Strategies for Chapters Part 1 of 2

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In many respects you must THINK like a reader. When a reader goes into a bookstore, either on line or brick and mortar, he’ll proceed to his favorite aisle, look for an interesting title and look at the cover. If it meets with his approval, not just the picture but what is written on the front and back cover, then he’ll start to flip through the pages. He’ll proceed to the first chapter and will read a few lines. For online buyers, they search for sample chapters on internet book seller sites such as Amazon.

One way or another, a serious buyer would want to see a glimpse of the written work. His next step would depend on the effect of what he read from the book. If the sampling grabs him and encourages him to take action, he will probably add the book to his shortlist or put it aside as a possible purchase. However, if what he read was unsatisfying or he is not able to identify with the subject matter or character, that reader will most likely move on to the next book.


Even professional writers, those who have been writing for years, sometimes find it difficult to begin a chapter in a new book. In fact, for many, getting starting is always the most challenging part in writing a book.


Before you begin a chapter, decide what will happen in your story. This can be achieved by creating a comprehensive outline of your intended plot.

With a plot, you can create a good beginning and a remarkable twist for the ending. Once you have your beginning and ending, the next step is to fill in other areas of your outline with the setting, characters and plot.

First, create your characters and their attributes. Obviously, this is important because your characters will be the main focus of your story. Your plot is useless if it does not have great and compelling characters.

Then, picture the settings for each chapter. You should carefully choose where you want your characters to go and what happens to them. Write down the descriptions on your outline and strategize on how you will be able to deliver them.


It should be noted that there are no new stories under the sun, just NEW ways to tell them. Think about the main plot line for Romeo and Juliet? With a slight adjustment to the plot line you have Twilight. Read Plato’s Cave, nip and tuck a little here and there, and you have the movie, The Matrix. See? No new stories…only new voices to tell them. This is often what is meant when agents and editors say, “Give me the same thing…only different.”


Once you’ve created your outline, it’s time to organize the chapters.
The beginning, ending, settings, characters and plot that you have already completed are essential because they will help you determine where to put what in each chapter.
You can then alter the story on a per chapter basis if you feel your current plot lacks density and depth. And in many situations, this is exactly what happens.
Writer’s Block most often occurs in new writers when they remain inflexible and a slave to their outlines. Think of your outline as a road map, it merely suggests a possible direction to your destination. However, once you get to some sort of milestone, you may decide to take a small detour, or a new route will suggest itself all together.
These intuitive leaps should be embraced and celebrated. Failure to allow this part of the creative process to have its way will most likely result in a creative bottleneck that could cause you to stall for a period of time.