

Don’t try to write a publishable, award-winning, NY Times-bestselling first chapter the first time you sit down to work on your new story.

Instead, just do the work.

Set the scene with action.

Introduce your protagonist in a sympathetic way so your readers can fall in love with them.

Set the genre and value scale.

Hit each of the six elements.

If you do that, you’ll have a strong first chapter that you can make even better in revision. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to an irresistible chapter!

Does your first chapter meet all of these steps to writing a first chapter? Let us know in the comments .

Put the first chapter checklist to use with your story.

Go back and review a first chapter that you’ve written. Or if you haven’t written a first chapter yet, outline a new one!

Does it hit all seven steps of the checklist? Which of the seven characteristics of sympathetic characters does it touch on? What is it missing? What can you change to make sure you hit all of the steps?

Take fifteen minutes to write, then share your work in the Pro Practice Workshop (and if you’re not a member yet, you can join ). And don't forget to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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Joe, I love this post – thanks for publishing it! Just a little glitch for me, I’m struggling to understand this bit from Step 1, the last part of the last paragraph: . . . “through the space that reveals the broader context of the scene.” I don’t get what you’re saying here, Joe; can you describe your meaning differently so I understand it? Thanks!!

Excellent and well written article for an aspiring writer. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

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Should I make my prologue chapter 1?

My prologue is set 17 years before the main story arc. I am reflecting on the discussion here , which was asked by another SE contributor. I'm trying to decide what to do with my prologue. Building a website for my world with minor character sketches, short stories, mythologies, etc and additional supplemental is one possibility. It could go there. Or,

I can delete it entirely, and put any necessary points into the rest of the book.

I can leave it as the prologue, since that is my first instinct

I can rename it chapter 1. In that scenario, Chapter 1 would have a different POV and be set 17 years before the rest of the story. A major plot point is set up in the prologue, and revealed about halfway through the story.

The main feedback on the other question has been to keep things as tight as possible. I am a little puzzled by this, though. We write for people who read. People who read presumably enjoy reading, especially things that are well written. I agree with making writing succinct, but the idea of cutting everything that is unnecessary does not sound right. The entire genre of poetry is arguably unnecessary.

Does renaming it chapter 1 make any sense? AS a reader I would just wonder "Why isn't this called the prologue?" But I am now skittish at the thought that an agent/publisher would throw it away once they see the word "prologue." It's a sci/fi-fantasy type story

(I finished the rough draft of the entire 110,000 word story last night, hurray, and will begin editing downwards, and revising, later today. I anticipate four rounds of edits to address all the details I want to solidify.)

• creative-writing

• My prologue has been edited down to 1300 words (from 2200.) So, it's fairly reasonable. I plan to see if I can get it shorter and make it the first page of chapter 1. I'm very stuck on this. I may need to introduce an element, like the pensive, to allow past events experienced by others, to be known. –  SFWriter Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 20:51
• Helpful comment: If those other tidbits compile to a decent size, and if your publisher thinks they would be worth publishing, then you could always consider doing so as a satellite work. I guess you could do both that and a website; some authors do so. –  can-ned_food Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 15:39
• @can-ned_food Thanks - As I have worked on the body of the novel I've been able to weave all but three key elements into that. So, I think I can pare down to 600 words or fewer, and I think I am coming around on the idea of scrapping it altogether. But yeah, I will have a website too. Thanks!! –  SFWriter Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 17:07

4 Answers 4

Where prologues are concerned, it all comes down to one thing:

It all depends on what the prologue contains. You mention a major plot point, but you also say:

Building a website for my world with minor character sketches, short stories, mythologies, etc and additional supplemental is one possibility.

This seems to suggest that the majority of the content is in fact worldbuilding. That could be a problem.

A prologue is part of the story . If you told the story without the prologue, things would be missing and the story would be incomplete. A prologue differs from the rest of the story in that it is introductory . That is, it introduces the story, usually the main conflict or characters. This doesn't mean it happens years before the events of the novel.

Some prologues happen years after the novel opens, or even in the middle of the novel, to show you how things are going to turn out. The rest of the novel is about figuring out how things got to where they are in the prologue. A difference in time is a side effect, not a determining factor of, a prologue.

A common type of prologue is the backstory. Backstory gets a bad rep, but there's nothing wrong with it if handled correctly. Backstory should be necessary information that would otherwise never come to light in the novel. The key word there is 'necessary'.

Consider Harry Potter. The first chapter is essentially a prologue. (Note that, even though it is a prologue, Rowling made it chapter one anyway. It works either way.) While at first it might seem that it imparts nothing necessary, it does show the reader that magic and wizards exist in the world. Without that information, it could seem quite far fetched when magic starts appearing in the other-wise painfully normal world of the Dursleys.

Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is pure backstory. The difference here is that your story can do without it. Does this small part of your world change the story? No? Then it's pure worldbuilding.

Worldbuilding should not be put in a prologue. Remember: chances are the reader is there for a story, not your world. If you open with an enthusiastic description of a faraway place he's never heard of, he's likely to close the book. Especially in this day and age. Prologues should stick to the necessary information.

That being said, worldbuilding is not something to be avoided at all costs. It has its uses. Worldbuilding is the process by which you create the setting, and setting can have a profound effect on the story. It can set the mood. It can alter reality to move the plot forward, or even keep it from moving at all. It can have profound effects on your characters, often even causing them to perform actions they otherwise wouldn't.

Worldbuilding can definitely be a part of your story. The question is: does the reader need to know it first?

Integration

Let me go back to Harry Potter. The murder of Harry's parents by Voldemort is backstory. While not worldbuilding, it will illustrate my example. It has a profound effect on the story. So why didn't Rowling open with it?

There are two reasons. Firstly, the reader did not need to know it immediately. This is of course largely due to Harry not knowing it himself, but even if he had, I doubt Rowling would have opened with it. Why?

Because of the second reason: it's something that can be incorporated into later chapters. As major as Voldemort murdering Harry's parents was, it was easy to incorporate it later on, once it became relevant. The same can be said about virtually all relevant worldbuilding.

Do take note when I say 'relevant'. A seemingly unimportant detail of worldbuilding can still contribute to the overall feeling of the setting in a scene, and thus contribute to the actions of a character (or whatever the setting is designed to do in that instance).

Knowing these differences, it's easy to know what is and isn't a prologue. A prologue is something that has these characteristics:

• Is necessary to the story
• Must be known by the reader before anything else

You can of course simply make the prologue chapter one like Rowling did. There is literally no difference. If you know readers/publishers will cringe when they see 'prologue' in the table of contents, this might be a good option.

The only reason not to do this would be if the prologue is so separated from the story that it just doesn't fit. In that case, a prologue would be better. Don't sacrifice your story for anything. Even the publisher. Explain why you need a prologue. If they can't understand that, you might want to find a different publisher.

You can also draw some conclusions about worldbuilding:

• Necessary worldbuilding contributes to setting and atmosphere. It is included when necessary, not before.
• Unnecessary world-building adds nothing to either atmosphere, setting, or story. You make this easily accessible to fanatics of your work, but easily ignored by common readers just after a good story. This type of world-building is rarely found in the book, but is almost always found on your website.

Hopefully knowing these differences will help you in your writing endeavors. And congratulations on completing your first draft!

tl;dr Determine first if the information is relevant to the story. If it is, determine if it needs to be known by the reader before anything else. If the answer to both questions is yes, you can make it a prologue. However - unless doing so would make it seem overly out of place - also consider simply naming it chapter one anyway. This could be the way to go if you fear readers/publishers will throw it out due to seeing 'prologue' in the table of contents. There is no difference between a prologue called a prologue, and one called 'chapter one'. If the information is irrelevant to the story, do not include it. If the information is relevant to the story, but only in a setting/atmospheric context, include it only when you need to establish that setting/atmosphere. This should only be done to either give the story a particular feel, or cause the characters to do something they otherwise wouldn't. Finally, if the information is relevant, but the reader does not need to know it first, include it later on in the story as it becomes relevant.

• Thank you. These are very helpful points. I don't believe it has any world building elements; it is a scene of two of three characters making a very difficult choice. That choice impacts two of the principle characters in the story, later. I'll look at the power of revealing that first choice differently. –  SFWriter Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 19:03
• It all comes down to relevance (and that sounds pretty relevant), and whether or not the reader needs to know it before anything else. That will dictate where you should put the backstory (which is what it sounds like you have). If the reader needs to know it first, put it first. Otherwise put it once it comes into play. Best of luck to you! –  Thomas Reinstate Monica Myron Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 21:42

Some readers dislike prologues, but no-one dislikes the absence of a prologue. Ideally, a novel narrates one consecutive storyline. This is something that no reader complains about. It takes some effort and artistry to include worldbuilding, backstory, and character development into a chronological narrative, but if you manage it, this is the ideal.

Parallel storylines, multiple viewpoints, prologues and afterwords, all of these have their disadvantages. They throw the reader out of one reading experience and force them to make an effort to identify with a new viewpoint. If your prologue, for example, is written well (as it should be), then at the end of it readers will want to know how it continues. But then you break off and switch to another place, person, or time, and the reader has to first let go of their interest in the prologue at least a bit (because if they don't, they will browse the book, as I tend to do, and continue reading not in the first chapter but wherever the prologue continues), and after they have let go of the prologue (and actually no longer care about it as much) they have to care for a new character or situation.

From a reader perspective, a prologue is always disruptive. Some readers may like that experience, but many don't. For a writer, a prologue is a lazy solution. You just put your infodump or backstory there, instead of carefully weaving it into the main storyline. But reality doesn't have prologues. When a new phase in your life begins, all that you learn about that phase is disclosed as you live it. You don't know your spouse's past before you meet her, but they tell you as you get to know them. The backstory is part of the main story, and in fact learning the backstory has an influence on the main story. If you put the backstory in a prologue, your main story becomes stale and flat.

So when you write, you should write only your many story. Leave out everything that is not part of or relevant to the main story. Many writers have a hard time letting go of their beloved ideas and cram everything into their texts, but that is not writing. Writing means that you have to prune your narrative until it no longer contains all the world.

• This emphasizes the point that it is about the investment the reader is making. Thank you. I'll mull it over. –  SFWriter Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 20:52
• Of course, ‘backstory’ is a broad class of both narrative and informative document. There is a more specific concept of ‘platform’. Making the prologue be two old friends and colleagues grouchily discussing the merits and disadvantages of a certain historical event or technology which is necessary to be understood for the story, but however has no place in it, is platform . Anything else which enhances the story certainly should be included therein. –  can-ned_food Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 15:41

From the information you provided, I would say making it a prologue would be fine. Of course, I don't recommend info-dumping in the prologue, saying, "The world balanced on the backs of elephants with a big-ass turtle beneath it..." yada yada yada. But this seems that it belongs as a prologue.

A lot of readers like prologues, a lot of readers don't like prologues. Go by your gut and write the prologue. You can only really know if it should stay or go is when you self-edit, send your manuscript to an editor, or get one of your friends to check it out. At least get the rest of the story out of the way before worrying too much over the prologue.

I would put it as chapter 1, subtitle, "The beginning of the end", or "The seeds of destruction" or something that makes the reader realize it is important and necessary reading.

I prefer to move as much as possible to the present story, but not using flashback. My own preference is in dialogue; a foil character the main character has reason to explain their goals or behavior or what drives them. So the MC tells them stories, of a paragraph or two. Memories, hurts, betrayals, failures. Or, if the foil is an antagonist (like a detective or parole board officer), the foil can tell the backstory:

Cop: "So you stabbed him in the throat." MC: "Okay, yes, but in friendship, not anger."

It is possible to reveal the "major plot point" in the same way. Although we definitely DO need to know such things early in the book (the first quarter or so) we do not need to know them immediately . You can have your MC doing things for many pages that are intriguing but unexplained, so when they do have to explain them to some foil, the back story brings things together for the reader, they now understand what the MC was doing now because of what happened then .

Another way of saying this is that your back story must have ramifications on the actions, thoughts, and attitude of the characters in the main story (or you shouldn't write it). So you can work backward : Show the ramifications without explanation, but they beg explanation, including by other characters, and that leads your characters to exposing the back story for you.

• Yes, one of the impacted characters is definitely affected by the events of the prologue; it defines her personality to a large extent. Thank you for the food for thought. –  SFWriter Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 19:05
• It occurs to me the "work backward" trick I am talking about is almost always done in "sherlock-ian" stories; the super-detective takes actions or announces conclusions that seem to defy explanation, and then explains exactly why his conclusions make perfect sense. The writer could show clue 1, clue 2, clue 3, ... therefore fact X, then fact Y, therefore, she knew her killer. yawn. Instead, it is all conflict [with a foil]: SHE KNEW HER KILLER! -- "Bull, that's impossible!" -- "Are you blind? The photo is missing! The window was broken from the inside!" etc... –  Amadeus Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 19:51

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• titling chapters

Vofzolne Member

Chapter one vs chapter 1 vs one vs 1.

Discussion in ' Word Mechanics ' started by Vofzolne , May 20, 2015 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Yes, I am past the first chapter. I just got started on the third draft of my current WIP. It's a fantasy epic. Third person. There is one main point of view, and some frame narrative chapters threaded in between. Each chapter will have a name, aside from its assigned number. However, I am not sure which numbering format to use. In my previous book I didn't do chapter numbers, only names. And aside from that, I've only got short stories. So basically, I am tackling this for the first time. So again, it's an epic fantasy, and chapters will have a subtitle. What do you think fits best, thematically, and what format do you think works best in other genres? Does PoV make any difference? Example for what I'm talking about: ​ Chapter Thirteen Dogshit vs Chapter 13 Dogshit vs Thirteen Dogshit 13 Bullshit ​  

GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); 1, 2 and 4 are all pretty much equivalent. 3 has the problem of looking like a two-word chapter title rather than a number and a title.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); GingerCoffee said: ↑ 3 has the problem of looking like a two-word chapter title rather than a number and a title. Click to expand...

AlcoholicWolf Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); I use Roman numerals. I Dogshit II Horseshit III Bullshit IV Roman numerals look good​  

cutecat22 The Strange One Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Love the idea of Roman numerals as you are having chapter titles too.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); AlcoholicWolf said: ↑ I use Roman numerals. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Vofzolne said: ↑ Ooh, I love roman numerals. But I feel they set a tone that doesn't fit my story. Plus, my chapters climb to a number past fifty, and I don't want a chapter numbered XXXVIII ... Click to expand...

BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Are you planning to self-publish this? If not, don't worry about it - your publisher will change things to match house style, or the layout of the book, or whatever. If you're self-publishing - My personal preference is option 1.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); BayView said: ↑ Are you planning to self-publish this? If not, don't worry about it - your publisher will change things to match house style, or the layout of the book, or whatever. Click to expand...

shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Vofzolne said: ↑ I am not planning to self publish. It's a good point that most of these stylistic decisions will come down to the publisher's preference, but I still want to find the best format for my beta readers. Click to expand...

ManOrAstroMan Magical Space Detective Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Judging by these chapter headings, I am a little concerned about what this book's about. Personally, I like 2 and 3  

Nilfiry Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); Frankly, I think you are thinking WAY to hard on this. When in doubt, just use option 1 or 2.  

jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); If you're just doing this for your beta readers, just make it clear what your chapter numbers are ...and if you want a chapter name with them, maybe put it underneath. As to how it's actually formatted when you go to submit for publication, you'll need to read the guidelines from each agent you submit to. I wouldn't get too hung about about it (or too fancy) at this stage.  

sprirj Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_ad802d9e5f08c01fe566f5c41c61795f'); }); I don't like the chapter titles. Fine if that's in your book, just keep it there. Use example chapter names.  

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Legendary nyc artist patti smith among those fighting to save public garden she describes as creative refuge.

A public garden that’s set to be demolished has played a part in creative life of one of New York City’s greatest living artists, she tells us.

Patti Smith is one of several bold-face names campaigning to save the Elizabeth Street Gardens in Little Italy.

And the musician, author and poet tells Page Six that the spot — which is set to be destroyed to make way for affordable housing for the elderly — has been a creative refuge for her, as well as thousands of others city dwellers.

She even said that she’s worked on a new book about her life while sitting in the Downtown oasis.

“I’ve written poems there. I like to sit and think. It’s a good place just to think and contemplate,” the author of books including “Just Kids” and “M Train” told us, adding, “I’m working on a book. It’s a work in progress and when I was in the garden I was writing about my mother.”

“When we do performances there, it’s not like raucous atmosphere — it’s a very light-hearted, benevolent atmosphere were people are listening,” Smith said, “Sometimes I’ve improvised poetry with my daughter in the garden. It’s inspiring. But it’s also calming. Sometimes I might want to go to the garden not to work, but to exist — just to feel blessed by my surroundings.”

Robert De Niro and Martin Scorcese have also lent their weight to the cause. Along with Smith, the three cultural icons have penned letters to Mayor Eric Adams , asking him to step in to save the garden.

The site was first developed as a garden by Allan Reiver in the early 1990s. A developer now plans to build affordable housing on the space. Demolition is due to begin in a matter of weeks, and the garden could be closed as soon as September 10.

“I’ve lived in the city off-and-on for over half a century, and these type of areas are fast diminishing,” she said. “And they’re worth fighting for.”

Her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith, is working nearly full-time on the campaign to save the garden.

“It’s more than a garden,” Patti said, “It’s really like a work of art. It’s like an art installation merging sculpture and nature and community — all three things in one place.”

The “Gloria” singer acknowledged that affordable housing for the elderly is, of course, important, and she noted that at 77 years old, she’s naturally sensitive to the needs of older citizens.

But she said that the city is full of empty office and retail space, and that its seems likely that a beloved garden isn’t the only viable spot for the new homes.

“And it must be said that many of the people who are concerned about losing the garden are the elderly,” Patti said, “There are many elderly people who have said they’d forfeit the right to live in any new housing, if we would only save the garden.”

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