Do you like fancy first chapters?

[RainingFish]

Many authors work hard on their first chapter trying to draw readers in, but sometimes I feel like their efforts backfire. It's a turnoff for me when the first chapter seems 'overly fancy.' When I just start reading, I'm usually still unsure if the story is for me. I just want to understand what the story is going to be like as quickly as possible. I don't want to read a lot of fancy descriptions of things. I don't want a bunch of scenes trying to make me emotionally invested in the characters. It takes me time to become emotionally invested in characters, so it's not going to happen in the first chapter no matter what. Anyway, I'm curious about other people's thoughts on the matter.

 

[Tempokai]

It doesn't matter if it fancy or not. It you fail to persuade the reader to read further, the opening you've made will be just elaborate digital paperweight. As I always say, creation is divine, but persuasion is survival.

The most important thing in opening chapters is the sequential "context, character, content". You can break it, sure, but it will hurt the persuasion. It doesn't matter if it's fancy or not, if it fails to matter, as in not establishing those three, it fails as a opening chapter.

What you're describing is pure persuasive power, and how it fails to do so in those "fancy" descriptions. Because you aren't persuaded, see the author overcompensating the credibility (ethos) with those fancy words, failing to make you feel (pathos), and is incoherent because of being overly verbose without any pacing (logos), you drop the webnovel. Simple as, and the answer is that it depends, but no because authors overextend their persuasion to fail to persuade with those "fancy" chapters.

 

[Missivist]

I do not want the first chapter to be "fancy", as you put it. I do want it to show that the author can write clearly, coherently and with feeling. Good grammar in the first chapter is a must. I want it as a sign that the story is worth the candle (or modern equivalent). In the end, the first chapter is the chapter where readers are most likely to drop the story.
As others said, give us context, characters and content; give us the setting, situation and a segue into the storyline. Write it well, but no fancier than you intend for subsequent chapters.

 

[Arkus86]

I have no issue with fancy first chapters - as long as they work well the introduce the story and characters. In fact, it helps with immersion when there is some meat in the chapter, not just the bare bones of descriptions.
There can be too fancy, too grandiose, overly ambitous and not representing the quality of subsequent chapters, but fancy in itself is not bad.
For quick summary of the story, I would read the synopsis.

 

[John_Owl]

Many authors work hard on their first chapter trying to draw readers in, but sometimes I feel like their efforts backfire. It's a turnoff for me when the first chapter seems 'overly fancy.' When I just start reading, I'm usually still unsure if the story is for me. I just want to understand what the story is going to be like as quickly as possible. I don't want to read a lot of fancy descriptions of things. I don't want a bunch of scenes trying to make me emotionally invested in the characters. It takes me time to become emotionally invested in characters, so it's not going to happen in the first chapter no matter what. Anyway, I'm curious about other people's thoughts on the matter.

nope. A first chapter should represent the rest of the story. Imagine walking into a grand and glorious entrance hall, thinking the family lived in such splendor, but the moment you enter a room, it's just a shabby, rundown camper, or they serve only chef boyardee because they're too broke to afford anything better.

A camper is fine, if that's all you can honestly provide, so long as it keeps you warm, under a roof, and allows you to stay fed. Similarly, the opulence of a mansion can backfire if you spend too much on it and can't afford the accompanying life.

A story is similar. The first chapter is the entrance. It's fine if it's a rug in a camper, a mud room in a suburban home, or the opulent entrance hall of a mansion—as long as it fits the rest of the story.

 

[TASTYLEADPAINT]

I think giving readers a good amount to read works better. IE instead of 1 opening chapter. I like to put 5 or so.

 

[CheertheSecond]

Many authors work hard on their first chapter trying to draw readers in, but sometimes I feel like their efforts backfire. It's a turnoff for me when the first chapter seems 'overly fancy.' When I just start reading, I'm usually still unsure if the story is for me. I just want to understand what the story is going to be like as quickly as possible. I don't want to read a lot of fancy descriptions of things. I don't want a bunch of scenes trying to make me emotionally invested in the characters. It takes me time to become emotionally invested in characters, so it's not going to happen in the first chapter no matter what. Anyway, I'm curious about other people's thoughts on the matter.

I always skip the first chapter of any novel.

The percentage of novels I knew that I read the 1st chapter can be counted in 1 hand.

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

I don't understand what you mean by a fancy first chapter. Can you give an example?