: Re: What is the structure and important points to cover in a first chapter? I feel like I have everything except the first chapter; once the story is underway I feel like I know where to go,

@Shakeerah107

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I think the best first chapters give you the attitude of the story. Meaning, after reading the first chapter, you already understand what kind of narrator (or story style) you are dealing with. For example, the first chapter of "Anna Karenina" and the opening scene of "Inglorious Bastards" (the movie).

Stories that do not have that generally focus on exposition or start from a part of the story which is highly attractive and then the next chapters show how everything has got to this situation. Given, the first chapter of "Anna Karenina" is expository. Although, I think the narrator defines a clear and unique tone that carries throughout the story. A similar thing happens in the movie "Everything is Illuminated" but does not have the same effect. The narrator has a unique tone at the first scenes but the same attitude is not kept throughout the movie.

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