I've been considering why the first chapter of a book is always so hard to write. Usually, I don't bother: I mean, I bother, but I do so by writing 2 chapters that I immediately cut afterwards, starting the story well after the point I start writing.
This is an effective workaround (although it is *super* frustrating to cut those 2 chapters consistently), but it doesn't get to the crux of why writing that first chapter is so hard.
And basically, it's because that first chapter must sell the entire book on its own.
In fact, that first *paragraph* kinda has to do that.
In fact in fact, the first *sentence* more or less has to do that. And writing that first sentence? That's basically impossible.
Well, obviously it's not impossible. But it is really hard, and somewhat discouraging.
Thankfully... I'm done! I have written the first chapter of my new book, and I like it.
Now all that remains to be seen is if, in 2 more chapters... I end up cutting this one completely.
Ah, writing. ^_^