10 Things You Should Have On The First Page Of Your Novel

Secure an agent and woo your readers by making sure these 10 things are on your first page!

It will come as no surprise to you, either as a reader or as a writer (or both) that the first page of a novel is important. Very important. It’s the first step into a new world, a handshake when you meet someone, a first impression, and every other cliche out there. The point is, what’s on the first page matters. If no one gets past the first page, they’ll never appreciate your clever plot twists and phenomenal ending. Secure an agent and woo your readers by making sure these 10 things are on your first page!

Set The Stage

Give the reader enough details of the physical world for them to feel grounded. Too many details can be boring and expositional, but too few details can leave the reader confused about where the character is. The right amount of detail is when the reader has enough physical details to fill in the blanks themselves.

Introduce Protagonist

When we first meet a protagonist, they should be doing something active. Instead of describing the character’s appearance, show the reader what they are doing. You can even let the reader see some of their quirks or flaws. Don’t waste time with the physical description of the character for now, or with trying to make the character likable. The most interesting characters are flawed!