How to START A STORY
There are so many ways in this world to start a story.
→ You could begin with a flashback, or even a vision of the future. You could start with dialogue, or even with the weather. It all depends.
In this segment of How to's, I will teach YOU how to begin your work of art!
• • • To start, I'd like to say, one book that has definitely helped me mature as a writer, and a critic was Yuffie's How to's which is an amazing book with over 200 CHAPTERS on how to make yourself a better writer. I'm not sure how many chapters I'm planning on doing, but I'm most definitely NOT at 200 yet.
Well, today I'm going to use the six ways Yuffie said you can begin a story (with the exception of a Prologue. That's a whole other chapter).
• • • Before you even begin to WRITE, you must remember to add three key elements to your first chapter.
- You should always introduce the main PROTAGONIST (or another main character)
~ Note that the story IS about the main character, so it make a lot more sense to introduce she/he first, rather than some random scientist who is trying to kill them.
- Reveal a bit about them!
~ When I say a bit about them, I mean PERSONALITY. Let's say the story is about a kind girl who wants to grow up and become a veterinarian. The first chapter could be that she saves a baby bird, or helps a bunny that has a broken ear.
→ Something that gives away who they are without putting it out there in bold words. What does this tell you about the MC?
Sheryl stood against the wall for a few minutes before deciding to ditch Benny. Just as she turned around she heard a voice call her name raggedly. "Sheryl! Wait for me!" he huffed, running up beside her. Sheryl ignored the gasping boy and walked on, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
"Sheryl, c'mon, I saw you waitin' for me. We have to do the play.
" She turned to face Benny for a second - watching his hopeful eyes carefully - before clearing her throat and spitting in his surprised face.
"I ain't doin' a play with nobody!" She turned on her heel and walked away.
These paragraph tells you a lot about the relationship between Sheryl and Benny. She obviously doesn't want to be there, and he wants to be her friend. I gave it away with the phrase,'hopeful eyes.'
- Introduce a problem (MOST of the time)
~ Not all problems need to start in the beginning. Although, most stories start that way. In V. C Andrews' book, Flowers in the Attic, the problem arises when Catherine's father is killed in a car accident. Because of this, and the fact that her mother was petty and didn't want - or know how to get - a job, they had to plead to her grandmother to save themselves from poverty.
→ In Eragon, he found Sapphira's egg within the first chapter, which led to him becoming a Rider, one that WAS NOT under the influence of the king.
→ In Stephanie Myer's, Twilight, Bella moves from Arizona to Forks, Washington, and on the first day of school meets Edawrd Cullen, the guy who seems to hate her. And then turns out to be her vampire BOYFRIEND! I wish there would've been a plot twist and and she ended up with Emmet, so Rosalie got mad and tried to kill her. And the Rosalie accidentally kills Emmet, and THEN AND ONLY THEN did she end up with Edward.
Plot twist af.
• • •
To start your story...
There are many ways to actually BEGIN your story, so I'll start with one of the six.
• Weather
Starting with, "It was foggy outside, and the wind blew up the shafts" may not be the best way to start your book, depending on who you are and how you write. If your book begins in the cemetery, then it may be crucial to state the weather. Perhaps the fog gives the graves around you an eerie glow, and then suddenly zombies attack.
Starting with weather is arguably a fifty/fifty chance of actually enticing your readers.
• Action
Starting with some action is a great way to start an Adventure or Action Novel, but stating why or how it happened is a crucial part of starting with action. Saying their swords clashed would be exciting, but you would lose interest quickly if they can't follow.
Having someone yell, "This is for Princess Angela!" and then they battle to the death over the princess makes more sense. Make sure to state the reason the action is being held, without taking any AWESOMENESS from the actual event.
• Introduction
"I shouldn't be writing this" is a good way to start some stories. It makes the readers intrigued to know they are reading something that could potentially ruin someone's life. Let's say its a journal of an old pioneer. He finds a hidden island with treasure galore, but doesn't want anyone finding out about it. In turn, he makes all his crewmates to never say anything about it, but one person does, and tells people all about the treasures island.
He could be slain for that, yet he still writes it, and it makes us hungry for more.
Other ways to start an introduction type beginning is "It is a sin to write down my story but I must" or even "I was a mistake that was conceived" and the list goes on and on!
• A quote
So perfectly simple. Find a quote that can summarize your chapter or story beautifully.
• Dialogue
This is a technique I use often to begin my stories. Beginning with a few words or sentences can create a link between the reader and the character. One story I started with an argument, going: "You're dry."
The main character went, "I'm dry? I really hope you aren't talking to me Danny." It gives insight to the personality of the character. It makes you think who's Danny? Why did he call her dry? Is she mad? Is she being sarcastic? It makes the reader think. It tells you she is a fearless kind of person who threatens Danny often, and Danny tells you that her character is dry, boring, drab.
• Prologue
I am going to write a whole chapter on this so to read this would be a little more than pointless.
Those were the six Yuffie stated, but I have one more that definitely makes an impact on the reader.
• Onomatopoeia
My original way starting with sounds. Clang, clang, clang went the swords. Click, clack, click, clack went her heels on the sidewalk.
Sounds can make a difference. It makes the readers imagine they are there and can practically hear the sounds in their head as the evil mistress walks toward the protagonist. The clang of swords tells you that two soldiers or guards are fighting, or maybe bandits.
Okay, Thanks for reading, come next time for How to COME UP WITH A NAME
~ Absolutely_Positive ♥
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E DI T E D 10/3/16
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How To WRITE Awesomely
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