How to Start a Story

Outline the plot. The plot sketch should include a general idea of what will happen and to whom. You can write as detailed or as brief as you like. Write at least one sentence per scene or chapter, depending on the length of the piece, but don’t fret about having to provide every little detail. You will do that later! ^[6]

• Outline the whole plot instead of just writing the opening so you know where your story is going.
• This step is not suitable for everyone. If you feel stuck when writing a plot outline, just start writing the story right away and work out the details as you write.

Make a brief bio for each main character. You can also create less detailed bios for the supporting characters if you want. Some character bio information may never be included in your story, but the facts will help you build the characters to the full, and that will make your story interesting. better taste for readers! You can find character bios and character profiles online, but some basics for writing character bios include: ^[7]

• Height, weight, race, eye color, hair color, skin color, health
• Personal disability, habits, hobbies, ways of talking, introverted or extroverted personality
• Biggest defect, best quality
• Education, intelligence, short-term and long-term goals
• The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to them
• What are they most proud of?
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Relationships with other characters

Set context . The setting in a story can dictate a character’s actions, their past, and future opportunities. For example, the setting of a story in the countryside in Brazil would be completely different from that in space, as these two environments influence what characters can and cannot do. Consider how the setting can affect the character, and whether the setting changes throughout the length of the novel. Some important issues to consider include: ^[8]

• What year does the story take place?
• Climate and time of year
• Rivers, mountains, trees and geographical elements
• The cultural and political environment of your chosen location
  • For example, a story set in Washington DC might be about politics.
  • The story’s setting in Paris can refer to fashion or famous architectural works like Eiffel.

Choose your point of view in the story. There are three perspectives: first person (pronoun “I”), second person “you/you”) and third person (“he/she/them”). The perspective you choose will guide the story. ^[9]

• Are you telling the story through your protagonist’s eyes? If so, your story will be told in the first or third person in limited circumstances (the pronouns he/she/they still express the main character’s thoughts).
• Is your story told through the narrator’s words? In this case, you would probably use the third person to state all of the character’s thoughts or not to include any thoughts.
• Second-person perspective is less common, as this narrative can lead the reader astray or confuse. Before choosing to write a story with a second-person narration, you should consult books or short stories that use this perspective.

Find the starting point. You probably don’t want to start with going back too long or jumping too far into the future. Remember that you are introducing the reader to a new world (even in realistic fiction), so you need to give the reader a chance to familiarize themselves with the basics – the name of the main character, the individual their character and motivation – in the very first scene or first chapter. ^[10]

Try writing different opening styles. If you don’t know how to start, you can experiment with different starting options. You may have to try a few times before you find a good opening, but that’s what writing is all about!

• Try starting with the character’s actions or appearance so the reader knows right away who is important.
• Start with an overview of the context. Describe sensory details before focusing on the character’s life or home.
• Reveal a character’s “secret” to engage the reader from the start.
• Set the main conflict at the beginning to keep the reader curious to know what happens next.
• Open with an important, memorable, or emotional flashback. Be careful, as flashbacks can confuse readers if they don’t know it’s in the past.

Draft an example sentence. Think about what kind of opening you want to write. Will it be absurd and funny? Gloomy and hidden omens that do not happen often? Invite? Surprise? Does it introduce an overarching truth? Opening the story will help the reader form an idea of what will happen in the story and convince them to continue reading. If you’re feeling stuck, you can check out these examples of famous opening sentences for inspiration: ^[11]

• Irrational and humorous: “It was a brilliantly cold April day, the clock struck thirteen.” Excerpted from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four ).
• Foreshadowing: “It was a strangely hot summer, the summer they executed the Rosenbergs in the electric chair, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.” Excerpted from the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
• Invitation: “Call me Ishmael.” Excerpt from Moby-Dick – The White Whale by Herman Melville.
• Surprise: “Every child grows up, except for one.” Quoted in Peter Pan by JM Barrie.
• The universal truth: “All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family suffers in its own way.” Quoted in Anna Karenina by Leo Tpstoy.

Write the opening paragraph. Write an opening paragraph if your story includes multiple historical settings or narrative scenes. If the story’s setting includes the main character, you can incorporate this information in the main narrative. But if the scene needed in the story happens in a different setting, or if the setting doesn’t specifically include the main character, you may need to write an opening paragraph. ^[12]

• Make sure the opening paragraph is essential and has a significant impact on the plot – otherwise, it’s probably better not to write the opening paragraph.

Avoid releasing any information. You don’t have to tell the reader all about the story in the first scene or the first chapter of the story. This can bog down your story and bore the reader, just as a lack of information will confuse them. You should try to keep a balance and consult outsiders if necessary.

Think about what you wrote. After you’ve written your introduction, think through the story as a whole and determine if the opening is appropriate. If not, you can change the opening or reframe the story.

• If you’re still wondering if the introduction you’ve just written will work, ask outside! Tell your readers that you need honest but positive feedback on what you’ve written.

Work for at least 45 minutes each time you write. Longer writing times will make it easier to get the hang of the story, especially in the beginning. While it’s easy to be tempted to occasionally sit at your desk for 5-10 minutes on a whim, this can make the story looser or lose its “tone”. ^[13]

• Choose a suitable place to sit and write. You can try writing at home, in a coffee shop, library, park, or somewhere else. Determine where you are most creative, a quiet place or a place where music or chatter is heard? ^[14]