What makes a good first episode?

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In your opinon what do you believe makes a first good episode?
What keeps you reading and interested?
Or what turns you off or makes you uninterested?

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It’s hard to explain, I like it if there is a (good flashback.) like the main character is running for there life or something. And then they say something like “out of everything that I would have expected this wasn’t one of them. I hadn’t realised the danger I got myself into.” And then it starts the story from the beginning. Something like that makes the reader think “what’s going to happen, why are they running, are they going to be ok?”

Which encourages you to carry on. I’m not big for a lot of narration at the start such as;

I live in a big town, this is my dad, mum, sister (all introduced separatly) this is my school, my friend, my teacher, me… it’s not very engaging I think. Some narration may be needed and some can be a good thing but tey not to drag it out. Show rarther than tell…

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I agree with you on the narration thing, like I’d rather the characters be introduced through the story, naturally. Instead of it being like, this is jake and he’s a “bad boy” and he doesn’t notice me.:roll_eyes:

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  • Poor directing
  • More than a few spelling and grammar mistakes
  • Lack of plot build up
  • Poorly written dialogue
  • Long narration explanations where actual directing could be used
  • Authors writing on subjects they know nothing about. (College, drugs, pregnancy, medical, etc).
  • No build up in romantic relationships (if present in story)
  • Lack of original ideas or your own personal twist on a cliche
  • An undesirable MC to play as. I cringe away from irrational, doormat, or irritating or embarrassing MCs.
  • No choices available
  • Choices that aren’t really a choice after all.
  • A great plot! First and foremost!
  • Interesting and memorable characters.
  • A relatable MC or an otherwise intriguing MC.
  • Choices! Especially ones that matter.
  • Smooth and realistic dialogue.
  • Distinct personality differences between characters.
  • Good directing! I will happily read a story with basic directing even as long as it’s done well.
    Proofread 50 times and have a reviewer check it out.
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How would you go about building up a romantic relationship between two characters? (Sorry for the late repy.)

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A build up over multiple episodes instead of putting all yours cards out on the table in the first few episodes

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And by the first few episodes you mean not the first 3 right?

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Right. You don’t want the story to hit it’s climax early on.

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okay, thx.

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I totally agree on the slow buildup with the romance. I looooove stories where the romance is a slow burn and I’m just sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the characters to get together. Often times if the characters get together too quickly I think to myself, what’s the point of continuing to read the story now? (that is if the romance is a central point to the story.)

Also, there needs to be something in the very first episode that grabs my attention and makes me feel I need to keep reading more, whether that’s a really good cliff hanger, a premonition of what’s to come, or just a really engaging plot/characters…there has to something super compelling in that very first episode.

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Moved to Episode Fan Community since Site Feedback is about the forums. Make sure to check out our Forum Tutorial for more info about where to correctly create topics, and feel to PM me if there are any questions. :wink:

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