Some of the best books I have ever read make these mistakes.

One of the best writing advice I've gotten is from a filmmaker in a workshop on making 5-minute films: something has to change. Whether it's a character reaching their goal or not, their mood, the tone, something in the environment, our perception of the situation, or any other number of things -- something must change.

What are the BIGGEST mistakes for YouTube headlines (Avoid THESE Cliches!) Here is WHY!!

As a reader thinking over my own reading experience, I'm not sure about #1. It's really tricky: a moment of significant change or conflict hits harder and I care more about it if I first have a sense of what's normal for the character(s) or their world. But, as noted, taking time at the beginning to establish that "normal" can risk losing the reader.

One thing that I often struggle with in my writing is learning to leave room for imagination. You should describe the imagery, but you have to let the reader fill in the rest, because it shouldn't be about the author imagining it, it should be about the reader imagining what you are describing.

This pulls your reader in more because of their imaginative investment

Great stuff. I like the idea of the story question at the beginning; 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' 'It was a pleasure to burn.' 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' And we can't ignore 'In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.' All the great stories start off with a great line and/or the story question.

Actually, here's a good advice am sure most writers and wannabe writers know but - never start in the beginning, always work from the middle towards the beginning

Edit: Point 4 counterargument - literally the Illiad and any ancient epic poem

Tips for a Great Opening: Imagery, without being too descriptive, sprinkle some words that help the reader paint a mental picture. Action, some kind of action makes that image memorable. Evoke emotion, that is what glues those images and actions into your psyche, the feelings they evoke.  The emotions can be good, bad, or both, but remember that you are also setting the tone here, so make sure it is consistent with the tone you want your story to take.

I agree with not wasting time and showing off your skills in the first chapter to instantly hook readers, but I also agree with taking your time. A lot of times a quick-to-the-point story is amazing, but those that take their time to get there usually reward you greatly. Take Quentin Tarantino for example. A lot of his writing and directing is slow as hell, taking his sweet ass time. And his stories become so memorable, so unforgettable, turning into fan faves. He breaks a lot of rules when it comes to writing stories. And it works.

This is an excellent list. I wasn't expecting your capstone item, so well done. :)

One of my favorite openings is to the first Indiana Jones movie, when we get a mini-adventure with the protagonist, that encapsulates for the viewer what the larger story is going to be about.

It's an idea I incorporate into all my opening chapters now. What is this story about, in miniature? While we're at it, who is the protagonist? (Don't waste time with something that happened a thousand years ago. Who is your protagonist, right now?) What's the magic system like? (Let's see it in action and get the general flavor of it.) Etc. Don't give away everything, and give only as much exposition as is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for your reader to follow along with the scene. You can get into greater detail later, when you've earned the privilege of doing so.

I've just completed two first chapters for two wildly different projects, and I've found once you get this technique down, it just works.

Just discovered your channel and feels like I found hidden treasure.
I watch a lot of these videos that gives writing advice, and yours are one of the bests. I can tell these are all well thought out and you give the impression that you really know your stuff. Also you even give examples so it is easier to understand for a non English native speaker like me
I hope you stay motivated doing this and gain more subs! This quality deserves at least 100k+

Thank you for the advice. Strange thing though, the beginning is about a thief stealthing into a building during a rainy night.

FACTS.
It's just funny how people be like:"owh yeah , first 100 pages is quite boring and slow , but in 2nd book it really starting cool action , and final plot twist in the 9th book is stunning "...

Good advice all the way through! I saved this to watch a second time (or more). I do believe in hooking the reader immediately. I agree, over-describing is one of the worst mistakes new writers make.

I was already thinking of restarting my book with a more mysterious scene, but I wasn't sure. Thanks to your advice I will definitely go for it.

The best first chapter should contain: a clear purpose,a clear main character introduction and show its motivations and personality and a a clear world setting and premise,if you have these,I think the intro is perfect,naturally you can give hints of the power system or something like that as well or the tone of the series as well

My story starts after the first inciting incident. I want to take the approach where what lead to the situation the character is in is revealed later in the story after it gets some setup. The focus of my story is magic. The premise is basically "Harry Potter but set in another realm". More specifically, my character is sent to another realm to learn magic.

The story starts on Earth as my MC waits at what is basically the Kingscross Station of my story. This chapter is meant to be juxtaposed with the following chapter when she enters the otherworld-- the setting jumps from a cold winter night to a sunny spring morning. This is meant to reflect my characters mindset and how this is a new chapter for her.  

Since my story is about magic, i want to introduce it in some way in this opening chapter, i just haven't decided how yet. I'm also worried there won't be enough of a hook introduced here.

Off topic but you got a really unique voice man

I like that my novel starts out in a specific house, and that house incorporates a lot of elements which are brought up more often, including emotional conflict. The house is present in the subsequent two parts as well. By being forced to leave the house, my first book's MC is invested instead in understanding her mother's complicated journey and also being put into that same space.