[rant] If you are a new writer don't start with yet another fanfiction of a megapopular character or a "fresh" brother-fucks-sister masterpiece or ENP\mind control number billion. Few will read it. Why would they go for a barebones new story written by a novice instead of the same established story written by someone experienced? Your only good bet is to intrigue readers with something new, unusual, fun. Don't fall into the fallacy "it is easier to write following established tropes.". It is not! [/rant] What to do instead? Think about what you would like to read but never had a chance to. Write this. And, very importantly, make it clear what you are writing in the first chapter. In fact, make it clear in the first sentences. Show the reader what will be unusual in your story. Trust me, describing the protagonist's appearance can wait. As well as describing the appearance of a person they will fuck.
A thousand, nay, a million times yes! You have so, so, so little time to convince your readers that your story is worth reading. Be ruthless in your first 2-3 paragraphs, because if those are not attention-grabbers, your readers will never get to paragraph 4, let alone chapter 2.
This might be my quirk only, but I will mention it in case it helps someone cover their bases: When I peek into a story, I actually don't even read the first paragraphs first. I read the synopsis. If the synopsis sounds intriguing, then I give the first chapter some time, even if it's a slow start, because I have an idea it'll go somewhere intriguing. On the other hand, if the person has left the synopsis super open and vague, I'll give the opening much less leniency because I have no reason to suspect it's going somewhere I care about.
Solid advice! Starting with something fresh and unique is way more likely to grab attention than rehashing the same old tropes. Writing what *you* want to read but can’t find is a great way to stay motivated and stand out. And yeah hooking readers early with what makes your story different is key, save the character descriptions for later!
