Everyone talks about the importance of the first chapter. And there is truth to it – the first chapter is very important. It’s probably the most important chapter that you’ll write. With that kind of pressure, it’s no wonder that many of us want to get our first chapters as perfect as possible. But that can prove to be a slippery slope. You don’t want to fall down the first chapter rabbit hole.

When you first start drafting a novel, it can easily seem a daunting task, no matter how much outlining and preparation you’ve done beforehand. Add on the pressure of the first chapter, and you can find yourself wanting to get it right the first time. But that will cause you to cripple yourself before you’ve even started. A first draft is also called a rough draft for a reason: it’s rough! You don’t need to try editing as you go along, especially not the first chapter. If you allow yourself to get sucked into the vortex of perfecting the first chapter before you’ve even finished writing the entire manuscript.

Your first chapter will inevitably have to be changed anyways, so why not just get the entire book written first before you worry about what will have to be rewritten? Don’t let the fear of not getting it right stop you from actually writing. The first chapter rabbit hole is just the manifestation of our fears. Don’t worry about getting it right on your first try. Just focus on getting it written.