Starting a Story

 

One of the most difficult parts of a story to write is the beginning. Where do you start? What do you need to include? And most importantly, how do you grasp (and hold) your audience’s attention?

 

 URL: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-power-of-a-great-introduction-carolyn-mohr

 

The beginning of a story is crucial for three reasons. Firstly, it is your first opportunity to  grab your reader’s attention and make them interested in the story you are telling. Secondly, it allows you to establish the tone or mood of your story, setting up a certain atmosphere that will influence how the audience reacts to the narrative that follows. Thirdly, it is where you must introduce key information regarding character, setting and plot.

There is no write or wrong way to begin a story. However, when it comes to writing your opening paragraphs, it is important that you lay a proper foundation for the story that is to follow. Consider the following prompting questions to help develop the beginning of your story. You don’t necessarily need to answer all these questions in the opening of your story, but you, as an author, should definitely know the answers!

 

 

 

 

 

Are you having trouble coming up with an idea to kick-off your story? Or do you want to play around with some different story opening to see what directions you can take them in? Below are a collection of the opening sentences to 10 potential stories which are just waiting to be finished. Select one (or two, or three…) and begin applying your new techniques, and see where these stories can go.

 

[One]

A man was sitting through a very long and boring church service with his wife. It was a very hot morning. The minister’s sermon seemed to be dragging on forever, and although he man tried his best to stay awake, eventually he couldn’t keep his head from nodding forward and he fell fast asleep. He dozed away for quite some time, until a menacing rumble woke him up.

 

[Two]

I thought it was going to be just another boring day at school. That was, of course, until the tiger fell in through the roof. 

 

[Three]

I settled into my hut without problems. After all, there wasn’t much to go wrong; maybe the diesel generator might pack up, but I could fix that. The floor was earthen, with mats made of woven grass. From outside, all I could hear were the sounds of the rainforest. Some of them were terrifying.

 

[Four]

Charlie woke up to a strange tickling at the back of his nose. His eyes scrunched up, his mouth gaped open, and he let out an almighty sneeze. A torrent of black stuff came shooting out of his nose. He cleared his throat and more black stuff came out of his mouth. Dazed, he stumbled into the kitchen and went to pour his rice bubbles into a bowl – so far so good – but when he went to pour the milk, all that came out of the carton was an oily black liquid.

 

[Five]

The sun dangles just above the sea. It looks like a dirty yellow light globe hung behind a fine misty veil of clouds. A warm breeze creates little mountain ranges on the slow water, and three boys are playing at the end of a short wooden boat ramp.

 

[Six]

I guess I was always what people call different, or way out, or a little nuts. Whether you like me or not, that’s how it is. Oh, I look like any other eleven-year-old with a thatch of tangled tawny hair, the correct number of fingers and toes, and green eyes that can open or shut. But I have a secret that no one has ever guessed.

 

[Seven]

Juliette was a proud girl, an elegant girl, and a snobbish girl. Those people who she liked and was friendly towards adored her. But those who she felt were below her – and there were many whom she treated cruelly and looked down upon with distaste – silently loathed her. However, this is a peculiar world, where actions can come back to haunt people in unexpected ways, and it did not take long before Juliette’s two-faced personality began to cause her trouble.

 

[Eight]

People came from miles around when they heard the news. Even as the music began to play, there were still throngs of delighted faces snaking through the city gates, jostling for space in the already bursting town square. The crowd cheered, trumpets blared, and banners jumped and danced in the cheerful breeze, as the three unlikely creatures were led up onto the stage.

 

[Nine]

I thought I knew what love was. I thought it was something beautiful and wholesome, wondrous and romantic; like the sound of birds singing in a summer’s sunrise. But know I know that love means so much more. And it all began when I was waiting at a bus stop.

 

[Ten]

This was not a happy street. Everyone who walked down it felt the same chill down their spine, and all who walked away said the same thing: that the house at 66 Grey Street was spiteful.

 

 

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