LET THE STORY BEGIN
Exclusive Feature on
Most of the stories are left unwritten, deep within the author as he/she is unaware of how to START, where to BEGIN. Sharing 9 WAYS to say
goodbye to your dilemma and how to start your story.
As an author, writer, novelist, you must have felt the dilemma when you had the whole story, whole plot in your head, but you are not getting how to start. It is extremely crucial to start your story in a better way. Nothing can beat the hook that the beginning of the story has on the reader!
What if you come to know that there are several ways with which you can start your better off? The start that will keep that spark alive, give the readers and irresistible urge to turn that page? You are in a sense of euphoria right?
The catch is, you don't have to stick to the first line that swept your mind away. Just think of a setting in your story and start by creating a scene in your mind. Relax! It does not need to be perfect (editing will be done after you finish the story anyway). Hold your horses though, it is, unfortunately the truth that the
Yes! It is the best thing you could do in your opening lines
so that the reader can't put
it down.
beginning paragraph should have that captivating aura, that intrigue and most importantly it should also have the hint about the setting and the conflict about to take place - in short, the hook! This is because the agents or the editors you are pitching your book to, if they are not impressed by reading your first paragraph, it will not be published at all.
So, think of it as you are writing your story or the novel as a journey, and it's fate will be decided in a matter of first few seconds. For that, you have to launch it in the right direction.
Are you ready to know how to start? Keep on reading and you will come to know...
Enlighten the Reader
The best rule of the thumb of writing your first few lines is to include most the important craft elements. Imagine writing your story in few sentences. The crux of your plot, characters, the story you would like to tell the world out there, all reduced to few sentences. Well not all, but still most of it!
This need not lead to elaborate or complex openings. Simplicity will suffice. You pick up any book of famous authors, you will get an idea of the characterization, their point of view, basic idea of what the story is about, about whom and the most important, the conflict. The reader will get an overall idea without knowing the actual setting. This will definitely build the momentum and spark an interest in
Think of it as you are writing your story or the novel as a journey, and it's fate will be decided in a matter of first few seconds. For
that, you have to launch it in the right direction.
Enlighten The Reader
Build the Momentum
Do not Disappoint
Put in Some Action
Start with a Puzzle
Introduce the main Character
Master the Art of Seduction
Revisit the beginning after writing the end
Have a Distinctive Voice
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Introduce Protagonist/Antagonist
The short story or the novel you are writing, if it's character driven, you can always begin by introducing your main character, be it the protagonist or the antagonist.
You want the reader to know about the life the character is living and see the things through their perspective. As people, we relate with people and we compare with them. Lt the reader hook to the life of the character(s) and believe me, they are surely going to be arrested into the story.
If the narrator is first-person, show something intriguing through their eyes and let their voice speak. ‘I’m watching the cars crash again. I got here just in time.’
Master the Art of Seduction
I don't mean about 'that' seduction. What I mean by this is to write the opening lines to slowly snare the readers by suggestions about what's going to happen.
This is perfectly followed by mystery/suspense/thriller writers. You keep that intrigue alive. Keep them hooked, give them suggestions, let them predict the outcome. It may or may not be as per they expected.
It can definitely blow their mind away, trust me! They will keep on reading!
Revisit
Once finished writing your short story or novel, it's a good idea to revisit the beginning. Sometimes a story evolves so significantly during the writing process that an opening line, no matter how brilliant, no longer applies to the story that follows. The only way to know this is to reconsider the opening sentence, like the title, once the final draft of the story is complete. Often a new opening is called for. That doesn’t mean your first opening needs to be scrapped entirely; instead, file it away for use in a future project.
Consider this, the opening lines of the novel, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.” You are absolutely intrigued and would be dying to know what's going to happen next!
Have a Distinctive Voice
Focus on the voice you would like the story or the narrative to be told. It can be from Protagonist's perspective or Antagonist's perspective or some other. The opening lines should match the voice and should be distinct.
Your opening is the first and most important opportunity for the reader to encounter your narrative style, or voice. So give them a taste of it.
You can get a lot of ideas by following your favorite writers. See how they write their opening lines, how they begin their story. You can relate them with the complete story or the title of the novel.
For example, If your story has a first-person narrator, you need to establish their voice right at the beginning, so make sure their first words create an impression, and evoke a sense of the person saying them.
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KEEP THEM
HOOKED!
The Perfect way of getting your reader to read the complete book is to keep the
intrigue, the suspense alive, not just only in the beginning, but
throughout!
Test
All the things doesn't come in one go. It's always the best thing to test your title, opening lines with friends and family, An opening line, like a title, sometimes seems truly perfect—until you come up with several even better choices. Have you been struggling to write your captivating opening line?
Conclusion -
Don't let fear get the best of you. Hope these tips help you out in writing that captivating, intriguing opening lines for your short story or novel. Feel free to add in your tips and share with us too!
About Pria - Young mesmerizing freelance blogger, social enthusiast, an economics graduate from Jharkhand University with Master in Child Psychology. She is hardworking yet crazy, a passionate reader, an ardent music fanatic, an avid caffeine lover, and a maniacal animal lover too.
She has been a part of numerous anthologies, articles, and write-ups for newspapers and magazines which are multilinguistic. She has also written screenplays for YouTube series.
pria@storizen.com
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