How Do You Write a First Chapter? Tips That Actually Work
Start with a hook (but don’t overthink it)
Okay, let’s get one thing out of the way: you don’t need to write the perfect sentence right off the bat. But you do need something that makes your reader go, “Wait, what’s happening here?” This could be a strange image, a bit of dialogue, or someone doing something a bit… odd.
Think about it like this: your reader just opened your book in a bookstore (or on a Kindle). You’ve got 30 seconds. Go.
Examples of strong first lines
“I didn’t mean to kill her. Not that day.”
“The rain hadn’t stopped in three weeks, and still, the town burned.”
See what I mean? You feel a question rising in your head. That’s the hook working.
Establish the tone and genre early on
Readers don’t like bait and switch (unless it’s part of the plot, of course). If you’re writing a sci-fi space opera, don’t open with a 10-page poetic description of a tree on Earth—unless it’s relevant. Show the vibe of your story straight away.
Match your language to your audience
Are you writing for teens? Adults? Literary folks? Thriller fans? Your word choice, rhythm, and even sentence length should reflect that from page one. Don’t fake it—just lean into your voice, but make sure it’s tuned to your genre.
Introduce your main character (or at least hint at them)
Do you have to start with the protagonist? No. But readers usually want to latch onto someone pretty early. Even if they don’t meet your main character in person yet, give us a reason to care. Or be curious. Or—honestly—even a little irritated. As long as we feel something.
Show, don’t info-dump
Here’s where people mess up: they try to explain everything in Chapter One. Don’t. Trust your reader. Let them pick up the world as they go. A line like:
“She tightened her grip on the blaster. She’d promised never to use it again—not after the accident.”
…tells us loads without spelling it out, right?
Set up conflict (even if it's small)
Stories run on conflict. Period. It doesn’t have to be a car crash or a duel in Chapter One—but there should be some tension. Something off. Something unfinished.
Maybe your character is late for something important. Maybe two friends are arguing and we don’t know why. Just… shake the calm a little.
Quick anecdote
I once opened a novel with a kid stealing a dog. True story. It was based on this weird moment I saw at a park where a kid just walked away with someone else’s pug. It ended up being the emotional key to the entire book—and I didn’t even realize that when I wrote it. Sometimes, a small weird moment can be your gold.
Leave room to grow
Look, your first chapter isn’t the whole book. Don’t try to cram in your backstory, your villain’s master plan, and your world-building in one go. Think of Chapter One as the doorway. You want your reader to step through it, curious about what’s next.
You’ll fix a lot of this in revision, anyway (trust me, every writer rewrites their first chapter like ten times).
Final thoughts: Just write the damn thing
Honestly, most first chapters suck when you first write them. That’s fine. You’ll come back and polish. The important thing is starting. So write your weird opening, your messy dialogue, your rough scene—and then keep going.
Because once Chapter One’s on the page, you’ve already beaten half the battle.
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Is 172 cm good for a man?
Yes it is. Average height of male in India is 166.3 cm (i.e. 5 ft 5.5 inches) while for female it is 152.6 cm (i.e. 5 ft) approximately. So, as far as your question is concerned, aforesaid height is above average in both cases.
Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?
The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
How to get taller at 18?
Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.
Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?
Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).
Can you grow between 16 and 18?
Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.
Can you grow 1 cm after 17?
Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.