Hey there! Long time lurker here.

First of all, english is not my first language so excuse me for any awkward wording or phrasing.

I know the plot is kind of cliche but I'm trying to get some writing done, and I would really appreciate the help. The fic I'm working on, starts on the summer before 4th year, and has Harry going with Flamel as a way to start diverging from canon.

My problem is I don't know where to start. I want the first chapter to hook the reader, and I think I can't do so with a montage of Harry learning things during the summer.

I was thinking, maybe I could start directly at Hogwarts and resort to flashbacks to highlight the moments that make this Harry a little different than in canon.

What do you guys think? How do you make a first chapter interesting, while at the same time setting up the plot?

 

Personally, I always find flashbacks to be somewhat of a turn off. I always prefer to read about what's happening in the present, instead of what's happened in the past.

As for making something interesting... Start with something interesting happening. Training and learning always tend to be somewhat boring, so instead make something happen that makes it interesting.

 

Starting in the middle of the action is always a good idea for a hook. As for how to catch a reader up on "unseen" history: you don't need to resort to flashbacks. Character dialogue and in-line narration are both suitable vehicles, just be careful not to info-dump.

 

Start with the meeting with Flamel? A way to make training interesting (imo) for your specific circumstance is to show Harry learning alchemy with Flamel, and then when Flamel asks about how dueling practice or transfiguration homework or something is going, have Harry tell him a bit of what he's learning. Bonus points if he uses his new knowledge while practicing alchemy.

 

Sex, violence, or comedy are all pretty good bets to get the ball rolling.

Look at how Shakespeare did it.

Start with the part that's interesting. Your reader already knows HP canon. Start with the part that's different from that, the part that makes a reader go "huh that's an interesting twist."

Failing something eye-catching, conflict and tension right up front are both good. In the first act, you chase your characters up a tree. In the second act, you throw rocks at them. In the third act, you get them down. Start with the tree - what untenable situation has Harry gotten himself into? What's his big problem? What's preventing him from reaching his goal?

Failing an immediate problem/conflict, a mystery right off the bat can be good. If you can get your reader invested in why things are the way that they are, if there's a good kind of mysterious hook, that can work as well.

I mean, on a basic level, you're just trying to get the reader's attention. Don't be boring.

Oh, and fuck flashbacks.

 

What Jon said. Having an element of mystery is the best way to reel the readers in. I would recommend starting at the beginning of the fourth instead of the preceding summer.

That way you can have a more competent Harry at the beginning of the year and give the readers something to look forward to as to what led to the transition even though you have to work on not making him a Sue.

Flashbacks when done right can be very effective story telling tools(Person of Interest). Just make sure the flashback is relevant to what's happening in the present. You probably should avoid them in the first chapter though.