First Three Chapters Class with Hannah VanVels (HarperCollins)

Tickets here: https://try.manuscriptacademy.com/first-three-chapters/

The First Three Chapters

So you’ve decided to try to get your book traditionally published. You’ve done the research. You have a great draft, a great synopsis, and you’re ready to start shopping your manuscript. You have extensive notes on complex worldbuilding, character backstories, maps you’ve sketched out, notebooks full of additional content.

How do you decide what makes it onto the page? How do you set up your story, giving just enough information about the world you’ve created without bogging down your reader with information dumps? How do you balance relaying background information to situate your reader with moving your story along?

The first three chapters are often the chapters that an author edits and revises the most, and for good reason. Often you only have the first three chapters to grab your reader before they start to glaze over—or worse, move on. We’ll take a look at introducing setting without overwhelming your readers, introducing characters that your readers will invest in right off the bat, and starting your plot at the right moment in the story in both standalone novels and series.

You can tune in live, or submit your question ahead and watch the replay at your convenience.

Hannah VanVels is an agent at Corvisiero Literary, after her time as an editor at HarperCollins acquiring young adult fiction and nonfiction (though this class is open and relevant to all genres and age groups). Hannah completed her BA at the University of Michigan and her MA at the University of Chicago. She lives in Michigan with her partner, two German Shepherds, and two cats. Find her on Twitter and Instagram at @hannahvanvels.