Chapter One can be the most daunting part of a story to write. I spent time reading the opening pages of a wide range of books I have enjoyed, from trashy to best-selling and determined that my favorite openers stuck very close to the Save the Cat advice I have been following from the beginning: The first chapter must be an image that sets the tone for the reader.
Since Jordan will be in jeopardy throughout the book, it seemed appropriate to kick off the book with her in a very bad position. I used textures, sensations, and outright pain to create the opening scene, which takes place at night for added effect, although the reader is not told that until paragraph two.
My primary goal was to tease the reader with as little information as possible, so I never included the divemaster's name, even though he will play a large part in the story. I decided to make his relationship with Jordan antagonistic right from the beginning as a means of foreshadowing his importance.
I mention death more than once.
I never even mention Bonaire. It seemed unnecessary.
My hope is that the reader can clearly see that Jordan is the primary character, but be a little unsure whether or not they like her yet. In many ways, she is the female version of an anti-hero, at least st times.
Drew is portrayed as helpful and thoughtful in Chapter 1. I need the readers to like him from the beginning-- if he can put up with her and love her, she can't be all bad, right?
I definitely avoided doing any kind of information dump in Chapter 1. Background details are best left for subsequent chapters.
Chapter Two is a logical conclusion to the action in the beginning chapter. It's a much slower pace. I used the word "dark" in the opening paragraph to remind the reader that we are still in for a tense story.
The addition of police and ambulance are used here to foreshadow the event that is the real guts of the story, letting the reader know that it's not Jordan's injured shoulder from the opening scene that really matters. Something more is afoot.
In the second section, I used what seems like a pleasant description of a home-away-from-home with singing treefrogs and a security light to foreshadow the final paragraph where those things signal an intruder.
I continued the theme of Drew being patient and kind and Jordan not quite so loveable.
I drop another problem on Jordan-- she is losing her ability to travel around the world easily. One more thing to overcome on top of the injured shoulder.
I added a few tiny details about the island itself, scattered throughout the chapter, attempting to set the scenery in place. This was particularly important for upcoming scenes involving the narrow roads.
I only hinted that the island might not be as safe as it seems.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapters-- good or bad.