First Chapter Struggles: The Writing Journey
Ah, the first chapter. The place where dreams of writing a book either take flight—or crash in a spectacular blaze of procrastination, self-doubt, and “just one more coffee.” Whether you’re writing the next bestseller or your first attempt at a memoir, starting your book feels a lot like staring at a blank page and waiting for inspiration to come tap-dance across your brain. Spoiler: It rarely does.
But hey, you’re not alone! The first chapter is notoriously hard. In fact, I’d bet even Shakespeare sat there chewing his quill, mumbling, “To start, or not to start?” If you’ve been struggling to get past that opening sentence, here’s some reassurance: It’s totally normal, and yes, we can work through it together. So buckle up, grab that caffeine, and let’s talk about the emotional rollercoaster that is The First Chapter Struggle™.
The Blank Page: A Staring Contest You will Lose
You sit down, open your laptop (or notebook if you’re old school), and there it is—The Blank Page. You could swear it’s mocking you, just sitting there, empty, waiting. You tell yourself, This is fine. All you need is one good sentence to get started, right?
Wrong.
Your first sentence feels more elusive than a Wi-Fi signal in the middle of nowhere. You might try a few variations:
“It was a dark and stormy night…”
“Once upon a time…”
“I know what you’re thinking…”
Before long, you’re deleting everything and scrolling TikTok “for research.” But hey, the good news is that you’re not the only one who’s been here. Every writer goes through this phase—where the pressure to start perfect paralyzes you.
Pro Tip: Don’t aim for perfection in the first draft. Just get something—anything—down on paper. You can’t edit a blank page, but you can work wonders with a messy one.
Writing Your First Chapter = Assembling Ikea Furniture
You know the feeling when you’ve opened a flat-pack box from IKEA, and you’ve got all the pieces in front of you—but no clue how they fit together? Writing your first chapter is exactly like that. You know you’ve got great ideas. You’ve got snippets of scenes, bits of dialogue, a vague sense of the plot... but figuring out how to piece it together feels like solving a riddle.
Quick Story: I once had a client who was certain her story had to start with a flashback. After struggling with it for weeks, she finally gave in, started with something simple, and suddenly the words flowed. Moral of the story? Don’t be afraid to pivot if your original plan isn’t working.
Pro Tip: Start wherever you feel inspired. It doesn’t have to be the perfect beginning—it just has to be a beginning. You can always go back and rearrange things later, just like realizing that extra IKEA screw isn’t quite as critical as you thought.
The Internal Critic: Annoying Backseat Driver
Ever hear that little voice in your head saying, “This sucks. Who do you think you are, an author?” Yeah, that’s your internal critic. It’s like an annoying backseat driver that insists on offering “helpful” feedback just as you’re trying to focus. Spoiler: It’s not helpful.
Every writer has to deal with self-doubt, especially at the beginning. But the trick is to keep writing anyway. Tell your inner critic, “Not today, buddy. You’ll get your turn during the editing phase.”
Pro Tip: Set a small word count goal for each session—maybe just 300-500 words. Keep going even if what you write feels terrible. You’ll be amazed at how often the bad stuff leads to good stuff once you’re in the flow.
The bottom line
Writing your first chapter can feel like dragging a boulder up a mountain—slow, frustrating, and downright exhausting. But remember, you don’t have to get it perfect on the first try. Just focus on getting words down. Even messy, imperfect writing can become gold once you revise it.
And if you ever need help getting unstuck, organizing your ideas, or tackling that unruly first chapter, I’ve got your back. Book a free consultation with me today, and let’s turn that blank page into the first step toward your finished book.
