Once you’ve hooked the reader, your next task is to put your
early chapters to work introducing your characters, settings, and stakes. The
first 20-25% of the book comprises your setup. At first glance, this can seem
like a tremendous chunk of story to devote to introductions, but if you expect
readers to stick with you throughout the story, you first have to give them a
reason to care. And this important stretch of the story is where you accomplish
just that. Mere curiosity can only carry a reader so far. Once you’ve hooked
that sense of curiosity, you then have to deepen the pull by creating an
emotional connection between your readers and your characters.
These “introductions” are made up of far more than just the
actual moment of introducing the characters and settings or explaining the stakes.
The introductions themselves probably won’t take more than few scenes. After the introduction is when your task
of exploring character and establishing the stakes really begins.
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| Image by tumpikuja |
What
are character/setting/stakes introductions?
The first quarter of the book (the first act) is the place
to compile all the necessary components of your story. Anton Chekhov’s famous
advice that “if in the first act you
have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired”
is just as important in reverse: If you’re going to have a character fire a gun
later in the book, that gun should be introduced in the first act. The story
you create in the following acts can only be assembled from the parts you’ve
shown the reader in this first act. That’s your first duty in this section.
Your second duty is to allow readers
the opportunity to learn about your characters. Who are these people? What is
the essence of their personalities? What are their core beliefs (even more
particularly, what are the beliefs that will be challenged or strengthened
throughout the book)? If you can introduce a character in a “characteristic moment,”
you’ll be able to immediately show readers who this person is. From
there, the plot builds as you deepen the stakes and set up the conflict that
will come to a head in the key and inciting events.
Where do the introductions belong?
The introductions should ideally begin in the opening
chapter. Depending on the number of characters or the complexity of your
setting, you will probably want to space the introductions throughout several
early scenes. The most important thing to keep in mind is the necessity of
giving characters enough space in these early chapters so you can focus on
developing them. This does not mean the plot needs to be slow or meandering. Every scene must be pertinent to
the plot; every scene must be a domino moving the characters forward
to the point of no return. But don’t cram so
much action into these early scenes that you waste your opportunity to
flesh out the characters before the bullets really start flying later on.
Examples
from film and literature
Let’s examine how the authors and directors of our four
exemplary stories took advantage of their first act.
Pride and Prejudice
by
Jane Austen (1813): Austen
introduces characters, settings, and stakes, all three, in the very first
scene. Ten pages in, we’ve been introduced to all the major characters, given
to understand the setting, and shown what’s at stake for the Bennett daughters
if one of them can’t ensnare the unwitting Mr. Bingley. By the time we reach the
first major plot point, we’ve gotten to know the sisters. The beauty and
sweetness that will eventually win Jane a husband, the independence and strong
opinions with which Lizzy drives the conflict, and the foreboding irresponsibility of the youngest daughter
Lydia are all in place and ready for use later in the story. We’ve also been
introduced to the Bingleys, Darcy, and Wickham. Before the first act is over, Bingley
is in love with Jane, and Lizzy has made up her mind to dislike Darcy—the two factors
that will drive the entirety of the remaining story.
by
Jane Austen (1813): Austen
introduces characters, settings, and stakes, all three, in the very first
scene. Ten pages in, we’ve been introduced to all the major characters, given
to understand the setting, and shown what’s at stake for the Bennett daughters
if one of them can’t ensnare the unwitting Mr. Bingley. By the time we reach the
first major plot point, we’ve gotten to know the sisters. The beauty and
sweetness that will eventually win Jane a husband, the independence and strong
opinions with which Lizzy drives the conflict, and the foreboding irresponsibility of the youngest daughter
Lydia are all in place and ready for use later in the story. We’ve also been
introduced to the Bingleys, Darcy, and Wickham. Before the first act is over, Bingley
is in love with Jane, and Lizzy has made up her mind to dislike Darcy—the two factors
that will drive the entirety of the remaining story.
It’s a Wonderful Life
directed
by Frank Capra (1947): The first quarter of this classic movie
is entirely, blatantly, and beautifully about character development. Under the guise
of explaining George Bailey to novice angel Clarence, the head honcho angels
show us all the prominent moments in George Bailey’s young life. We see him as
a child, saving his little brother’s life, losing the hearing in one ear, and preventing
old Mr. Gower from accidentally poisoning a customer. We get a glimpse of him as a
young man, planning his escape from “crummy” Bedford Falls, even as he begins
to fall for the lovely Mary Hatch. By the time the inciting event
strikes, we know George Bailey inside out. We’ve been introduced to Bedford Falls
and its colorful array of denizens. And we’ve learned of the stakes from the mouth of
George’s father, who explains the importance of the Bailey Building & Loan in
giving the people a haven from evil Old Man Potter.
directed
by Frank Capra (1947): The first quarter of this classic movie
is entirely, blatantly, and beautifully about character development. Under the guise
of explaining George Bailey to novice angel Clarence, the head honcho angels
show us all the prominent moments in George Bailey’s young life. We see him as
a child, saving his little brother’s life, losing the hearing in one ear, and preventing
old Mr. Gower from accidentally poisoning a customer. We get a glimpse of him as a
young man, planning his escape from “crummy” Bedford Falls, even as he begins
to fall for the lovely Mary Hatch. By the time the inciting event
strikes, we know George Bailey inside out. We’ve been introduced to Bedford Falls
and its colorful array of denizens. And we’ve learned of the stakes from the mouth of
George’s father, who explains the importance of the Bailey Building & Loan in
giving the people a haven from evil Old Man Potter.
Ender’s Game
by
Orson Scott Card (1977): Card uses his first act to establish
his setting, the orbital Battle School, where brilliant young children are sent
to train to stave off an alien invasion. We learn about this strange and brutal
place through the eyes of the main character, Ender Wiggin, who is a new
arrival, and, in so doing, we learn about Ender as well. We see his determination,
his kindness, but also his underlying bedrock of ruthlessness—which will
eventually become the element around which the entire plot must turn. Almost
all of the important supporting characters are introduced, and readers are immediately
shown what is a stake, not only for the human race, but also for Ender, if he
does not overcome the handicap of his extreme youth in order to flourish in this place.
by
Orson Scott Card (1977): Card uses his first act to establish
his setting, the orbital Battle School, where brilliant young children are sent
to train to stave off an alien invasion. We learn about this strange and brutal
place through the eyes of the main character, Ender Wiggin, who is a new
arrival, and, in so doing, we learn about Ender as well. We see his determination,
his kindness, but also his underlying bedrock of ruthlessness—which will
eventually become the element around which the entire plot must turn. Almost
all of the important supporting characters are introduced, and readers are immediately
shown what is a stake, not only for the human race, but also for Ender, if he
does not overcome the handicap of his extreme youth in order to flourish in this place.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: directed by Peter Weir (2004): After the initial onslaught of the
furious opening battle, Weir slows his movie down considerably to allow viewers
to get to know the main characters—the captain and the surgeon—and the several
dozen minor characters, featured from among the crew members. The opening battle
already showed us the stakes were high, but the characters’ reactions to it, particularly the captain’s intense desire to refit the ship and reengage the enemy, help us
understand why they’re fighting and what will happen if they fail. As the crew
works to repair the ship’s battle damage, we’re also given an inside view of the
ship itself, which will play such an irreplaceable role throughout the rest of the
story.
Takeaway
value
So what can we learn from these masterful first acts?
1. If
the hook has done its job, you can safely slow down the action enough to
thoughtfully introduce and deepen your characters.
2. The
salient personality points, motivations, and beliefs of the characters should
all be developed.
3. The
pertinent points of the setting must be fleshed out, so you don’t have to slow
down in the second act to explain things. Readers should already be oriented by
the first plot point.
4. The
very fact that readers are developing a bond with the characters raises the
stakes. Drive the point home by making clear what the characters (and thus the
readers) stand to lose in the coming conflict.
5. Make
certain every scene matters. Each scene must be a domino that knocks into the
next domino/scene, building inexorably to the first plot point.
The first quarter of the book builds the foundation of your
entire story. A weak foundation will topple even the most brilliant of
conflicts and climaxes. Do your groundwork, set up all your necessary playing pieces,
and grip readers with an undeniable urge to find out what happens to your
marvelous characters.
Stay tuned: Next week, we talk about the First Plot Point.
Tell me your opinion: Do you take the time to introduce your characters, settings, and stakes in your first act?
Related Posts: The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 1: Why Should Authors Care?
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 2: The Hook
Why You Should Spend More Time on Character Than Action
Tell me your opinion: Do you take the time to introduce your characters, settings, and stakes in your first act?
Related Posts: The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 1: Why Should Authors Care?
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 2: The Hook
Why You Should Spend More Time on Character Than Action
_________________
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Story by K.M. Weiland
Tags: Characters , Feature , secrets of story structure , Setting , stakes , SYN
I'm on page 19 so definitely working on this while tying it into the plot. This section is harder for me to write than I thought.
The first act is always the most difficult, in my opinion. We have so many things we have to get right in a short amount of time, the most important of which is keeping the readers' attention. Once we've got them to the second act, we can breathe a little easier on that score.
I've been struggling with this a little in my current WIP, because many of the characters are not quite who or what they initially seem. So they need to be presented one way, with just enough unsettling details to make you suspect something is up. This is where my first person POV is particularly important, since we only know what she knows (or what she thinks she knows) and what she suspects. But outlining is helping a lot with this!
I went back and did a rewrite recently. It's getting there, I think.
@Angelica: It's very easy to say, "introduce everything in the first act," but the truth is that those introductions are different in every story and every story brings its unique challenges. Sometimes the demands of our stories direct that we simply can't introduce everyone important (think Treasure Planet's Ben Gunn, who doesn't show up until the climax). As always, these concepts of structure are guidelines and must be massaged to fit the needs of each unique narrative.
@Lorna: Every rewrite is a step closer!
Yes. I had to look what I had written so far and was initially discouraged because I am writing a science fiction novel and the idea for me as a reader to check in is the action what happens to the character that defines the plot *BAM* in Chef Emeril vernacular. So I introduced the main characters and with their banter and description defined who they were previous to the action following the formula.
I find myself more drawn to a) Beth slumped down the adjacent wall shot in the face as blood pooled from her mouth and a silent incantation escaped her dying breath.
As opposed to the following sentence as delineated here in b). Beth was a flaming red head of wistful expression and freckles that made her hazel eyes flash with unspoken promises and bemusement. At 5'6 she had a pistol slung in a leather holster under her arm at the ready for whatever might come. Unfortunately for her whatever might come was five seconds ago and the smell of cordite too late.
Which do you prefer ? Or neither ?
Taking the time to "slow down" for character and setting setup doesn't mean we have to devolve into lengthy descriptions. Sometimes it *does* mean this, but we're almost always better off showing the essence of the character through her actions, rather than explaining them. Another important point is that just because the emphasis in this first quarter is on introducing the players, that doesn't mean there can't or shouldn't be action. Quite the opposite. If you think about some of your favorite action films or novels, you'll see the action rolls even as the viewer/reader is given ample opportunity to discover the characters.
Arthur Levine would be proud of you. He talks about making sure there's an emotional connection with the character before you go thrust the character into the middle of the plot. And if you think of Harry Potter, in the American edition edited by Levine, you'll recall that Harry is not immediately sent off to wizard land. We get to see his struggles so when the invitations arrives and he begins his journey, we cheer him on and care what happens.
We do need to get to the "big problem" before we lose readers, but we don't have a chance of hooking them if they could care less about the character. You're exactly right when you say slowing it down doesn't mean going into descriptions.
And Chris, if we have met Beth or whoever might be affected by her shooting, and understand their wants and needs, we can care about what happened to her, and to them because of their relationship with her. It's not the physical descriptions we're missing. That's someone looking in from afar. We want to be in the character's heads, feel their emotions. Slowing down doesn't mean lack of action. Just let us in, let us care...
Excellent post. One of my favorites of yours.
Great thoughts, Deb. The notion of "taking time" to introduce characters can often be misconstrued. But when we examine the stories that have moved us, we can see at a glance how they kept our attention with the purposeful mingling of character and action. Authors sometimes are nervous that if they spend too much time on characters, early on, they'll bore readers. But if our characters aren't fascinating enough to hold the reader's attention, action alone isn't going to do the trick either.
So then a balance must be struck between holding the reader's interest making us care about the characters and at the same time knowing when that time is finishing to raise the stakes with actions and consequences is largely how an author paces the story he or she wishes to tell. Too much description and you risk boring the crap out of the reader. Too little an investment in description and introduction and the reader doesn't care if the character lives, dies of dysentery or if possible a turn of misfortune takes place.
Right now I am near 3000 words..and I am wondering if I should end the chapter at about 4000 words as a set number. A lot went into describing the main characters and their shared predicament. As I am nearing the new paragraphs closing on 2734 words or so the major plot opens hitting the fan. I can only hope that through reviewing and re-reading and sticking to my outline or even breaking, modifying or tossing out the outline that things go well.
Great post! Lots of food for thought!
I second, a great post!! I've been sitting here thinking on whether I spend 25% of my book with introductions, hooking the reader with getting to know the characters better. I best look into this!! Sometimes I think we're so concerned about getting from point A to point B, we forget to show the human that comes in-between.
Best. Post. Evah! I tell you what, I love this so much. Many of these points we know instinctively, but when you're in the thick of writing, it's easy to forget. So great to have this as a revision checklist. Good stuff, KM, as always! :o) <3
@Chris: There's no set word count for chapters. They can be anywhere from 500-10,000 words. I've always felt that 3-4,000 is a good breaking point, since that's long enough to be substantial, but not so long that the reader grows bored without a break.
@Fiona: Thanks for stopping by!
@Traci: Structure is actually a very difficult thing to explain comprehensively. It's one of those thing we learn best by experiencing it. I can't stress enough how valuable it is to pay attention to structure in the books and movies of others. Watch how the masters use that first quarter to introduce characters, while still keeping the plot moving forward and the readers' attention riveted.
@LTM: So glad you enjoyed it! This series has been such a blast to write. It's making me really sit down and think about the nitty-gritty of structure myself.
These are great tips on structure, thank you! I recently had to rewrite the opening chapters to my YA fiction book because it started too slow.
Now I have action at the beginning...then it slows down to introduce the characters and the life changing problem they must solve.
So, your post really helps me stay on track.
If I had a nickel for every beginning I've rewritten, I wouldn't have to sell books to make money! Sounds like you've got the balance down just perfectly.
Great post! I'm reading the whole series so I can outline my novel despite the fact that I've ran out of plot aroun 40K...
By the way, "Anton Chekhov’s famous advice that “if in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired” - that actually wasn't an advice, it's was a lament that went something like this:
"If there's a hunting rifle hanging on a wall in act one, it will inevitably fire in act 3."
It's all about some cliche drama scenes of the time being foreshadowed in cliche ways. :)
You know, now that you bring it up, I don't know that I've ever read that quote in context. I'll have to go hunt it up. Glad you're enjoying the series!