Where would you say your story begins?

HourglassMemory · Nov 17, 2007

I'm not expecting answers like "on the 1st page" and such. :tongue

I want you to tell us the pivotal moment you think your story really begins.
WHERE it happens.
Sure there's stuff happening before the BIG thing happens, but where do you think your story would start being the story you always wanted to put on paper?
I understand that you could think "Well, where my story begins, it's where my book begins! Why would I write stuff that didn't matter?"
But that's not really what I'm asking.

On my main WIP, what you see throughout the book is influenced by a single lecture given by my MC. Were it not for that lecture, nothing afterwards would happen.
I made this moment my prologue, because in the 1st chapter I begin about 3 days after that lecture, and in all chapters, you see the inevitable effect of that lecture on what happens.

Of course if my story became famous it would be famous for what happened 10th chapters later until the end.
But it all has to begin somewhere, and my story began with a lecture.
Where would you say yours began?
In a park? a plane? A ship? A forest? Castle? Living room watching tv?
What did a character do that started it all?
The place and time! that's what I want to know.

Maprilynne · Nov 17, 2007

Wow, I know this isn't the answer you wanted, but the event that sets the entire book into motion happens in my first two pages.

Melanie Nilles · Nov 17, 2007

I cut out 10,000 words of my short, making it shorter, because I realized the story I wanted didn't begin at the beginning I thought I wanted. Rather, the part I liked began later. Now it's tighter and shorter, hopefully it will stay short enough to submit to WotF.

JoNightshade · Nov 17, 2007

Interesting question. And in thinking about it, I have an interesting answer.

Actually my book begins with the death of my MCs mother. This is not so interesting except for the fact that this happens years before the opening of my story and I am only planning on mentioning it once in the entire book. But my MC is the person she is because she is responsible for the death of her mother. She abandons her own life, becomes completely closed, and focuses her existence on supporting her father. She probably would have done those things anyway, to some degree, but her mother's death was the moment that really solidified who she is. The book itself is her coming out of her hole and finally living her own life.

In my finished novel... the beginning is... hm. I think it's when my MC finally decides to venture out of his shell and ends up meeting someone at a cafe. That's really the point at which he begins to change and grow.

JohnDavidPaxton · Nov 17, 2007

First book begins at the start of chapter two when the main character is dragged into a situation he doesn't comprehend.

HourglassMemory · Nov 17, 2007

Maprilynne said:
Wow, I know this isn't the answer you wanted, but the event that sets the entire book into motion happens in my first two pages.

Lol where does ti happen?
there's no need fo rdetails.
I was just curious what were the places where big stories start.

Joe Moore · Nov 17, 2007

Most agents and editors will tell you that the biggest mistake many writers make is starting their story in the wrong place. Here are a couple of thoughts to consider. Start your story at the moment your main character's life is jolted out of the norm into chaos. Whether it's mental, physical or spiritual, begin at the moment of "impact". And also keep in mind Kurt Vonnegut's rules of writing, particularly #5 which is to start your story as close to the end as possible. Here's a post I wrote last May on the subject over at InkSpot. Good luck.

GeorgieB · Nov 17, 2007

WIP #1 begins when my MC returns from a canoe camping trip and finds that he has a new neighbor who is female, attractive, and single. But the story doesn't really start until chapter 2 1/2 when he discovers that she is also his new boss. Throw in a nasty company and a less-than-nice CEO and off we go.

WIP #2 begins when my MC discovers tow bodies in a snow drift. Happens also in chapter 2.

WIP #3 (NaNo tripe) is a re-telling of a fairy tale (Snow White) from a risque point of view, and starts right there on line 1, chapter 1 with "Once upon a time..."

I also have another work that's being edited that starts immediately when he discusses a problem with a couple of gym attendents. The crux of the story happens later but laying out the problem in chapter 1, scene 2 seemed to be the right way to start the story.

Danger Jane · Nov 17, 2007

It really DOES start on the first page. The two MCs, a mother and daughter, meet each other for the first time on the first page. It's a big moment. Happens on the mother's private island on the Aegean.

KTC · Nov 17, 2007

My story starts with the first sentence. It is probably the most important sentence in the story as far as I'm concerned. I concentrate a lot of effort on that first sentence BECAUSE I want the story to start with that sentence. It is the way it has to be.

ETA: The story I am thinking about at the moment is called SUMMER ON FIRE. It is the story of 3 boys who burn a barn down...and from the barn fire there is a series of escalating events...house fire...murder...weeks long cover up of the murder...etc, etc, etc. The fire starts in the first sentence...therefore, so does my story.

Sean D. Schaffer · Nov 17, 2007

In my present novel WIP, the story hasn't really begun yet, and I've finished Chapter 3 just today (My NaNoWriMo piece). It will probably begin a few chapters beyond where I'm at right now, but since I'm winging this piece, I really do not have an idea at present where exactly the story will begin.

Toothpaste · Nov 17, 2007

Well for Alex it's pretty easy as I have a line at the very end of the third chapter that reads: "I suppose you could say that this is where our story Truly Begins."

Not that the three chapters before it weren't necessary. But to be honest, I like a bit of set up and backstory (not just as a writer but as a reader). Yes yes not what an agent or editor would say, but well, I'm not an agent or editor!

CACTUSWENDY · Nov 17, 2007

...Mine starts out with the serial killer getting rid of his latest victim. First line, first chapter.
Second chapter is leading into the finding of another dead body. Different killer.
Third chapter is police coming into the story.

Since my MC is a cop and the minor MC is a serial killer I have to weave their two stories through out the book. I also have to weave the 'different killer' into it. Keeps the pace moving right along. (Blood, mayhem, death. The perfect ingredients for a crime book.)

Not sure if that is what you were looking for. But this is how mine sits right now. You are dumped into the storyline from the first and ushered through the whole story with them both, plus another to keep your mind working.

Still lots of work to do on making it tighter and cleaning it up, but this lay out is what it will stay at.

LilliCray · Nov 17, 2007

Mine starts with a trip to Europe. There's only one scene at the moment that takes place *in* Europe, but the events of the story would be totally different if my MC's brother (also an MC) hadn't boarded that plane. Plus it's a good way to illustrate their sibling-y affection.

Khazarkhum · Nov 17, 2007

NaNo: On the battlefield, where FMC is running away.

Finished & ready to query: When FMC finds out she's getting married to an evil man.

J. R. Tomlin · Nov 17, 2007

My story (the most recent one) starts five minutes before my MC's whole world falls apart.

sanctuary6284 · Nov 17, 2007

Currently, my story starts with my MC and his mother being thrown into a canyon, but this could change since the entire work is still in development.

Storyteller5 · Nov 17, 2007

The novel I am currently revising begins at the mailboxes in their apartment building when her friend finds out about the letters she is getting. I'm pretty certain it starts in the right place.

Sean D. Schaffer · Nov 17, 2007

I think I've found my novel's starting place. Chapter 4 seems to be where everything starts to change for the MC.

I just finished that chapter, and it looks and feels like the beginning of the story.

Maprilynne · Nov 17, 2007

HourglassMemory said:
Lol where does ti happen?
there's no need fo rdetails.
I was just curious what were the places where big stories start.

It starts on a grass field just off a track (like a running track around a football field.) The key to an intriguing start is not to have it occur in an exciting place, but for the events to have great impact. That can happen anywhere.

HopelessDreamer · Nov 17, 2007

The true plot doesn't emerge until around Chapter Five, but the story leads up to what happens before that.

Stew21 · Nov 17, 2007

My MC is trying to avoid an ugly break up in Instant Messenger when his mother calls. He hasn't spoken to his family in 18 months. She breaks the ex-communication to tell him that his father dies. And this truly is the start of a chain of events that IS the story. No back story, no lead in. Just Hello, you're in my story now.
first two pages.

sunna · Nov 17, 2007

Mine starts on page five, with an assassination attempt gone wrong. The first four pages are lead in.

DeleyanLee · Nov 17, 2007

HourglassMemory said:
I want you to tell us the pivotal moment you think your story really begins. WHERE it happens.

Oh so very easy, actually: Jack the Ripper takes his first victim in 1888, and inspires my Hero's lover to commit suicide. Everything cascades from that point and ties back into it.

Without that, there is no story.

ishtar'sgate · Nov 17, 2007

When my MC gives King Nabonidus the news that a good omen accompanies his return to Babylon after a ten year absence.
Linnea

Where would you say your story begins?

HourglassMemory

Maprilynne

Author Waiting in the Wings

Melanie Nilles

What're you looking at?

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

JohnDavidPaxton

HourglassMemory

Joe Moore

GeorgieB

Almost a wannabe writer

Danger Jane

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Sean D. Schaffer

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

LilliCray

Plot? What plot?

Khazarkhum

J. R. Tomlin

sanctuary6284

Mental Supernova

Storyteller5

Say something...

Sean D. Schaffer

Maprilynne

Author Waiting in the Wings

HopelessDreamer

Stew21

sunna

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

ishtar'sgate

living in the past