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Revision and editing are probably the hardest parts of writing (aside from the dreaded marketing blurb). So, my advice is to get the initial revisions done to chapter one, and then re-read the whole thing. Make notes when something happens that you don’t think was properly introduced, or hinted at in earlier stages of the story. Read it aloud, if you can (and this is something I drive my family insane by doing). Here’s the thing. When you’re revising and editing, you hit a phrase, or a sentence, and you think, “Oh, that was great, I don’t want to lose that.” Experience has taught me those are the first bits I need to let go of, because they are going to hold me back. I copy and paste them to a separate document, and I leave them there. Most of the time, when I do that, I find myself writing something much clearer and stronger, because I’m not trying to bend the story to fit that pretty turn of phrase or that insanely seductive and often obscure word I’ve fallen for. When I’m done, there might be a place for that word or phrase, and I can copy it and bring it back into the chapter, but if not, I have a file of pretty phrases and words to serve as plot bunnies and inspiration for a new story.

I definitely don’t think it would make sense to do that. What happens in Chapter 2 doesn’t make as much sense without Chapter 1. In fact, the end of Chapter 1 sets up Chapter 2 and the next ones. It’s just a question of how to fix my lack of work on the early part of Chapter 1.

Yeah, maybe that would be a better way to go about it. I do think there is some rather obvious reasons why it happens in Chapter 1. I probably want to add a few more sentences to Chapter 1’s tackle scene. It’s not the only point where this comes up but it is the most obvious way in which it could be a glaring difference. Give a few details on the circumstances but not do a whole page on what happens.

If the first chapter does not match the rest of the story it might be a real challenge to fill in the blanks. Writing is writing no matter what you work on, but motivation matters a lot so if you don’t feel inspired by redoing chapter 1 it might be better to work on future chapters. Perhaps you can write a new beginning that jumps directly into chapter 2. The ideas in the bullet points can be used for flash backs that you use in later chapters to explain what happened before your current chapter 2?

Given that the tackles in both chapters are done with different motivation/intent, you don’t necessarily need to make Chapter 1 more detailed to match Chapter 2. That’s my opinion, anyway. But if you want to add a bit more detail to indicate the mood, that might help set the stage for the next chapter by making the differences in the tackles clearer.

My potter fanfic… yeah, chapters 1-5 of the previous edition, are now at least chapters 1-174 (haven’t quite finished where the old chapter-5 ended).

I appreciate it, although maybe I should be a little more clear. I just did a review of the first chapter a few days ago and added some stuff to it. But here’s where it becomes an issue. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 both have a scene where one character tackles another. In chapter 1 it’s more antagonistic, whereas in chapter 2 it’s more playful and fun. However, in Chapter 1, the tackle/struggle is less than a quarter of a page long and the description of basically amounts to “Buffy tackles Harmony and they struggle. The struggle is broken up by Spike.” with some dialogue involved. In Chapter 2, the tackle/struggle is over a page long and details what arm was used by which character to play with each other. It’s quite detailed about how they do what to each other. So I look at the difference between the tackle/struggle in chapter 1 and the tackle/struggle in chapter 2 and I wonder if I should detail out the tackle in chapter 1 and how much more detail I should do. I get that it’s partly just a question of choice.

Well partly both. I feel like I more accurately portrayed emotions of the characters in later chapters. Where this comes in is, the story involves a character getting some of her female friends involved in her relationship with a guy. When I finished the first chapter, I felt like I had properly given justification for the future chapters. She was in an emotional place where it made sense. However, I didn’t think about going back and making sure the first chapter made it work. I now worry that the first 7 pages of the first chapter doesn’t justify where the story ends by chapter 1. I was emotionally invested in the story at the time. Not so much anymore. So I worry that the adding to the first 7 pages that I just did, isn’t getting the emotions across.

How about write a draft out and see where it gets you? (ie, don’t worry about it until you’re done with that.)

Is it your emotional connection that worries you, or that of your readers?