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You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.
~Jack London There are a million ways to start a story. If you're lucky, a brilliant opening line falls into your head from the Great Unknown. If you're like most writers, a good opening springs from the magical transformation of channeled gibberish into standard English we call "editing". Where to Start? A good opening unrolls like a “Welcome” mat, a door ajar, teasing us with a slice of fire lit walls and a warm rush of apples and cinnamon. “Come on in,” it says. What makes a good opening? The answer depends on the type of story. Some genres and themes require short, provocative lines to incite suspense while others flow more naturally with dialogue or description. But all good openings are crisp and enticing. The first paragraph is an introduction, and you always want to make a good first impression. You're shaking hands with the reader, presenting your characters and themes. This interaction is a contract, setting the tone for the remainder of the story. The best openings tease, giving just enough information to stir curiosity. While you don't want to "tell" too much, you do have to build trust with the reader, so orient them in time and space and play fair with the clues. Above all, grab their emotions. The first paragraph doesn’t have to hold shocking secrets to keep us reading, but it should make us ask questions. Tight and provocative isn't too much to ask, right? If you're stuck for an opening, don't sit and wait for the Muse to whisper a fantastic line in your ear--keep writing the middle and the beginning will appear. Or take inspiration from one of these authors and experiment with new ways to hook a reader. Where to start? There's the old standby of introducing the characters. Young Goodman Brown came forth at sunset into the street at Salem village; but put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to exchange a parting kiss with his young wife. "Young Goodman Brown", Nathaniel Hawthorne You can find the story online at several sites, including: http://www.classicreader.com/book/264/1/ It seems a basic, no frills line. Who/what/when/where/why. It also foreshadows the plot, each phrase symbolic of Young Goodman Brown’s journey into the forbidden, giving us the setting, the climax, the challenge, and the twist. Of course this example goes way beyond setting background and introducing characters. We can't expect our lines to be flawless gems of literary technique. We can only aspire to it.  If you normally set the background first and/or want a challenge, start at the end. Kyra was last to go, although she was youngest. I think we all secretly knew she would be. The surprise, really, was that Stephen was first. "The Loneliest Number"  by Ben Langhinrichs-quiet  The narrator speaks casually of events happening in the past, asking us to read on to get the context. The last to go where? How young is Kyra? Who is Stephen? I’m already horrified and I have no idea what’s going on. Starting at the end is tricky because you must use flashbacks. Plus, there's a delicate balance between teasing your readers and cheating them. Leaving out too much information causes confusion rather than interest. But when it works, the payoff is the satisfaction of solving a non-linear "puzzle". To create a sense of urgency or conflict, start in the middle. Skip the background and throw the reader into the action. The massive animal shook, snorted, and beat its hooves on the ground. We were so close that snot from its nostrils splashed at my feet, like ice balls in an unexpected storm. As the bull prepared to charge, my dog, Blacky, crashed against the enclosed stall over and over. "The Farm" by Coolhand  I'm standing beside a raging animal for two whole sentences until I learn it is a bull. Before I can decide if that's better or worse than my imagination, he charges. Luckily Blacky is there to protect me, or at least show where the bull is--safely enclosed in a stall. Perfect timing, as my blood pressure was rising. It's always nice to read a story and exercise your heart at the same time. Then again, there's the satisfaction of eavesdropping on a juicy conversation. What a fragrance to wake up to! Thank you, Florence. That was your name, wasn’t it? My mind comes and goes. "BREAD" by Joy  Dialogue works because it pull us into the space between two people trying to communicate. "Trying" implies this interaction is ripe for misunderstanding and conflict. From the mouths of characters we can get information on background, setting, motivation. It's an easy way to start the story wherever we want. Both dialogue and monologue can provide information that would be intrusive coming from an omniscient narrator. Monologue or first person narration is especially useful for displaying inner turmoil. I grew up afraid of my older sister. When I was five, she tried to drown me in the bathtub. "A Precious Gift" by iKïyå§ama  This shocking statement makes me read on despite dreading the next words. It wouldn't have the same punch in third person, and it wouldn't be realistic with long, flowery phrases. What have we learned from our fellow writers? Nothing, until we apply it.  Compare your opening lines to each other. Do you see a pattern? I've noticed I rely on dialogue and background too much. I am working toward adding more action to create balanced openings which set the scene, introduce the characters, hint at the plot, and grab the reader.In search of great first lines, I visited the ports of my favorite authors. Most of the stories I truly enjoyed did not have captivating opening lines or even great first paragraphs. I’m taking that to mean there’s always room for growth. And one awesome line only takes you to the next line, so consistency is key. A strong beginning is a contract with your reader. Once you've agreed on terms, the reader can relax and trust you to ply your trade. But it's only one tool in the writer’s toolbox. That's why we don't consider it a golden ruler, just a hook. Intriguing Openings: Do these opening lines make you want to keep reading? Why or why not? Be sure to let the author know what works and what doesn't.
“You think I’d sit through two hours of that rubbish?”
Tips and tricks to open chapters, but applies to short stories as well.
I’m the loner. The one the neighbors see, but look away, afraid I might speak. That is if they even see me at all. Apparently, I am invisible to society. I blend.
© Copyright 2009 1296462 Rising Stars' Best (UN: kimchi at Writing.Com).
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