Getting Chapter One of your novel just right

Last week we talked about planning out that novel.  The week prior we talked about the research. One would wonder when you would get started on ACTUAL writing huh?  Well, have no fear, THIS would be the moment in which you’d begin. 

Chapter one, page one, word one begins now.  In your opening chapter, how you stage your novel begins here.  It’s not just about the staging of the manuscript that you need to pay attention to here, but also that of gathering attention, introducing your characters, and starting your plot.  Quite a bit huh?  (nods) exactly.  This chapter is exactly why many writers, publishers, editors, and agents focus so much on how a piece begins.  You want to not only set the stage for your readers and characters, but also grab everyone’s attention and hold it (hopefully) throughout the piece.

So as you get ready to write the first chapter of your novel, the one you have been researching and planning for in the past few days or weeks, remember, keep the cliché out of this part (hell, out of the entire piece actually) and get ready to embark and create your own  world.  It’s what you make it, now get it done.

As you begin your piece, which part are you struggling with the most to get centered and explained?