Where to Begin?

RunawayScribe · Jan 20, 2009

As far as novels go, what kind of action do you like to start off a plot? Fast-paced/high-tension? Or something lower key (with a good hook, of course) that you crescendo from as you go?

I'm doubting my story's opening. The story itself is a combination of suspense-horror, but I started it on a fairly tame note, with the MC working in her office. It's not that it doesn't fit - it introduces her and the setting to come well, I think - but I'm wondering if its tonal inconsistency with the rest of the story will be a problem and if it might be better to start the story in a different place.

Am I making sense?

Any thoughts on this?

scarletpeaches · Jan 20, 2009

Grab my interest.

Hold it for 300 pages.

That is all.

Kitty Pryde · Jan 20, 2009

Start with your MC having a problem--she's suspended by her toes over a pot of bubbling stew, her boss is tormenting her, her husband just joined the circus, her kid got hit by a car, etc. It could take place in the office. Just don't open with your MC mooching around the office, talking about the latest episode of Desperate Housetramps with the gossipy office accountant.

NeuroFizz · Jan 20, 2009

Start where the story begins, not with how-do-you-do's and what-a-lovely-place-you-have-here.

Danthia · Jan 20, 2009

Action for the sake of action is almost always boring, because there's no context for it. Action hooks only when we care about the person in the middle of the action. If you jump in before readers have a chance to care, it's just stuff.

A good opening is one that offers the reader a character that intrigues them and something they want to know more about. It can be a mystery, a funny line, a likable person, a riddle, etc. Someone has a problem or situation that needs fixing, and something bad will happen if it's not fixed. (And I mean these in the most general terms. Bad can be end-of-the-world bad or a more private personal bad).

Good openings make the reader desperate the know what happens next. Every line makes them want to read the next line. Every paragraph, the next paragraph. Every page the next page. And it keeps pulling the reader along until the end.

Good openings also set the reader up for the ride to come. Lets them know the kind of story they're in for. Sets up expectations.

dwellerofthedeep · Jan 20, 2009

Start with an opening that showcases your greatest strength as writer as well as hooking the reader.

It is important, I think, to not keep the reader waiting for the good stuff that will make your book one they love.

BlueLucario · Jan 20, 2009

I do a crescendo.

I don't know precisely how to start a beginning but I know this:

No infodumping -- We care about the story, not the history of dragons
No pointless description of the main character or how his/her bedroom looks like

As for character development: Give us an idea of what the character is like. How he communicates with others. I would like to think of it like a job interview. Everything we do would give the employer an impression of what we are like as people.

Jcomp · Jan 20, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
Start where the story begins....

Best, advice, EVER.

Seriously, every story has a starting point--and that's where you begin. It really is that simple. If your story doesn't start on a huge, momentous, intense moment, don't force one. It's okay to have a more low key beginning so long as it's intriguing.

Bubastes · Jan 20, 2009

What NeuroFizz said.

I've also heard it described as "start on the day that is different." The story begins when life as your MC knows it changes in some way.

BlueLucario · Jan 20, 2009

Bubastes said:
What NeuroFizz said.

I've also heard it described as "start on the day that is different." The story begins when life as your MC knows it changes in some way.

THere's the problem I have with one of my stories, where does it begin? I could spend a week thinking as hard as I can, and still wouldn't know where the story starts.

cwfgal · Jan 20, 2009

RunawayScribe said:
As far as novels go, what kind of action do you like to start off a plot? Fast-paced/high-tension? Or something lower key (with a good hook, of course) that you crescendo from as you go?

I'm doubting my story's opening. The story itself is a combination of suspense-horror, but I started it on a fairly tame note, with the MC working in her office. It's not that it doesn't fit - it introduces her and the setting to come well, I think - but I'm wondering if its tonal inconsistency with the rest of the story will be a problem and if it might be better to start the story in a different place.

Am I making sense?

Any thoughts on this?

Don't introduce your character to the reader at the start, let them get to know her gradually through the overall action, her reactions, actions, and dialogue. Why would a reader care who she is or what she thinks, or what she does unless there is some overriding interest to make the reader care? Give out info in tidbits, building the character as you go.

Think about it like this. You're sitting in an airport waiting on your flight. Lots of people (presumably strangers) are milling about nearby, doing whatever it is they do. Do you care about any of them? Do you have a vested interest in any of them? What would make one of them pique your interest? What would make one of them intriguing? What would make you single out one of these people, focus on her, and become enthralled by her? And do you really need to know her name, her job, her family situation, or anything else about her in order to become interested in her situation and how she reacts to it?

You have to make the reader vest early and care enough about the action and your character. Otherwise they will go people watch elsewhere.

Beth (not new here but in absentia for a long time)

cwfgal · Jan 20, 2009

One other thing...write your story and don't worry about the beginning until you're done. Then go back and look at the first scene where something exciting happens. Consider deleting most, if not all, of what comes before and making this your beginning. You'd be surprised how easy it is to tell the story without all that info-dump material up front.

Beth

Sirion · Jan 20, 2009

Internal struggle is just as interesting, and often times more interesting, than outside action. Nothing has to blow up in the first few pages to grab a reader's attention, but a situation must be presented to the reader which will make him want to continue on.

ChaosTitan · Jan 20, 2009

Going along with NeuroFizz, start at the latest possible moment.

Stunted · Jan 20, 2009

I basically agree with what everyone else has said, but I'd like to add that it's absolutely fine to start off with something low key, but if you do, you need to make it immediately clear to the reader what kind of book they're in for.

Novelist in Paradise · Jan 20, 2009

cwfgal said:
One other thing...write your story and don't worry about the beginning until you're done. Then go back and look at the first scene where something exciting happens. Consider deleting most, if not all, of what comes before and making this your beginning. You'd be surprised how easy it is to tell the story without all that info-dump material up front.

Beth

Agree. Is the story done, runaway? I reckon that's the first thing in finding the opening.

Many writers get hung up on the opening. It is indeed important in the final revision, but not really all that much in the first draft.

The Lonely One · Jan 20, 2009

Sometimes you have to reach the end before you figure out how to begin. How annoying is that?

ath · Jan 20, 2009

hi, not sure if im even aloud to post this

but might want to check out this podcast by writing excuses

http://www.writingexcuses.com/
(episode 15 season 2)

Telstar · Jan 21, 2009

Hook me.

What I hate the most is messy beginnings, where I dont know what's going on, dozens of pages of action that go nowhere. I expect to know in a few pages, not in a few chapters.

Suggested reading: Noah Lukeman, The first five pages

Telstar · Jan 21, 2009

The Lonely One said:
Sometimes you have to reach the end before you figure out how to begin. How annoying is that?

Oh, this hides a really good advice:
know the ending before you write the beginning.

Hillgate · Jan 21, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Grab my interest.

Hold it for 300 pages.

That is all.

I think that pretty much sums it up!

RunawayScribe · Jan 21, 2009

Novelist in Paradise said:
Agree. Is the story done, runaway? I reckon that's the first thing in finding the opening.

Many writers get hung up on the opening. It is indeed important in the final revision, but not really all that much in the first draft.

No, I'm not done yet. I have a pretty good idea of how I want to wrap things up, but I'm only about halfway through the first draft - about 50,000 words at this point.

That makes sense - I probably shouldn't worry about it too much until I'm done. You've all given me a lot to think about. Thanks, and feel free to keep it coming.

tehuti88 · Jan 21, 2009

I don't really care for the WHAM BANG BOOM action openings, but at the same time I don't really care for openings where nothing's happening. I like openings where there's some sort of interesting question posed--why is this happening?--what's going on and what's at stake here? Sort of suspenseful--not vague, but not hit-me-over-the-head obvious--something that draws me in out of curiosity. I'm like a small animal. I want something shiny to catch my attention but I don't want it jumping out at me and scaring me off.

I can't give examples. It all depends how a writer pulls it off. I'm willing to take any kind of opening if the story is good, but this is the kind I prefer. *shrug*

Sirion · Jan 21, 2009

tehuti88 said:
I'm like a small animal. I want something shiny to catch my attention but I don't want it jumping out at me and scaring me off.

*Puts in Signature*

tehuti88 · Jan 21, 2009

TTCleveland said:
*Puts in Signature*

*LMAO* Thanks for that.

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