"The Four Chapter Rule"

Violet Vixen · May 14, 2015

This is from my all-time favorite reviewer on Goodreads, Eric Allen. He's a writer as well. This "rule" really struck a chord with me.

By the time that you get four chapters into a young adult book you should know the setting, the characters, and have a pretty good idea about what is in store for them. You should be thoroughly invested in the plot, and actually WANT to continue in it. SOMETHING interesting SHOULD have happened, because young people typically tend to lose interest quite quickly if you don't grab them early with something they care about. You should hopefully be connecting with the people you're reading about, perhaps thinking that they seem a bit like you. You should be excited to discover what happens next. The plot should actually be going somewhere by this time instead of puttering around, running in circles chasing its own tail to no point or purpose.

He lists some examples

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by chapter four Harry has had his parents murdered, been raised by people who hate and oppress him, and has discovered that he is a wizard and been accepted to Hogwarts to learn magic. His character and plight have been well introduced by this time, and his hopes and dreams are very clear in the reader's mind. Though his plight is played for comedic purposes, we still FEEL that it IS plight. We've gotten a look at the wizarding world and the tenacity of the owls that deliver their mail. By this time, we know what the book is about, and we know what makes the main character tick.

In Jonathan Stroud's Barimaeus Trilogy, book 1: The Amulet of Samarkand, by chapter four Nathaniel has summoned the demon Bartimaeus and bound him to his will, and Bartimaeus has stolen the Amulet of Samarkand for him. By this time we've been witness to quite a bit of Bartimaeus' sarcasm and wit, and quite a bit of humor to make him rather lovable and we feel his plight as a slave to his human master. Demons and Magic, and a lot of how the world works have been explained to us by this time through the comical rantings of Bartimaeus.

In Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy, book 1: Sabriel, by chapter four Abhorsen has brought a dead infant back to life, Sabriel does the same for a dead bunny. Sabriel is contacted by a being from Death that gives her her father's sword and necromancer's bells, giving her a message that he is trapped by one of the Greater Dead. Sabriel leaves her school to head from the world of technology to the world of magic where she is from to rescue him. We are are shown how Death and Necromacy work. We are shown the wall that keeps the two worlds apart from one another, and we discover that many things are going horribly wrong on the other side of the wall. We've gotten to know Sabriel by this time. We know her reluctance and fear, but also her determination to save her father and prove herself his worthy heir.

In John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, book 1: the Ruins of Gorlan we've already seen the Dark Lord plotting vengeance and raising an army of nightmare creatures. We've been introduced to the characters and their likes and animosities toward one another. We've been given the mysterious Ranger Halt and his slip of paper given to the Lord while he decides Will's future profession. We can feel Will's burning shame at being turned down for battle school, the only thing he's ever wanted in life, because of his size, and his curiosity over what the mysterious Halt might have to say about him, and what is written on the paper. We've already seen that he is not afraid to defend himself against people twice his size, and that he is naturally good at climbing and sneaking. We want to know why Halt seems to have an interest in him, and what his fate might be after being denied every profession he hoped for.

In Brian Jacques' Redwall by chapter 4 (which, by the way is only ten pages into the book) You've been introduced to the villain, the protagonist, the love interest and the mentor. You've gotten to know that the orphaned Matthias does not fit in amongst the others at the abbey. He yearns for adventure and something more than the quiet life of devotion to others that he has been raised to. There is a build up with a festival planned and the villain setting his sights on Redwall Abbey. You just KNOW that these two events are going to coincide and go horribly wrong, and you can feel anticipation building with each page that you turn. And might I remind you that all of this was set up in only TEN PAGES! TEN PAGES and Redwall is already a more compelling, and better set up story than The Demon King, and it is a book about MICE!!!

Source

What do you all think of this "Four Chapter Rule?" I personally like it; I prefer the plot to get going ASAP with a smaller amount of setup. I've kept it in mind during my writing as well

cornflake · May 14, 2015

I think he's three or more chapters off?

He's also off if he thinks Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's... was YA.

I've never heard of the other things, so can't comment.

Roxxsmom · May 14, 2015

I thought the inciting even was supposed to happen by the end of chapter 1 as a rule (in adult fiction at least). I'd guess that with YA and MG there's more likely to be a single main protagonist as well, but in general, one should know who the story is about and have at least an idea of what they want by the end of the starting chapter (unless it's a prologue that shows something happening long ago or far away from the main story), and something at least should be happening to disrupt the protagonist's ordinary life.

Actually, I thought HP started rather more slowly than a lot of books do in this respect (with the Hogwarts letter not showing up in the opening chapter), but Rowling got away with it because she did such a good job with both characterization and with foreshadowing.

chompers · May 14, 2015

I think he's actually being quite generous. Most people have less patience than to wait out four chapters. At most it's usually three chapters. But yeah, the reader should have a good idea of what's happening by the end of chapter one.

Becca C. · May 14, 2015

I agree with Corny and Roxxsmom that the inciting event should happen in the first chapter, but I like the idea of having all the rest of the setup done by chapter four. You know not only what the beginning of the plot is, but you have a grasp on character, motivation, setting, and what the rest of the story is going to look like. Chapter Four is, like, the end of the beginning, and the beginning of the middle. It's a good concept.

lenore_x · May 15, 2015

Chapters vary in length, and where they stop is somewhat arbitrary, but I guess if you wanted to say "by page 40" or something. But Becca, I totally agree with you. I would call that the end of act I.

Sage · May 15, 2015

I usually give more than 1 chapter, since so often that first chapter is the one revised to death to make sure it draws in the reader. If the first chapter loses me, then it loses me, but if I'm on the fence, I'll give it more. 4 is a lot, unless they're short.

erin_michelle · May 15, 2015

I agree with Becca that by Chapter Four the story should be "settled" and the reader should know what type of story they're reading, basic character motivations, and a sense of the world they're in. But you want to be careful that Chapters 1 - 3 aren't backstory chapters or all set-up.

I did something like what Eric Allen did a few years ago to figure out at what point the inciting incident should happen. As someone already pointed out, Harry Potter took longer for the inciting incident to happen (if we go with Harry getting his letter from Hogwarts as the inciting incident). Generally, the inciting incident happened near the end of the first chapter, or early into the second chapter.

In terms of page numbers - which I think is easier to estimate as chapters tend to vary in length - by pages 15 - 20 you should have your inciting incident. (Harry getting his letter doesn't come until page 36). Following that, by (or around) page 50 you need a direct reaction to that inciting incident that "settles" the story and you have a general idea what the story's about. (With HP, Harry finding out he's a wizard happens at page 51.) Of course, it also depends on the length of the novel. With longer novels, the inciting incident sometimes didn't happen until closer to page 30.

Ellaroni · May 15, 2015

At first, I thought that this four chapter rule might not apply so well to contemporary YA, but then I checked with a few of the ones on my shelves, and yep - it's pretty accurate. Also checked my current WIP, and waddayaknow, I have something important happening or being established in chapter 2 and 4. And I never heard of this rule before.

growingupblessings · May 15, 2015

I've never heard of this - nothing new there. I don't plan anything I write.

In my YA WIP, the major inciting incident occurs in chapter 3.

jtrylch13 · May 15, 2015

I have always disliked the idea that we need to go right into the action in the first chapter of YA. I personally, as a reader and a writer, like a little bit of set up to get me going. I think this 4 chapter thing is a decent rule of thumb, but by no means a law. Every book has a different pace and a different need. My current WIP originally had 1 chapter of set up and the inciting incident in chapter 2. On revision, I added another chapter between 1 and 2, because I felt it needed more background for characterization and setting. Inciting incident now takes place at the end of chapter 3. I guess we'll see if it works or is too much back story when my betas read it. Anyway, there are a lot of YA's that head right into the conflict in chapter 1, but I generally find this somewhat annoying. Make me care about a character before you throw her into a fiery inferno. Otherwise, I'm okay with letting her burn.

Ellaroni · May 15, 2015

jtrylch13 said:
I have always disliked the idea that we need to go right into the action in the first chapter of YA (...) Anyway, there are a lot of YA's that head right into the conflict in chapter 1, but I generally find this somewhat annoying. Make me care about a character before you throw her into a fiery inferno. Otherwise, I'm okay with letting her burn.

I agree with you here, which is why I thought perhaps this 'rule' did not apply for contemporaries, where I too find that I need some time to adjust to characters before they crash or are attacked or show us that they're hiding something...etc.
In a contemp with more internal conflicts than fast-paced action, I guess inciting incident could be several 'slow' things, or something that isn't explained until later. One example from the latest YA I read, 99 DAYS by Katie Cotugno: in the first chapter, the MC's house is egged. We don't find out why until a little bit later.

heza · May 15, 2015

What I find interesting is that all of the books he lists as examples are shelved (at my local B&N) as MG.

ETA: Oh, wait, I missed The Abhorsen Trilogy. That one isn't in the kid's section.

dawinsor · May 15, 2015

heza said:
What I find interesting is that all of the books he lists as examples are shelved (at my local B&N) as MG.

Yes indeed. People often use YA as a term meaning books for kids. They are wrong.

Violet Vixen · May 15, 2015

The "rule" part of it is a thing for his reviews:

"I have a rule. If a book cannot interest me in any way within four chapters, it gets kicked to the curb and I never look back. I go find another book that CAN interest me in four chapters. If a book gets hit with the four chapter rule it, by default, gets a one star rating."

Not as an across the board rule for writers and readers everywhere. I, personally, kept it in my mind as a piece of advice to get things rolling at least within 4 chapters (even if short chapters)

Sorry for the confusion.

I think four chapters is a very good amount for setup and spark. He was mostly focusing on younger fantasy in this review, too, which can get very caught up in the worldbuilding and forget to move the story along. Even in contemp I see the inciting event happening within the first few pages and it keeps me reading fo sho

Laer Carroll · May 16, 2015

The most important rule is grab them quick and never let them go. Nonsense about chapter four. Start with page one and only let it slacken a little bit before ramping up the interest.

There are many ways to do that. They could be broken down into intriguing characters, intriguing plots, intriguing settings, or even intriguing themes. Some of the more popular books have all of those, or some combination.

James Bond, for instance, is intriguing because he has a license to kill, is given lots of freedom to do his job, is sexy and sophisticated, goes to exotic places, fights unusual bad guys, romances hotties, and has lots of cool toys. A trifecta of intriguing stuff.

In Twilight Bella is an ordinary girl with a secret power which lets her fascinate TWO fascinating hot guys, one of whom is secretly very old and rich, is in an exotic area of the world, is involved with mysterious and horrific events. Another trifecta.

The inciting incident is most relevant to plot heavy books. It can come late, even very late, if character or setting or both are compelling. Or much sooner. I sometimes put it BEFORE the story begins and start the action immediately.

lenore_x · May 16, 2015

Ellaroni said:
I agree with you here, which is why I thought perhaps this 'rule' did not apply for contemporaries, where I too find that I need some time to adjust to characters before they crash or are attacked or show us that they're hiding something...etc.
In a contemp with more internal conflicts than fast-paced action, I guess inciting incident could be several 'slow' things, or something that isn't explained until later. One example from the latest YA I read, 99 DAYS by Katie Cotugno: in the first chapter, the MC's house is egged. We don't find out why until a little bit later.

This is sort of how I did it in my last book, which is a paranormal. The main character meets somebody in the first chapter, finds out he's stalking her in chapter 3, and learns why he's stalking her in chapter 4. (What the heck's going on in chapter 2? Well, something seemingly unrelated that turns out to be not unrelated at all.)

It's actually tricky for me to point to a specific point as the inciting incident because of how it's all broken up by that. But yeah, the ball's definitely rolling by chapter 4.

lenore_x · May 16, 2015

Laer Carroll said:
The most important rule is grab them quick and never let them go. Nonsense about chapter four. Start with page one and only let it slacken a little bit before ramping up the interest.

The problem with your Twilight example is that Bella doesn't meet Edward or Jacob on the first page. She's at an airport on the first page. It's the combination of voice and premise that draws readers into Twilight, if I'm not mistaken. And I feel that's likely true for many, if not most books--it's a combination of voice and premise that hooks you, not something super exciting happening on page one.

Granted, a boring first page absolutely will turn people off.

ETA: I just remembered Twilight actually starts with that bizarre in medias res clip from the climax. Personally, I thought that was a horrible choice, which is probably why I pushed it out of my mind, lol.

Laer Carroll · May 16, 2015

Your premise is right even if your example isn't perfect. (Just as you corrected yourself, Twilight starts with a near-fifty-word action teaser, then the atmospheric airport scene which contrasts hot Arizona to cool Washington state. Readers can click the following link to read the start of the book.)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QRIGLW/?tag=absowrit-20

lenore_x said:
…it's a combination of voice and premise that hooks you, not something super exciting happening on page one.

Totally agree. Grabbing the reader is easiest with action. But super-exciting does NOT have to be action. A good writer can start with atmosphere or character or any-damned-thing and make it so fascinating we want to read on. I think we cripple our imaginations if we make it a Rule that we should start with action.

udayan · Jun 17, 2015

This certainly seems interesting..I feel the tension should increase chapter by chapter. Interesting things should happen and the reader should be kept on edge. I always try to make the page I am writing the most absorbing one yet

Twick · Jun 24, 2015

I think "make it super exciting from Page 1", while excellent in its way, contributes to bad writing as well. Far too many books now start like some sort of demented infomercial. "Woweeee! A bullet just missed the MC! Loud music! Now there are sharks after him! Flashing lights! Then a volcano explodes! Isn't this fascinating? Cue the dancing girls!"

Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but I'd like to be courted by a book, rather than immediately fall into bed with it. "Hello, you appear attractive! Oh, and you're intelligent and well-spoken, too. Let's go on a date. You're witty, and yet have a sensitive undercurrent. And whoa! You can be passionate when appropriate. Yes, I think I love you." That appeals more to me than "Oooh, you're sweaty and half-naked. Let's do this!"

udayan · Jun 25, 2015

This post is so helpful. The four chapter rule does make a lot of sense, thinking from a reader's PoV. Kinda reminds you as author to throw away all the things that don't contribute to the central plot.

Dennis E. Taylor · Jun 25, 2015

This might not directly help for writing, but might for laying out your book for publication... I regularly grab giveaway books off of amazon-- and I've always got a backlog. By the time I get to them, I can't remember what the blurb was. I've found that if I just start reading the book "cold", I am much less patient to get to the point. But if I go back to amazon and check the blurb first, I'm willing to invest a little more time in getting to the exciting parts.

The layout part is a suggestion from someone (that I personally think is a good one) to put your blurb in the front matter of your e-book.

jtrylch13 · Jun 25, 2015

Yes! I do this all the time. Get started on an ebook, and you can't just flip it over and read the blurb! I really do need to go read it again. Sometimes having a clue of what to expect is helpful.

Twick · Jun 26, 2015

Angry Guy said:
This might not directly help for writing, but might for laying out your book for publication... I regularly grab giveaway books off of amazon-- and I've always got a backlog. By the time I get to them, I can't remember what the blurb was. I've found that if I just start reading the book "cold", I am much less patient to get to the point. But if I go back to amazon and check the blurb first, I'm willing to invest a little more time in getting to the exciting parts.

The layout part is a suggestion from someone (that I personally think is a good one) to put your blurb in the front matter of your e-book.

I think that's a very good point. As a reader, I like surprises as I go, but I don't like being completely in the dark about where I'm starting, and what direction I'll be heading in.

"The Four Chapter Rule"

Violet Vixen

Official Cryptid of the Publishing World

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

chompers

Becca C.

lenore_x

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

erin_michelle

Foreshadowing Queen

Ellaroni

growingupblessings

Drinking lots of coffee

jtrylch13

Has semi-colon; will use it!

Ellaroni

heza

dawinsor

Dorothy A. Winsor

Violet Vixen

Official Cryptid of the Publishing World

Laer Carroll

Aerospace engineer turned writer

lenore_x

lenore_x

Laer Carroll

Aerospace engineer turned writer

udayan

Twick

udayan

Dennis E. Taylor

Get it off! It burns!

jtrylch13

Has semi-colon; will use it!

Twick